Customer pain points these days include “everything under the sun from supply chains,” said Parker. Companies are eager to realize new efficiencies and cope with ever-growing I.T. systems. The result is a “gamut of problems.”

The emergence of the Internet of Things has made it possible to create new efficiencies and systems that were not possible before, Parker said. First, though, companies must overcome a “siloed” mentality and bring together managers across multiple disciplines.

“We try to get all decision-makers into the same room, and tell us what their road map is,” he said. “Inevitably, it never lines up.” The first step is to get all of the principals to agree on a starting point.

Even with the Internet of Things, it can be a challenge getting I.T. systems to talk to one another. Companies must cope with a variety of legacy platforms, devices and sensors that have operated discretely for years. They need to extract all relevant data, consolidate it at a single point, and use it to make key decisions.

The Internet of Things is still developing, Parker said. Many potential users remain unaware of the extent of the technology, and are therefore unable to demand “the art of the possible.”

“They should be leading the charge on this,” Parker said, “but they don’t always know what they want.”

The Internet of Things, he added, “is already here. It’s just up to us to pull it together and act on it.”

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