OK, I have a vested interest. We run a nearshore IoT hardware manufacturing company. But, hear me out…
Apart from the near shore option, we also have a fast decision matrix, domain experience and a full (pilot to deployment) engineering facility. This changes a delivery window from months to weeks. J-I-T comes to IoT. Do you see the change in variables? Even if something goes radically wrong, we can innovate.
There is another wrinkle in the weave appearing now. Many IoT deployments originate with software vendors. In software the operating system is usually available to support teams 24/7, even on holidays. The real world does not operate in this paradigm; someone needs to climb up that pole and take it back down, because a bird chewed its antenna.
In IoT, flexibility and reliability are the difference between a mythical seamless deployment and nightmares. Many vendors rely on imported hardware (often from China). Manufacturing costs are low. The quality is good. Transit time and international shipping introduces pitfalls. Returning a faulty product isn’t the best option. That six-to-eight-week turnaround is a budget buster.
IoT thrives on iteration. Whether it’s refining enclosures for IP67 protection, modifying mounting points, or adding new sensors, the ability to adapt in real-time is the crux. Nearshore manufacturing isn’t about supply chain efficiency—it’s about retaining process control, reducing inherent risks, keeping operations agile and modular. It is real-time cost/benefit analytics played out on a map of the world using ships as markers and weather patterns as dice.
If your strategy relies solely on imported “black boxes,” ask yourself: What happens when delay or defect throws a wrench in the plans? It is not a “trick question,” it is a project management absolute. You address basic risks and factor in workarounds to the plan.
A nearshore option gives you the ability to pivot when it matters. It is always good to have the business card of a hardware genie in your pocket when you need to pull a rabbit out of a hat.
Nearshore solves problems by offering:
✅ Speed – No waiting for international shipments; turnaround times are dramatically reduced. ✅ Flexibility – Need a design tweak or a firmware update? Adjustments can be made on the fly. ✅ Reliability – A real partner understands your business and can deliver the goods. ✅ Support – If something needs fixing, boots on ground —not a back-and-forth that spans multiple time zones.
