Smart Apps

Over the past decade, business applications have evolved significantly—from web to mobile to multi-channel apps. With each new wave came new use cases that simply weren’t possible due to previous technical limitations.

We’re now at another inflection point in the history of application development. The rapid rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data and machine learning are radically redefining apps as we know them.

We’re entering the era of Smart Apps.

What are Smart Apps?

Smart Apps are innovative systems that gather tremendous amounts of data from sensors and other sources, using machine learning algorithms and predictive analytics to make this information actionable for users and to improve experiences. Unlike their predecessors they are:

  • Intelligent

    Smart Apps use analytics, machine learning and AI services to make recommendations and predictions that guide users
    and things to take the next best action.

  • Contextual

    Using personal, sensor and location data, Smart Apps are personalized, embedded in users’ processes and available on
    any channel/device.

  • Proactive

    Smart Apps come to the user versus the other way around, leveraging push notifications, chat bots and messaging
    services to proactively interact with users and give them smart recommendations of what to do and when.

Smart Apps Create Opportunity to Reshape Entire Industries

With these smart experiences already proliferating the consumer space, enterprises face a sense of urgency to catch up and start generating value from these technologies before competitors. Organizations that delay adoption and fail to catch the IoT and algorithmic business wave risk competitive disadvantage—or displacement by digital disruption in the next five years.

As much as these new trends represent an existential threat, they also present one of the biggest business opportunities in decades. McKinsey estimates that IoT alone could generate up to $11.1 trillion a year in economic value by 2025.

Smart App Innovation in Action

  • Airline

    A major airline has built an equipment tracking application that provides engineers with a live view of the locations of each piece of airline maintenance equipment.

    By increasing the efficiency of engineers, this innovation is not only generating significant cost savings and process improvements, but also impacting the customer experience in the end through more reliable, on-time flights.

  • Greenhouse Lighting Systems Manufacturer

    A lighting manufacturer for the horticultural industry built a Smart App that leverages IoT sensors and predictive analytics to perform predictive maintenance and optimize lighting, power consumption and plant photosynthesis.

    The application transformed their business from a commoditize lighting systems manufacturer to a greenhouse optimization as-a-service.

  • Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Company

    A medication temperature monitoring application uses sensors as a way to ensure the best possible delivery of medical supplies.

    The temperature of medications is key to meeting quality standards and regulations, and the application monitors every shipment in order to ensure the proper temperature is maintained and to remind patients to take their medication on time.

  • Facility Management Company

    A facility services company uses their multi-device application to enable support personnel to receive alerts about service issues and take immediate action.

    By aggregating data from thousands of sensors in places like coffee machines, soap dispensers, paper towel dispensers and mouse traps rather than manual checks, the application has significantly cut costs and improved service levels. Now support personnel know exactly when the soap in the third level bathroom needs refilling.

Resources