The Top

5 Things

That Every Remote

Monitoring System

Should Have

2The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

Many companies are turning to remote monitoring to achieve their goals

of becoming safer, more efficient, and more sustainable in how they work

and operate. Starting with SCADA, and now with the advent of the Internet

of Things, remote monitoring systems have been faithful companions to

business leaders who want to empower their workforce and maximize

output. As they grow in popularity, more vendors are starting to offer

remote monitoring solutions, either as an OEM or through

channel partners.

This eBook is designed to help the modern, forward-thinking industrial

business leader make an informed decision by highlighting what we believe

are the most important elements of a remote monitoring system. With this

guide, you’ll be equipped to distinguish the cream from the crop and lead

your team to remote monitoring success.

Learn more about WellAware

3The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

First, a Primer on Remote MonitoringFirst things first, we should be clear about what remote monitoring is and why people

use it. If you feel confident you understand the ins and outs of remote monitoring, then

just skip this section and get to the good stuff!

What is it?In its most basic form, remote monitoring is a technology solution which includes all or

most of the following:

1. Sensors – Devices that measure a physical process and convert it into a standard

analog or digital signal.

2. Processors – Field computers that read output signals from sensors and process

them back it into engineering units, then prepare the data to be transmitted

through a network. Note: Some sensors are sold with integrated transmitters.

3. Network Gateways – Remote networking devices that relay information about

processors through a communications infrastructure either to another network

gateway or to a place of rest, like a database.

4. Databases – Places where data is logically stored and can be accessed by data

management tools or other databases.

5. Data Visualization Interfaces – Software tools where people can interact with the

data stored in databases. Can either by hosted on a website, licensed and installed

on a PC, or on a rugged HMI in a field location.

6. Analytics Engines – Data-processing systems that uses high-level computation to

arrive at useful conclusions about the assets which the system monitors.

The concept of remote monitoring can encompass a wide array of tools, from the tried-

and-true SCADA systems adopted by many industrial companies, to BMS systems as

might be found in commercial properties like hospitals, to an asset tracking system that

monitors the location of heavy equipment. Regardless, they are designed to serve a single,

distinct objective.

4

Why should I care?

All the components that make up a remote monitoring system are designed for one

specific purpose: To help business change the way they operate so they can be safer,

more efficient, and more sustainable. Remote monitoring systems help workers gain

insight about equipment, operations, and processes that are located in a remote

location. The definition of “remote” may vary in terms of actual distance – it may be

many miles or only a few hundred feet. The important point is that remote monitoring

free workers to take valuable action by eliminating manual data collection and

analytics processes.

Now that you understand what remote monitoring

is and why it is important, these are the Top 5

things that every Remote Monitoring System

should have.

“

”

The goal of remote

monitoring is to

change the way you

operate to be safer,

more eff icient, and

more reliable.

The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

5The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

”

“

1A Foundation of Modern TechnologyThe challenge with many remote monitoring systems is that they still operate on outdated

technology or principles. Certain frameworks that worked well in the past have been outpaced

or rendered obsolete by newer technology. Remember, the entire purpose of using remote

monitoring is to impact and change business processes. Remote monitoring systems built on

old technology cannot meet the demands of modern business processes.

What do we mean by modern technology? To keep it simple, we recommend you look for three

core elements:

1. Low-power, global networking – Older systems rely

on unlicensed radio frequency networks with limited

bandwidth and heavy power consumption. Newer

remote monitoring systems should offer low-power

cellular networks like Cat-M, plus LEO satellite options to

plug gaps where cellular networks are (rarely) missing.

2. Cloud-based storage – Some systems still rely on localized

or centralized databases with poor security and little

flexibility. Look for solutions that use reliable Cloud

Service Providers, like Amazon Web Services, to store data.

3. Mobile, mobile, mobile! – So much of our business is

done on our phones, and remote monitoring systems should enable a mobile workforce.

Stick to remote monitoring solutions that offer a native mobile app on iOS and Android,

rather than just a web-browser.

WellAware is modern remote monitoring system for modern business. We use the best

technology to make remote monitoring cheaper, faster, and more reliable.

Remote monitoring systems built on old technology cannot meet the demands of modern business processes.

Learn more about WellAware Remote Monitoring

24 $

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6The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

2A Rock-Solid Equipment WarrantyAs the saying goes, stuff happens. As with any piece of hardware you might buy, the devices

which comprise the sensing and networking elements of a remote monitoring system are

going to fail at some point.

And as with any big purchase we make, we want to factor the total cost of ownership of the

product. Because digitization has become a global economic powerhouse, many companies

have begun offering low-cost remote monitoring solutions to try to capture market share at

volume, so be wary of buying a system on the cheap only to have it fail before you’ve even

made good use of it.

There are solutions out there which are both low

cost and high quality, but always look at the device

warranty. Many manufacturers either don’t warrant

their systems for any period, or they offer short

warranties of one year or less. The length of a

warranty often correlates to the manufacturer’s

confidence in its quality – short warranties

usually mean short lifespan.

The best remote monitoring systems will offer

multi-year – or better yet, lifetime – warranties to

make sure your remote monitoring system always

provides great data.

