IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes: benefits, challenges and examples

The IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes describes the merger of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). While these departments have traditionally been isolated, IT/OT convergence integrates the tools companies use to collect data (IT) with the tools they use to control processes (OT). It is a fundamental component of Industry 4.0 that has improved manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, retail and many other industries by enabling connected devices and real-time data to automate and inform operations.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is at the centre of the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes. Connected devices use sensors to collect real-time data from equipment, such as resource consumption or production, temperature, speed, chemical composition, humidity and errors. The devices then use actuators to control the machinery and trigger actions based on changes in the collected information. Since the collected data has to be stored and distributed using IT resources that directly affect OT processes, these two distinct sectors are converging.

As businesses continue to leverage IoT to improve, simplify and automate more operations, the understanding of the benefits of IoT will continue to grow. IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes and the challenges it presents will only become more critical.

The following highlights these benefits and challenges, and explores some real-world examples of how the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes is developing in a number of industries.

Key differences between IT and OT

To appreciate the benefits that the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes can offer industrial organisations, it is important to understand what these two technologies are and how they differ.

• What is IT: IT can be defined as the computing, data storage and networking infrastructure and processes used to create, process, store, protect and exchange all forms of electronic data. They are the data processing systems that serve as repositories of an organisation's information, making data available to business applications and the users of those applications. While IT systems are the repositories and processors of data, their OT counterparts are responsible for generating the information processed by IT.
• What is OT: OT systems monitor events, processes and physical devices, and make adjustments to business and industrial operations. In manufacturing environments, OT systems typically include computer numerical control (CNC) machining systems and industrial control systems such as supervisory control and data acquisition.

In simple terms, therefore, the difference between IT and OT systems is that IT focuses on data and communication, while OT focuses on behaviours and outcomes.

Connectivity is an inherent feature of IT systems, whereas OT systems tend not to be natively connectable. Most control systems are not networked, making it difficult for them to communicate or share information. Even centralised control equipment has traditionally used closed or proprietary communication protocols.

The connected factory is achievable for manufacturers of all sizes. The IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes allows for more tangible steps towards a connected factory.

Advantages of IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes

Bringing together information technology and operations technology enables organisations to improve processes in a variety of ways. These are some of the main motivations for finding opportunities for the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes.

• Automation opportunities

  Relying on human operators creates bottlenecks. While OT personnel have the experience and expertise to make nuanced decisions on how to manage equipment and keep processes running smoothly, IT/OT convergence allows OT professionals to pre-determine actions based on specific conditions, from scheduling maintenance based on declining performance to shutting down machinery due to a hazardous environment.

  IoT sensors can transmit information to an application, which in turn transmits instructions to an actuator based on that information, automatically controlling equipment without the need for a human operator. While OT employees still monitor and manage this automation, they no longer have to manually monitor every process and react to every situation.

  Automation can reduce the damage and costs associated with delays, allows OT departments to manage many more resources at once, and dramatically reduces the costs associated with routine processes.

• Improved visibility of operations

  When employees have to physically measure, observe and/or record information before they can act on it, it can have devastating consequences. If, for example, a valve is left open and it takes hours for an employee to notice, lethal levels of chemicals could be released into the air, or flooding could destroy equipment and cause structural damage.

  Real-time visibility is crucial for operations technicians to react quickly to problems. It also allows organisations to react to problems before they cause damage. Thresholds are established that indicate that equipment may be about to fail, or that something is not working as it should, and technicians can investigate and prevent major problems.

  Given that the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes allows companies to constantly collect data, it also creates opportunities to recognise patterns and build a profile of what normal operations are like in a facility. For example, throughout the month, a factory will have certain days and times when it uses significantly more resources, or when certain equipment runs longer. Understanding these usage patterns allows OT employees to recognise anomalies more quickly.

  Combining real time visibility and a database of information over time, the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes opens the door to predictive maintenance, where technicians use current equipment performance to plan and schedule maintenance, rather than scheduling maintenance at fixed intervals. Knows the first steps in establishing a successful predictive maintenance programme.

