It seems like a lifetime ago, but one of his comments stuck with me then and still holds true: “With the Internet, it’s not about who you know any more. It’s about who knows you.”
This month’s cover story taps into one of the latest ways that technology is breathing life into my friend’s comment. The topic is context-aware technologies, a term that, as managing editor Christine LaFave Grace explains, “means different things to different companies, but generally refers to some combination of hardware and software that provides insights into an asset’s real-time operating conditions.”
It could be as simple as adding RFID tags to pallets or tools for improved tracking of each, or it could mean adding vision to self-guided vehicles to prevent or eliminate collisions. It also mean sensors that record the environmental conditions in which product lines are run, enabling improved quality control, reduced downtime, and better decision-making in real-time. These technologies also can extend into the realm of people, with biosensors, proximity sensors, and other instrumentation available to help organizations optimize workflows and protect its most valuable resource.