Look for remote monitoring systems that offer a

multi-year or lifetime equipment warranty.

All WellAware hardware devices are covered by a limited Lifetime Warranty under

contract. So long as you are our customer, we will replace anything that breaks.

”

“The length of a warranty often correlates to the manufacturer’s confidence in its quality – short warranties usually mean short lifespan.

Learn more about WellAware reliability

7The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

”

“3The Ability to Integrate with Your ToolsAccording to Okta, the average business in 2020 has deployed over 80 different software apps to get

their work done.

Whether you use 80 or you use only a handful, you need a

remote monitoring system that integrates with the tools that

help you do your job. If it can’t play nice with your existing

workflow, you won’t ever transition to a new, better workflow.

Here are a few examples of important integrations:

1. SCADA – More and more companies are beginning to

augment SCADA with lightweight remote monitoring

systems built on more modern technology. If a

company is already using data visualizations within

their SCADA environment, they will need a system

that easily and automatically gets data into them.

2. Accounting – Remote monitoring systems are

designed to affect business processes, which means

they must have an impact on the general ledger of a business. Remote monitoring systems

can collect financial data about assets – especially in scenarios of custody transfer – that

should be automatically integrated into accounting systems.

3. Supply Chain – Companies that handle logistics, manufacturing, asset rental, or managed

distribution all benefit from remote monitoring systems. If you use supply chain management

software, make sure that information collected by the remote monitoring system connects with it.

These are just some examples. The bottom line is this – if you use a software tool that helps you do

your job and would benefit from data collected by a remote monitoring system, make sure you can

easily and automatically integrate that data into your workflow.

WellAware uses modern protocols like REST and MQTT to integrate with your tools. Have an older system?

We support legacy too.

We don’t believe in ‘Rip and Replace’ – if your remote monitoring system can’t play nice with your existing workflow, you won’t ever transition to a new, better workflow.

Learn more about our integrations

24 $

24 $

24 $

8The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

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“4Adaptable Payment Options

Different organizations have different financial goals. Some businesses prefer to free up capital

to focus on positive cash flow, others might take on calculated debt to enable better processes

which have long-term returns. Regardless, if you are evaluating a remote monitoring system,

you need to make sure that the way you pay for it aligns with your business goals.

According to Forbes, small business are especially focused

on freeing up cash, with more than two-thirds of small

business owners very worried about maintaining positive

cash flow.

Many small businesses are interested in implementing

some kind of remote monitoring system, but they can’t

free enough capital to afford the upfront costs of devices

and installation.

Even big businesses need to focus on cash flow

management, especially during times of economic hardship. As capital budgets get slashed,

workers at larger corporations need to find monitoring alternatives that don’t require significant

capital investment.

In either case, remote monitoring systems need to available with little or no upfront capital

expenditure. Companies which offer pay-as-you-go or rental models can be attractive for

cash-strapped businesses. But keep an eye on the hidden costs: installation and setup by

an engineering firm or systems integrator can approach or even exceed the cost of the

system itself.

WellAware is the only turnkey remote monitoring system available for zero upfront

capex – including installation.

Keep an eye on hidden costs – installation and setup can exceed the cost of the system itself.

Learn more about our Zero CAPEX model

9The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

5Knock-Your-Socks-Off SupportAccording to McKinsey, one of the biggest challenges to making the transition to remote

monitoring systems is managing change. Nearly 9 out of 10 projects fail to move past pilot stage

in the first year.

The biggest reason why? People don’t like to change.

Remote monitoring systems are designed to make processes

easier and simpler so that people can do their jobs faster and

more efficiently. But if those people don’t have support, they

will spend more energy learning to use the new digital tools,

which will destroy the productivity ROI.

Many organizations overlook this last one, but it is by far

the most significant contributor to the success of a remote

monitoring project. If your team does not have the support

they need to adopt – and master – the remote monitoring

system, they will give up. Millions of failed projects prove this.

Some things to consider when evaluating your remote monitoring system vendor’s support model:

1. Is support free or premium? Premium support can be nice, but the risk of unbounded costs can deter workers from seeking help.

2. Is support in-house or outsourced? Some companies claim to have 24/7 support, but they outsource support claims to contractors who are not empowered to actually solve customer problems.

3. Does support exist in the field? Remote monitoring systems all have some element of data monitoring hardware deployed on your assets. If vendors don’t provide field support services, the high cost of systems integrators or engineering firms can leave assets

stranded without repair.

The WellAware Launch Team is like customer support on steroids – we solve our customers’ problems

fast. The best part? It’s free.

Learn more about how we move faster

”

“If people don’t have support, they spend more energy learning the system than they save by using it – which destroys the productivity ROI.

10The Top 5 Things That Every Remote Monitoring System Should Have

Now Go Get It Done!

WellAware empowers organizations to be efficient, safe,

and sustainable by streaming mission-critical data to

their employees so they can remotely monitor and control

physical assets. Our open technology is easy to deploy,

affordable and secure.

Give us a call to learn more

210-816-46001-855-WELLAWARE3424 Paesanos Parkway

Suite 200 San Antonio, TX 78231

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