Article

The Impact of COVID-19 on IoT Development Projects

April 16, 2020

Business Detours

During this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of all sizes and industries have been taken on an unexpected detour and experienced disruptions of epic proportions. For many, the essential nature of the business, the industry, and the customers it serves have guided them in a new direction. Others have embarked on a new path by shifting to manufacturing or offering a product outside the normal scope of their business — all to serve a greater need or, in some cases, simply to keep the lights on. 

No matter what path a company takes to follow the detour, innovation, new value propositions, and business models are established at an unfathomable rate. Today, the motivation for innovation has never been stronger. So the question driving most accelerated business planning is this: How do we remain active participants or sustain operations during this pandemic? At SpinDance, we are continually encouraged and inspired by the ways people and businesses have stepped up and evolved in the face of this global crisis.

For years, connecting products to the internet has been a solution in the toolkit of innovation.  And now, the requirements of social distancing have positioned the internet as the greatest solution for almost every company. Whether you’re new to leveraging the internet as a business strategy or you’ve been on this road for a while, the status of many IoT development and innovation projects have either accelerated, changed priorities, or idled. Here are some considerations and possible solutions for your individual IoT journey. 

Accelerate & Prioritize IoT Development Projects

Your product may be critical in the fight against COVID-19, and now you’re facing a consolidated timeline to deliver. That’s why it’s important to work smart—and swiftly. We know connecting products to the internet can be risky and expensive, especially when the development process is accelerated. But with our expertise, assessments and product roadmaps are completed rapidly—leading to timely product success. SpinDance assessments provide a clear picture of system infrastructure, and product roadmaps guide the flexible evolution of the connected product—in both current and future innovation.

Now, how will your Minimum Viable Product be updated?  First, you need to get your product in the hands of the people who need it most, as quickly as possible.  Fast-tracking the evaluation and identification of features within the product that can satisfy the most immediate needs will take some thoughtful yet swift insight.

Alternatively, one of your products may be receiving all the engineering resources at this time, which could cause drastic delays on other projects.  We recommend an organization-wide look at IoT projects, where it makes sense to pause and where you can make quick strides and gains. As a premier IoT consulting firm, we can provide excellent advice with this prioritization. 

Idle & Educate for IoT Development Projects

If your IoT design and development projects are idle due to financial uncertainty, it may be a great time to seek professional development that can pay dividends in your future IoT journey. SpinDance offers several remote courses that can build your team’s knowledge base — whenever, wherever. Over the years, we’ve also curated a list of Good IoT Reads, book recommendations that provide great insights and education into IoT development.

If you’re unsure of where you’re headed on your IoT journey, this is an excellent opportunity to get ahead of your competition and map a comprehensive plan. Use this time to focus on innovation, to figure out where you should go at the backend of this pandemic. SpinDance resources will guide you through the best ways to build a process and an IoT Project. Or, an Innovation Workshop will help reveal which products are best for an IoT design and development project, while our roadmap will outline the first 12-24 months of development.

What We Do

For over 20 years, SpinDance has helped companies of all sizes and industries solve the most complex software engineering problems. Through hard work and continual success, we now work with some of the biggest brands in the world, crafting everything from smart home appliances to industrial actuators. 

We’re here to be the calming force in a turbulent time, guiding you in IoT Innovation and on the acceleration or prioritization of your IoT projects.  As always, part of our mission is to educate you on the stages of the IoT journey and lead you to your destination — no matter what detours lie ahead.

Our end-to-end IoT approach reflects our name. We see our business as a dance between parts and people, a dance that masterfully comes together to create  IoT solutions. Every day, we’re spinning to discover new software ideas and guide our customers to see transformative results.

Do you have an IoT design and IoT development project you need to accelerate? Are you searching for IoT consulting? Reach out to us today at hello@spindance.com or (616) 355-7000.  We’re always here to help and we can’t wait to partner with you during this season — and the next.