Exploring Challenges of Industrial WiFi Networks

Today, the operations in several industry verticals from automotive and logistics to retail and banking, rely heavily on wireless communications. Production sites, warehouses, logistics centres, container terminals as well as enterprise networks with numerous smaller but dispersed WiFi setups, such as retail store chains, bank branches, and gas stations all utilise industry-grade WiFi networks. A diverse WiFi-connected devices support vital business and industrial processes. Any instability in connectivity can lead to operational inefficiencies, employee frustration, and customer dissatisfaction – potentially hitting your bottom line. Thus, maintaining a ‘healthy’ network is essential.

Wireless Network Challenges in Specific Industries

The complexity of wireless network infrastructure across different industries directly correlates with the intricacies of their business processes and the IT systems that support them. As processes become more complex, they increasingly rely on the reliability and stability of wireless networks and connected devices.

Additionally, the connectivity challenges and network performance issues encountered by specific industries are influenced by the characteristics of the facilities they operate, and the dynamics of the business and industrial processes run there. All these factors need to be addresses during the network planning and configuration as well as after during network operation and further optimisation.

Let’s briefly explore some of the industries from this perspective.

• Logistics: Logistics and distribution centres are large facilities characterized by intensive processes including order fulfilment and inventory management that are supported by a diverse array of connected devices, like barcode readers, RFID scanners, as well as automated sorting and packaging systems. Fast shifting inventory and large number of connected devices combined with high their mobility can lead to connectivity issues and network congestions in selected areas, resulting in productivity setbacks and process disruptions.

• Warehousing: Warehouses are large facilities characterized by high ceilings, arrays of towering metal racking and dense inventory, which cause signal attenuation, reflection, and shadowing. Unlike logistics centres, inventory is stored for longer periods of time, so the focus on efficient space management. Warehouse Management Systems (WOS) use processes that are also supported by connected devices and special, often autonomous vehicles to navigate narrow aisles. The complex internal structure of warehouses creates a challenging environment from the WiFi network coverage perspective that can lead to interruptions and network performance dips, underscoring the need for reliable connectivity to maintain uninterrupted operations.

• Shipment: Maritime and inland container terminals that are critical intermodal nodes that transfer shipping containers between ships, trucks, and trains. They manage loading/unloading, temporary storage (stacking) and other services by using specialized equipment like gantry cranes and RTG vehicles. Terminal Operating Systems (TOS) that automate processes and optimizes operations rely on wireless communication. However, container terminals occupy large spaces filled with stacked steel containers that is very challenging from WiFi coverage perspective. Therefore, they are suitable for deployment of 5G Private networks.

• Manufacturing: Industrial manufacturing plants are vast, complex environments filled with production machinery, robotic assembly lines, and storage facilities for parts and components. In manufacturing, assembly, and supply chain management environments, highly automated processes rely on a host of WiFi-connected devices like barcode readers, handhelds, advanced power tools, and automated guided vehicles. In this dense and difficult environment, the quality of wireless network is crucial for maintaining seamless operations and to avoid production delays and interruptions that are extremely costly.

• Large Retail: These large facilities are typically subdivided into sections such as sales floors, checkout areas, in-house production, food courts, local offices, and substantial storage zones. Each section has unique business functions and utilizes different connected devices for distribution of goods, customer support and inventory management making a robust wireless network critical for enabling a modern shopping experience. However, retail shops often contain open spaces intersected by obstacles such as metal shelving, displays, refrigerators, and walls which often disturb radio signals and creates challenges for WiFi network planning and operations to keep connectivity stable and good.
  
• Small Retal Chains: These facilities are much smaller but numerous. They host small-scale wireless networks, but face additional challenges, especially when operating is in busy shopping malls where interference from neighbouring WiFi networks and disturbances from client devices during peak hours are common. Often dependent on public internet, small retail stores can experience speed problems with the access to company’s IT infrastructure, which may have a significant impact on device performance. With hundreds or even thousands of geographically distributed small retail facilities, the sheer number of individual WiFi networks and the task of keeping them in shape can be overwhelming.

The Need for Continuous Network Optimisation

Proper planning is a prerequisite for achieving excellent network experience. However, large industrial facilities are busy spaces with complex internal infrastructure, fluctuating inventory, growing variety and number of equipment and connected devices, and numerous often highly mobile staff members engaged in intensive business and production processes. This dynamic environment causes constant changes in condition in which wireless network have to operate resulting is connectivity issues, process disruptions and operation inefficiencies.

Therefore, industrial-grade wireless networks require also continuous monitoring, diagnostics and optimisation. Implementing vendor-independent network monitoring solutions is vital to detect and resolve performance issues proactively. Continuous monitoring enables IT departments to identify potential disruptions before they impact employees or customers, facilitating ongoing improvements to network performance and end-user experience. However, to gain a holistic view of network experience and performance, it’s crucial to have monitoring and diagnostics from both infrastructure and end-user and device perspectives.

Addressing the complexities associated with network performance through effective monitoring allows player in different industry verticals to gain a competitive edge by ensuring seamless operations, enhancing customer satisfaction, and ultimately driving business success.