Developing future-proof solutions

The world around us is changing fast with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and our customers’ operating environments are changing too. This makes it crucial for us to adapt and respond to new demands; we might need to take a bold leap forward and write a completely new chapter in our story.

New products, ideas, and platforms all require new ways of thinking. For example, transferring selected services to a new platform such as the cloud represents a major change for any company: it requires building and accepting a different approach to many core processes and might also require new ways of working. Product and service creation and co-operation models with partners and customers may all need to be reinvented, too. 

For some companies such a change could be uncomfortable, but we embrace a curious attitude towards new innovations. As a technology and curiosity-driven company, Vaisala’s goal is to develop, design, and manufacture innovative world-class measurement devices that provide accurate and timely data in industrial processes in line with our customers’ needs.

Large cloud companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft make healthy investments in their innovation platforms every year. This also benefits companies that are just starting their journey into the cloud. Rather than reinventing the wheel, companies can exploit existing platforms and tools and develop on top of them to suit their needs. Development cycles will be much smoother and shorter, and the companies can concentrate on their core business. 

Actions taken on feedback

Learning from the market is one way to facilitate agile product development; listening to feedback is another. We used to live in a world where development cycles took a long time and companies only introduced products once they were perfected and polished, which resulted in getting feedback too late to make any immediate improvements. Occasionally, such products might have ended up being rejected because they became outdated before their time. 

Today, new innovations can be introduced to key stakeholders at a much earlier stage. This gives developers the opportunity to receive immediate feedback and make any required modifications quickly, almost on the go. Continuous and accelerated development cycles help to shape products that truly meet the needs of the modern world.

Future potential

The needs of industries are changing rapidly. Innovators and manufacturers are digging deeper into their investment pockets to help R&D deliver. However, we still need to choose which path to follow. One option is to ignore the established paths altogether and reach for the clouds. 

When it comes to the future potential of cloud-based innovation platforms, currently we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. It is thought that the next industrial revolution will provide an even stronger foothold for AI and ML, which would add value to businesses by carrying out dull, routine tasks that today consume a good chunk of our working hours, or tasks that are too large for an individual to tackle alone. For example, AI can mine large amounts of data and analyze it to help us identify new solution needs. AI and ML are still in their infancy – the potential is great, but it is our job to decide what their role will be in the future.

Take a look at some of the tangible advantages of cloud-based sensing solutions that our Senior Product Manager Lars Stormbom has presented in his post.

Stay tuned for more!