• Cost reduction

  The IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes helps companies reduce costs in a number of ways. Through automation, companies can reduce the time technicians spend manually facilitating operations. This also ensures that the company can react to problems more quickly, before they waste more resources or cause more damage.

  Given that the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes enables predictive maintenance, it can prevent unplanned downtime from disrupting daily operations. When equipment needs to be serviced, operations technicians can schedule and coordinate maintenance work and allocate equipment and standby resources as needed, rather than reacting on the spot to put out the fire.

  And while preventive maintenance also helps reduce unscheduled downtime, it creates a different problem: unnecessary downtime and wasted resources. Preventive maintenance schedules are based on the hours a piece of equipment has been running or the time since the last time maintenance was performed, not when parts are worn, fluids are low and the machine is not operating at peak performance.

  These programmes are designed to prevent maintenance problems, but sometimes this means spending time, money and parts to solve a problem that does not exist. But there are always ways to make the most of this maintenance with these 7 steps to create an effective Preventive Maintenance Checklist.

  Predictive maintenance uses measurable information to detect the early warning signs of a problem, so that perfectly good parts are not discarded and maintenance is not performed more frequently than necessary.

  Between automating operations and enabling predictive maintenance, the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes can lead to considerable cost savings.

• Potential for new services or pricing models

  Depending on the business, the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes offers different pricing structures and services based on equipment usage, rather than requiring customers to purchase equipment outright, which may be excessive for short-term needs or a limited budget.

Find out more benefits of IT OT convergence in the smart manufacturing of industrial plants.

Challenges of IT/OT convergence

Although the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes has immense potential to improve business processes, there can be significant barriers to implementation. It may require restructuring the relationship between IT and OT, investing in new tools or modernising old ones. Let's take a look at the main obstacles that impede the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes.

• Isolated processes and knowledge

  Operations technicians need training in IT processes, and IT technicians need training in OT processes, so that each department understands how their decisions affect the other. And while IT and OT don't necessarily have to share the same workspace and work together on everything, IT/OT convergence creates enough overlap that they need to consult with each other more frequently.

  For example, with the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes, IoT security and connectivity play a key role in operations management and control, but these are areas of responsibility for IT. And because operations teams are fixed with IoT sensors that collect and transmit data over a network, OT decisions could have serious implications for IT, and vice versa.

  The IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes requires a change of mindset and the merging of these traditionally isolated processes. IT and OT professionals will have to trust and draw on each other's expertise to create solutions that support operations without compromising security.

• IoT security

  Historically, IoT devices have been notoriously vulnerable to hacking. Some transmit unencrypted data, which can be easily intercepted and manipulated. They are often too underpowered to incorporate more advanced security features. They can be captured for use in botnets, which use DDoS attacks to bring down massive networks. And their proximity to valuable data and devices can make them a dangerous stepping stone to larger targets.

  IT departments need to have a thorough understanding of how each connected device fits into the enterprise technology ecosystem and the threats it poses to the network. In some cases, this may mean that operations teams will have to compromise some of the functionality they want in order to opt for a more secure solution, and they will always need to involve IT in the selection of converged technology.

• Integration

  The IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes works best when a facility's connected devices are integrated with the operations team's technology stack. Otherwise, technicians have to constantly log in and out of multiple portals and solutions, and some critical information is likely to be lost. Necessary data is required to appear in the places where they already spend time: ERP and other tools they use to manage and control operations. This often requires companies to manually develop integrations, but many IoT companies provide APIs and other solutions to help facilitate this process.

• IoT connectivity

  Every IoT device is built to work with a particular connectivity solution, such as cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth, ethernet or LoRaWAN. This means that it is also limited by the capabilities of this underlying technology. Some solutions, such as WiFi, can only provide coverage in a very limited area, and do not penetrate walls well or withstand much interference.

  But in an industrial environment where security is vital, the main concern is whether the network provides sufficient data throughput to facilitate firmware upgrades over the lifetime of the device.

