Selection of an IoT Platform: A Framework for a Two-Stage Multi-Criteria Decision Making Process

Abstract

Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the main enablers of industries' digital transformation. IoT platforms have become essential parts in IoT architectures to enable the generation of added value from gathering data on the field level. A big variety of products and solutions are available on the market. However, industries, IoT applications, and IoT architectures differ considerably regarding their requirements in functionality and scale. The selection process thus poses major challenges for industrial companies. Several sets of criteria have been presented in literature, but there is still a lack of methods and tools for a practical individual selection process. This paper provides a framework for an individual two-stage selection process based on a multi-criteria assessment. This allows companies firstly to weight the given set of criteria according to their individual needs and secondly, to follow a two-stage assessment including an interview-related part and a practical evaluation. Additionally, the paper shows first validation results based on the selection process for an IoT platform for the Institute's research and learning factory, the Smart Production Lab.