Ian Hughes, an IoT Analyst at 451 Research discusses the complexities faced by software developers in an increasingly fractured technical landscape.
The 1980s programmer/developer
I started programming, self-taught through magazine listings and experimentation in the 1980’s, at home on a ZX81, later at school and university. Companies hired and trained programmers, based on small sets of preferred languages, COBOL, PL/1 and C. Design methodologies evolved to try and allow for specification of software projects at a higher architectural level. User interfaces were few and far between, mostly created in panel editors left for junior developers to put onto the green screen monitors.
The 1990s programmer/developer
We saw a drive towards object orientated languages and event processing systems. Legacy languages were still needed but Smalltalk and C++, with their added engineering rigor, became fashionable in the mid 90’s. The desktop personal computer arrived and started to bring windowed systems, richer user interfaces, which divided the profession into ‘client’ or ‘server’ developers. Programmers were still programmers though, learning the methodologies of Rumbaugh, Booch, Jacobson et al. Engineering relied on more frameworks, middleware and class libraries.
The 2000s programmer/developer
The web disrupted the programming industry status quo. Firstly, with a new set of protocols, markup languages, browser plugins and server interactions and the number of potential users ramped up from hundreds to millions. Very little tool support existed to deal with how to present a Web page, the interactions on it or connecting to a backend. The user interfaces became critical, they provided a brand touchpoint, required graphic and audio design skills, information design and blending with the traditional technical side of projects. Secondly the Web provided a vehicle for many more people to engage with software engineering and to share ideas. The magazine listings of my youth were now amplified as living projects with open source collaborations enabling lots and lots of projects, prerequisites and constant change.
The 2010s programmer/developer
The wild west of the web gradually started to be tamed and engineering rigor returned with the advent of cloud hosting. Companies not looking for programmers but for Full Stack developers. People who know a little about a lot of parts. The Full Stack trend began with the Web, needing to know HTML, CSS, PHP, Java, JavaScript, HTTP protocols, MySQL/ NoSQL etc. combined with library management systems, security requirements, testing and also be able to create for mobile platforms, touch interfaces and hooking up to Facebook, Twitter and any other social media platform. Agile development added yet more things to be expert in. Forever patching runtimes bringing its own challenges too, no more launch and forget.
Today’s programmer/developer
The Internet of Things (IoT) is making that Full Stack a lot higher and more difficult to balance. IoT brings physical computing to the mix. If any developer thinks users mess up their wonderful pristine development, wait until devices being impacted by temperature, sunlight, atmospheric conditions and water start delivering constant streams of data across a multitude of communication mechanisms to server-less computing based cloud processes. Each of the millions of devices or products are remote, together they provide a large attack surface for hacker intrusion. Early IoT was about simple sensors and actuators, now IoT end points are rich compute platforms too, they connect to larger edge servers that collate and gather data for the backhaul to a cloud server. Understanding what function needs to be deployed where, in a complex distributed feedback loop, is difficult. Developers have to consider the new system components such as machine learning and self-organising interactions of Blockchain between devices. User interfaces alter dramatically with Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR & AR) and new types of device to interact with. Organisational silos are crossed as data from one IoT system feeds an Artificial Intelligence (AI) from another. Operation Technology departments start to cross over with Information Technology groups. IoT blurs many boundaries.
Future programmers/developers
At 451 Research we cover and keep up with the multitude platforms and protocols that make up the IoT industry. There is an industry gap for methodologies, and then design tools, to evolve with common patterns and use cases. Starter kits of hardware with backend connections are common appealing to Full Stack developers in the enterprise. Proof of concepts rush to plug things in, which is the IoT expression of the Minimal Viable Product.
It may sound all doom, gloom and scarily confusing, but as I tell the next generation when I give talks, there is huge opportunity to flourish and build on the skills and aspirations they have. Full Stack is an appreciation of breadth and a willingness to go with the flow, to adapt. IoT is a great enabler for those who may not be equipped to be a traditional programmer. Equally those with that skill can find intricate niches and create wonderful things.
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Event date: September 19 – 20, 2016
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August 8, 2016
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In the past, warehouse workers, otherwise known as pickers, would worth with lists and manually run a warehouse. This took pickers a long time to get shipments in order just and this laborious practice soon became outdated when digital advanced, writes Suzanne Vallance, who works for Ferrari Packaging, a wholesale packaging supplies company based in Scotland.
IoE practices in warehouses
Warehouses have started to use the Internet of Everything (IoE), robotic systems which makes the working day much more effective. IoE and voice picking have improved the efficiency of warehouse practices. Sensors can now even detect everything through a robotic system and businesses can check where their pallets are, whether that is in the warehouse or en route to the shipping dock.
Progressively, businesses are adapting to IoE technology and are connecting the different departments in their organisation. These warehouses, like new technology that we use every day, are called “smart warehouses” and have increased productivity across the board.
IoT and cloud software for business
Cloud software is continuing to develop and change security perceptions. Steve Banker from Forbes Online has stated that there are benefits of using IoT in warehouses and has highlighted how pickers are management are adjusting to the change: “Most well run warehouses have a Warehouse Management Systems (WMS) that depends upon bar code data. Warehouse floor level operations personnel and warehouse managers execute their tasks based upon this data.”
This is true, figures from 2015 have shown the growth of IoT in business, especially in the use of cloud technology:
Cloud software is hosted elsewhere, virtually and businesses manage their accounts by accessing the software over the internet. Organisations will be charged a cloud fee, however, this includes hosting services.
What is a voice picking cloud?
The main method of internet picking is through a voice picking cloud solution. This means organisations can host their information remotely.
This is beneficial as it means your business does not have to obtain, install or maintain servers. This will not only improve staff efficiency in the long run but it will cut costs. In-house IT hardware can be problematic when it comes to continual security and maintenance.
Argos is just one of the UK’s multichannel retailers that have moved away from paper trail picking. This has been beneficial to the company as they claim it has boosted staff productivity and accuracy.
Getting it right the first time is now more important than ever as the fast delivery pressure from the “Amazon effect” is hitting the retail business. Thankfully for Argos, its level of accuracy is going up and accuracy error rates have decreased from just over 1% to less than 0.3%.
By adopting a voice picking system a business will become more consistent. The paper trail has become outdated, therefore it may be worth businesses looking into business improvement across the board, especially in the operational side of businesses.
Operational vs technical in the warehouse
Remember, improving the technological side of your business is vital, but maintaining the operations section of it, is just as important.
Adopting cloud technology will allow for reduced operational costs, but it’s good practice not to reply on the cloud alone to protect your goods. Amazon uses the cloud to help protect against theft, by using a system that updates every thirty minutes, however for the SME traditional methods for protecting your stored items should not be disregarded. Invest in suitable packaging supplies that will act as a secondary dimension of protection for your goods.
IoT warehouse operations
Changing your business ethic can be risky, therefore it always worth trialling different methods of IoT. By using the internet to enhance your workplace it will not only encourage your employees to work harder but they will learn new, digital skills. The beauty of the internet is that is growing and it is never too late to change, you could see the benefits of IoT in your warehouse works in a matter of months.
July 27, 2016
Posted by: George Malim