  It is also crucial that the network is not shared with other devices. Even if the IoT devices themselves are secure, other devices connected to the network could become an entry point for a hacker, potentially compromising IoT devices as well. Networks such as WiFi and public LoRaWAN can be accessible by third parties, making them particularly vulnerable.

Examples of IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes

The IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes occurs in any enterprise where IoT devices collect and transmit data that operations technicians use to manage equipment and processes. But exactly what that convergence looks like varies greatly from one facility or enterprise to another. It depends entirely on what information the business is able to collect and what day-to-day operations look like.

Retail trade

Retailers have to manage massive amounts of constantly changing information. And for more than 20 years, IoT has played a valuable role in retail operations, making the sector an early adopter of the IoT. IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes.

Connected devices transmit data on stock availability and expiry dates throughout the supply chain so operations teams can ensure that each shop has the inventory it needs. IoT sensors can also monitor the environments in which products are stored, alerting employees when temperatures, light levels and humidity are too low or too high. IoT devices can even automatically adjust the environment to suit the product being stored there. This eliminates the possibility of human error and helps shops eliminate waste.

Manufacturing

Smart factories rely on IoT devices to monitor and transmit information about the manufacturing environment, equipment and products, triggering actuators or alerting technicians to problems that need attention. The manufacturing industry has been at the forefront of the convergence between IT and IoT, leveraging automation to increase efficiency and production, reduce costs and scale operations.

Perhaps one of the most interesting cases of IT/OT convergence in manufacturing is reconfigurable manufacturing systems and on-demand manufacturing, where manufacturing processes are initiated and adapted in response to product orders. The factory changes operations based on what needs to be made, or even how an established product order has changed. It is a major evolution in manufacturing that depends on this merging and synchronisation between processes and the IT and OT infrastructure.

Construction

A construction company may not have a formal IT department, but it relies on information systems to track assets and gather information about jobs, equipment and personnel. This information feeds directly into daily operations, helping construction managers coordinate work across multiple sites and minimise unscheduled downtime of excavators, backhoes, concrete mixers, forklifts, pickers and other critical assets. Companies can monitor where these assets are located, when they were last serviced, how long they have been in operation and what condition they are in, and then plan maintenance and work accordingly.

The importance of balancing IT and TOs

Although the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes can significantly improve operations, organisations must be mindful of finding the right balance between taking advantage of the benefits of modernising their OT systems through IT integrations while ensuring that security is maintained.

Overcoming the problem of connectivity between IT and OT systems represents the main advantage of IT/OT convergence. But achieving this in a secure way is also probably the biggest challenge associated with a convergence project.

The strengths of a converged IT/OT operation include a less isolated relationship between an organisation's IT and OT departments, which will find themselves working more closely together to manage converged technology. One positive effect of this is a reduction in development, operational and support costs. With the analysis of more data from OT equipment, unplanned downtime will be reduced as predictive maintenance becomes more feasible.

The improved visibility, management and auditing that makes possible the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes also results in better compliance with regulatory standards. Most importantly, at least in terms of results, it will result in more efficient use of energy and resources, reduced operating costs and faster time to market.

Set against these benefits are the IoT security challenges and complications that organisations face when IT and OT systems converge.

Traditionally, OT systems have not been built with internet connectivity in mind and, in many cases, an organisation's OT systems may have been in place for decades longer than its IT systems. The security ramifications of these factors must be taken into account when embarking on a convergence project, which will require OT systems to be retrofitted with IoT devices and appropriate security controls.

An additional complication is that OT systems, as well as being relied upon to maintain critical infrastructure, are often distributed, which means a larger attack surface. These vulnerabilities can expose critical infrastructure to the risk of espionage and industrial sabotage.

A worthwhile investment

Although achieving the IT/OT convergence in manufacturing processes While this may take some work, the advantage for manufacturers is that the benefits of using a converged system can be significant.

When IT and OT are seamlessly integrated, factory operators have more direct control over their manufacturing processes and the ability to monitor their operations. They can easily analyse data from complex systems in real time, triggering a new level of improved decision-making and operational efficiency.