Driving Modernization in Manufacturing
Explore how aligning IT and OT teams leads to IT modernization in manufacturing to drive Industry 4.0 initiatives.
Industrials and manufacturers are closer than ever to capitalizing on "Industry 4.0" initiatives thanks to technological advancements headlined by the explosive adoption of generative AI.
But the value of AI — or any key technology demanded in our digital age— is entirely predicated on a robust IT infrastructure that can power it all. And too often, manufacturers, which tend to squeeze every bit of life from their assets before replacing them, are behind the curve.
Driving toward modernization can be a massive undertaking, but it can yield transformational outcomes. While manufacturers may be slow to adopt, the good news is the gap is not unbridgeable – and it starts with aligning IT and OT teams.
Bolstering the IT/OT relationship
The most important thing manufacturing organizations can do is build strong partnerships between IT teams and operational technology (OT) teams. This is often the biggest missing link to driving toward a modernized infrastructure that can support future innovation.
Of course, as many are familiar, forging those relationships is easier said than done. IT and OT personnel come from fundamentally different backgrounds and work experiences and have unique priorities.
Traditionally, IT and OT teams have operated independently with distinct goals and objectives. IT focuses on back-office functions, while OT is responsible for deploying technology and industrial automation systems in factory settings. However, the digitization of manufacturing operations requires integrating both IT and OT to meet the demands of a rapidly changing industrial landscape.
It's important to provide OT teams with assurance that they can control the timing and impact of IT events on production. From an IT perspective, there is a vision for maintaining and monitoring IT globally, encompassing not just manufacturing but all lines of business. This vision may be unknown to OT teams, highlighting the need for effective communication and collaboration between the two domains.
Often, IT and OT teams need to be open to new ways of doing things to best serve the business.
Convening stakeholders from both sides allows IT leaders to grasp manufacturing's specific needs. Simultaneously, OT leaders can learn about IT capabilities and offer thought leadership on production operations. This collaboration provides IT leaders with an agenda for maturing their vision, establishing initiatives and priorities that benefit manufacturing and, ultimately, developing governance, technology and support standards that can be widely adopted and supported.
A good example of a common challenge in IT operations is patching. It is necessary to patch every system to ensure security and functionality. In some cases, IT and OT may have separate systems for patching, resulting in duplicated costs and resources. However, if both sides can collaborate and agree on the same software suite and how to tailor the patching system for manufacturing, the process becomes simpler. The only difference would be implementing the patching policy in different ways, including additional rigor and discipline for testing of patches before deployment in manufacturing and incremental deployment of tested patches to minimize disruptions to production operations
Bridging the gap between the two teams can offer real benefits, including improved decision-making for operations, enterprise stakeholders and supply chain partners; operational visibility into performance, enabling proactive maintenance and reduced unplanned asset downtime; and a holistic approach to cost reduction strategies and how to work toward achieving sustainability goals.
But how does that start?
A great way to facilitate productive conversations between both IT and OT is to work toward a vision for what manufacturing will look like in the future and how IT can best support that.
Once IT and OT start speaking each other's language and thinking along the same lines, a coalition emerges that is interested in figuring out a common strategy.
Working iteratively
With stakeholders aligned on vision and strategy, it's important to work iteratively toward modernization.
Iterative wins and organizational momentum will help justify future investment from decision-makers and help develop more trust between IT and OT in the process.
In the realm of modernization efforts, it is crucial to adopt an incremental approach. This allows the business to witness gradual progress, which in turn secures funding for future initiatives. Modernization endeavors are typically long-term and span multiple years. Reporting progress back to the business becomes essential to obtain the necessary funding. By breaking down the process into manageable pieces and consistently updating the business on advancements, organizations can ensure ongoing support for their modernization projects.
What that looks like varies by organization. For example, one manufacturer we've worked with was having basic challenges with their core infrastructure, with its domain name system (DNS) being managed by four systems that weren't integrated. In this case, getting back to the basics was the right first move because it was impacting all ancillary initiatives.
In another instance, a client had a good handle on their infrastructure but was struggling to gain consistent, clear access to their data. The solution was to assess their existing infrastructure in order to prioritize the next best actions.
Align to pay down tech debt
In any case, organizations should always be moving toward a more modernized future state. In some cases, this means stabilizing the infrastructure before modernizing.
IT modernization often involves replacing legacy systems, upgrading infrastructure and adopting new technologies. When IT and OT teams work closely together, they gain a shared understanding of the organization's technology landscape, allowing them to prioritize efforts and tackle technical debt efficiently. This approach prevents duplicative efforts and ensures that technical debt is systematically addressed during upgrades.
A good course of action for advancing on the topic of paying down technical debt to modernize infrastructure can be found in WWT Research's Data Center Priorities report, which defines key steps to take:
- Assess existing infrastructure.
- Become a partner with business teams.
- Define the objectives for your modernization efforts.
- Start with business requirements rather than technology capabilities.
- Conduct a cost-benefit analysis.
- Test new technologies to make informed decisions.
- Perform iterative reviews and adjustments.
More detail about each of the above steps can be found in the full report, along with additional considerations and priorities IT leaders should be keeping tabs on.
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