There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a large amount of disruption around the world. In fact, one could probably write volumes about the economic disruption alone. Still, whether we like it or not, we have to get through these strange and difficult times. As such, we should use every tool that is available to help things along. With that in mind, let’s look at how the IoT (internet of things) can help businesses to adapt.
The Use Of Drones
One of the consequences of this pandemic is the need for contact-free interactions. People are finding more and more ways to do their business without making direct contact with another person, and drones are one of the most effective ways of doing that. They can be used for monitoring purposes, but they can also be used to deploy helpful services quickly. For instance, some companies have begun marketing sanitizer drones that make it easier for employees to engage in frequent hand-washing. Instead of making them go to the sanitizer, you bring the sanitizer to them.
Obviously, these little things have a lot of potential for compliance usage as well. Most of us are dealing with certain rules and restrictions related to the pandemic, and most of them are well-meaning rules that should be followed. Even those that seem ineffective are still good for morale, and drone-based monitoring makes it far easier to catch a violator in the act.
Innovative Sanitation Methods
As sanitation goes from a mundane task to a serious necessity, more and more innovative sanitation methods are being developed. We already mentioned the use of drones, but it doesn’t always have to be that high-tech. For instance, you might consider the use of a sterilizing chemical known as silver citrate. It comes in several forms, but all of them have been shown to be highly effective against microbes. Some people will try to tell you that this is “snake oil,” but colloidal silver has been used against infections and diseases for millennia.
Of course, it isn’t just about sanitizing your hands or your body. You also need your business equipment to be sterilized on a regular basis. People touch these machines all day long, often working in close proximity to them, and so they are potential vectors for the transmission of Covid-19. Thankfully, there are all kinds of innovative solutions that can help. For instance, some companies offer forklift sterilization systems that use a mist of silver citrate to periodically clean the machine. These systems also keep track of where that piece of equipment has been, who has come into contact with it, and what it has been doing.
Covid-19 Kiosks
Customer service also needs to be re-thought in the age of Covid, at least until the crisis is over. The idea of a customer service kiosk is a very convenient one, and that’s why so many businesses use them. Unfortunately, a central gathering place like that help desk can be a serious breeding ground for the spread of disease. If nothing else, these things have become too dangerous because of the risks posed to the desk workers.
That’s where Covid-19 kiosks come into the picture. Customer service has been on the path of automation for years now, but the Corona situation has put the pedal to the metal. Now that there is actually a good reason for things to move in this direction, it is happening much more quickly.
These Covid kiosks work in combination with a smartphone app and several other tools. They allow employers to conduct daily viral screenings for all employees in a fast and efficient manner. If an infected person is found, management can be alerted right away. In this way, you can start every shift by making sure that no one has the virus.
More Robust Product Tracking
As we said earlier, people are not the only vector by which this virus can be transmitted. Objects can act as carriers too, which makes product tracking more important than ever. In the past, product tracking was mostly done for purposes of inventory safety. In other words, they track items so that they won’t be stolen in transit. The same methods, however, are easily adapted to an anti-Covid role.
Using IoT devices, it is possible to keep a much sharper eye on the conditions under which goods are transported. Medicines, in particular, tend to be rather sensitive to certain temperatures and humidity levels. And, naturally, auto-sterilization systems are going to become more and more important as time goes on. All of this boils down to a more rigorously tracked system, which has other benefits besides the prevention of disease.
Conclusion
This is just a small sampling of ideas, which is intended to give you a better idea of how IoT-based automation can guard against Covid-19. At the same time, many of these IoT solutions can also lead to a higher level of efficiency and product quality. Thus, you can bet that a lot of these measures will remain in place long after the pandemic is gone. If you would like to know more, we urge you to contact One Blink Tech today and find out how you can take advantage of this growing trend. While you’re here, you should also fill out the contact form below to receive more useful information like this.
