An enterprise with IoT data is a little like a mule with a spinning wheel. No one knows how it got it and danged if it knows how to use it… Unless it has a Data Collection Supervisor. Maybe good old Lyle Lanley didn’t quite say that, but you certainly get the idea.

A Data Collector Supervisor (DCS) is software intended for activities related to the Internet of Things (IoT) and more specifically the Industrial IoT, meant for the manufacturing sector. It is referred to as a “Data Collector” because it acts as an end point for all enterprise data collected from the assets located in the physical world. Machinery, plants, factories, offices… With the help of IoT devices, the DCS is able to convey and map all this information into a single virtual environment, making it accessible and organized in a user-friendly way.

In addition, it is referred to as a “Supervisor” because it doesn’t limit its features to data collection but, like a good manager, it provides the team with a set of operational features that enable them to make sense of and give direction to this information. The DCS casts a top-down look at the company and helps management and staff do their jobs. Whether it is highlighting critical issues or finding opportunities, the DCS allows you to analyze available data, cross-referencing and evaluating it over the long term or day by day.

It is not an ERP, it is not an MES. Does it remind you of a CMMS? Perhaps it shares some features, but they are different platforms. DCS is particularly effective for managing activities aimed at Industry 4.0 and preventive or predictive maintenance, but the strength of this type of software is its flexibility and ability to work in synergy with other software. Once data is collected, corollary features can be configured to fit a variety of business contexts.