Industrial IoT Software for Production, Logistics and Buildings
The function layer is the top layer of the IoT stack. It holds the industrial IoT software that turns data into concrete results: analytics and AI, condition monitoring, energy monitoring, production planning and MES, digital twins and product passports, OT security monitoring, fleet management and track & trace, and smart building and workplace.
Categories in the Function layer
7 manufacturers from our partner network. Pick a category to see manufacturers, solution examples and users.
Analytics / AI software
Software that analyzes machine, process and energy data: from dashboards and anomaly detection to AI models for quality, maintenance and process optimization.
5 manufacturers
Microsoft · Cumulocity GmbH · ifm-Unternehmensgruppe +2
Digital twin & product passport
Software for digital twins of machines, plants and products and for the digital product passport that the EU is gradually requiring for more and more product groups.
3 manufacturers
KURZ Digital Solutions GmbH & Co. KG · Microsoft · XITASO GmbH
OT security monitoring
Software that continuously monitors production and plant networks, inventories every device and detects unusual communication before it disrupts operations.
Manufacturers coming soon
What belongs to the function layer
The function layer is where an IoT project delivers its actual value. The software draws on data from the storage and integration layers and answers concrete questions: When will a pump fail? Where is energy being wasted? Where is a load carrier right now? Is the order running to plan? Each category on this layer stands for one such task.
Analytics and AI software evaluates data and detects patterns. Condition monitoring and energy monitoring track the condition and consumption of assets. Production planning and MES control orders on the shop floor. Digital twin and product passport software represents assets digitally, for example via the asset administration shell. OT security monitoring detects anomalies in the production network. Fleet management and track & trace follow vehicles and goods, while smart building and workplace software controls buildings and workspaces.
How it differs from IoT platforms
Many IoT platforms on the storage layer come with their own dashboards and analytics. The difference lies in the focus: a platform manages devices and data, while a function layer application solves a business problem and is tailored to a specific audience, such as maintenance, energy management, production management or IT security. Specialized platforms sit right on this boundary and often cover storage and application together.
What to look for when choosing
What matters is which data the software needs and whether the lower layers deliver it in sufficient quality. Other factors are integration with existing systems such as ERP and MES, usability for the business department, traceability of AI results and operation in the cloud or in the plant. Examples from the network include RIZM for analytics, XITASO with Mnestix for the asset administration shell, KURZ Digital Solutions for the digital product passport and Materna with a security operations center. The solution examples show how this software is used in practice.
Frequently asked questions about industrial IoT software
What is industrial IoT software?
Industrial IoT software is application software that analyzes data from connected machines, sensors and devices and makes it usable for a specific task. Examples include condition monitoring, energy monitoring, MES, AI-based analytics and fleet management. It forms the function layer of the IoT stack and builds on the hardware, integration and platforms of the layers below.
What are typical industrial IoT applications?
Typical industrial IoT applications are machine condition monitoring, predictive maintenance, energy monitoring, level monitoring, tracking of load carriers and vehicles, production planning with MES, digital twins and monitoring of the OT network. In buildings, indoor climate, occupancy and energy consumption are added. The solution examples show how companies have implemented these applications.
What is IoT analytics?
IoT analytics is the evaluation of data from connected devices to gain insights and trigger actions. It ranges from simple dashboards and threshold alerts to statistical analysis and machine learning models that detect anomalies or forecast failures and quality issues. Good results depend on clean, well-described data delivered by the integration and storage layers.
What is Industry 4.0 software?
Industry 4.0 software is the application software that turns connected machine data into decisions and automated processes. It builds on integration software and an IoT platform and covers applications such as condition monitoring, energy monitoring, MES, AI-based analytics and digital twins. Which application comes first depends on the most important goal in the plant, such as less downtime or lower energy use.
What should an IoT dashboard show?
An IoT dashboard should show the measurements, states and key figures that its audience needs to act, both in real time and as trends. Maintenance teams need condition and alerts, production managers need utilization and output, and energy managers need consumption. Many IoT platforms and function layer applications include dashboards out of the box.
