The COVID-19 pandemic drastically altered our business practices. Manufacturing facilities, workplaces, and establishments had to close due to the months-long lockdown. For this reason, companies shifted towards adopting Remote Monitoring Systems to collect data accurately, track assets, and continuously monitor a facility or equipment condition as in-person monitoring was no longer feasible. In doing so, we can collect massive amounts of data about our essentials using a remote monitoring system without being present 24/7.
In this article, you will discover how powerful Remote Monitoring technology is. Moreover, you’ll also learn how RMS works and get to explore some of its real-time applications in our daily life.
Remote Monitoring System in Simple Words
Remote monitoring is a technology that helps us detect the problems that cause downtime and gives us information about the performance of the system and the hardware involved.
It is not feasible for us to continuously keep an eye on something and prevent disruptions from happening in our system. The word ‘system’ refers to anything like an Industrial Setup, IT facility, Residential Building, etc. Let us understand how these remote monitoring systems work in real life.
How does a Remote Monitoring System Work?
It all begins with the IoT sensors, which can capture the data and exchange it continuously over a wireless network or the internet. Internet-of-Things (IoT) is a system comprising sensors, software, and other technology that aids in data communication. Once the data gets collected, it is then transmitted to the cloud, from where the users will be able to access it through their workstation.
Applications of Remote Monitoring System:
Remote Monitoring Systems are designed to monitor and control large or complex establishments like Telecom towers, Airports, Data Centres, etc. They find massive usage in Solar power plants and automated Fire Protection Systems particularly.
- In Solar Power Plants: Let us consider the case of an IoT-based remote monitoring system in a Solar Power Plant. The front end generally consists of an array of solar PV panels, which are then connected to the inverter (converting the DC to AC) and fed to a commercial electrical grid. Here, an interface is connected to the inverter that collects data such as the intensity of sunlight, voltage, current, temperature, etc. This collected data is transmitted to the cloud via Wi-Fi for analytics. In most cases, the process of data flow is similar irrespective of the areas of application.
- Fire Protection: In the case of fire protection systems, what the client expects is to receive immediate alerts or an event trigger, whenever there is a troublesome event (for example, smoke, flames). Activation of buzzers and sprinklers situated throughout the facility and monitoring the situation from a control room is now possible using the remote monitoring systems. The devices like smoke detectors, humidifiers, and heat sensors transmit the signal to an intermediate interface which then forwards the captured data to the control unit.
What are the Benefits of Using Remote Monitoring Systems?
- Automates the Data Collection Process:
It is evident that remote monitoring systems have replaced the traditional procedure of manually gathering the data by involving multiple people for a longer duration. Although an initial investment is involved in installing a remote monitoring system at a facility, it eliminates the additional workforce deployed for the data gathering purpose in the long run.
- Increases work efficiency:
Now that the data collection procedure has become much more manageable. It is quite possible to analyze the captured data and make appropriate decisions. With RMS, it is easier to avoid any disruptions from occurring and at the same time enhance productivity.
- Direct Data Collection from the Machines:
By building more insights from the captured data, one can identify the loopholes in the operations and reiterate the operating parameters to achieve a higher level of performance. You can also devise your strategy when the former approach isn’t delivering desired results by analyzing the data.
- Higher Data Accuracy:
The sensors supporting the remote monitoring system are capable of gathering more accurate data better than before. The obtained accurate data will eventually provide precise results. Based on this, you can forecast or make any further changes in your operating procedure.
- Complete Visibility:
Managing a facility from a distance has now become possible using remote-based monitoring systems. Providing total visibility of the operations and controlling from a remote location makes the remote monitoring system more reliable, easy to manage, and secure.
- Multiple Alerts for One Event:
The software embedded in the remote monitoring system can be re-programmed to receive timely alerts or updates as per the requirement or when certain conditions are met.
- The convenience of Data Backup:
Network issues may certainly harm the visibility/ live monitoring of the operations. With RMS, backing up the data will be an alternative for visibility when the server goes down. You will still be able to monitor the captured events from the backed-up data.
VNT – Providing Industry Leading Solutions:
As inferred from the article, every business and enterprise should consider adopting Remote Monitoring System technology if their current data collection and analysis approach needs to be updated. After all, utilizing advanced technology that is available to us is a wise business-conscious decision.
VNT, with its comprehensive and sophisticated solutions, can help with this. Aiming to become the world’s leading engineering company, VNT strives to make its name by providing innovative solutions and unrivaled services under the following business verticals: Solar, Telecom, Fire Safety, and Earthing.
If you would like to see for yourself how VNT India can help you simplify support and put customers first, write to us.
