The integration of IT and OT is an ongoing and growing process. The benefits are well-known, but the difficulty in realizing them remains a challenge. The IT-OT convergence boosts productivity, reduces costs, and creates a seamless customer experience.
The concept of convergence is not new to the IT community. But, it’s a concept that continues to evolve and gain momentum.
What Is IT-OT Convergence?
IT-OT convergence is a strategic approach to integrating two elements; information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). The goal is to improve business performance by connecting IT systems with OT systems. These include manufacturing equipment, supply chain systems, and other industrial automation processes.
IT and OT are often considered separate worlds because they have unique characteristics and cultures. This can lead to silos between departments and confusion about how each system works. By bringing these two worlds together, you can better collaborate between teams that may not otherwise interact. The benefits of IT-OT convergence include:
- Reduced costs. You’ll cut down on waste and reduce unnecessary expenses with more efficient operations. These are especially costs associated with human error in data entry or supply chain management.
- Improved efficiency. With better communication between teams, you can make sure your workflows run. There will be no interruption from errors or delays caused by miscommunication. You’ll also be able to identify bottlenecks in your process to fix them before they cause problems for your business.
- Increased visibility into operations. The convergence means more data available about your operations and assets. This makes it easier for everyone involved to understand what’s happening in real-time.
- You get an improved customer experience. By integrating IT and OT systems data, companies can improve the customer experience. They will be providing real-time updates on inventory levels or shipping dates.
- Better analytics. With access to data from IT and OT systems, analysts can create more accurate forecasts. They can make better business decisions based on real-time information.
Step to Achieve IT-OT Convergence
The IT-OT convergence is here, and it’s no longer a question of if but when you will achieve it. The convergence of IT and OT creates a more efficient, capable, and reliable ecosystem. It provides better insights into complex operations.
You can use this to make better decisions that improve performance. IT-OT convergence is not easy, and it will take time and effort. Yet, it is worth the effort because it will help your organization achieve better business results.
- Define Your Business Requirements for IT-OT Convergence
The first step is to understand what your organization wants from this convergence. It can be anything from reducing costs, improving agility, and providing better OT cyber security. Once you have identified what you want from the merge, you can start planning for it.
- Consider the Data Security Threat Landscape
Cyberattacks have become an unfortunate part of life in the digital age. But, they don’t have to be an uncontrollable burden on your organization’s bottom line. According to the OT cybersecurity guide, OT cybersecurity is the protection of industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT) from cyberattacks. By incorporating a proper cybersecurity framework, you will be able to maintain the safety of your physical assets and data.
The key is to invest in security systems that work with existing OT systems. Thus, they can detect threats fast and neutralize them before any damage is done.
- Identify Use Cases
To start this process, you need to identify use cases that could be better implemented with IT-OT integration. You can do this by assessing your current processes. Thus you can identify where they need improvement by using IT-OT integration. You can also look at how other organizations are achieving success with it.
- Educate Your Team
Many misconceptions about IT-OT convergence often prevent people from seeing its benefits. The first step is educating your team to understand what it means for their roles and responsibilities within your company. This will help them become more supportive of the initiative and more motivated to find ways they can contribute to its success.
- Put in Place Solutions
You can achieve IT-OT convergence by implementing cloud computing, IoT, and Big Data analytics solutions.
- Cloud computing helps in sharing data between the IT and OT environment
- IoT helps in connecting all devices to the network
- Big Data analytics helps in analyzing data at high speed and storing them in the database
IT organizations should test their existing infrastructure first before implementing any solution. They should understand whether they need cloud computing or not.
- Check the Existing Infrastructure
Before you start planning how to achieve IT-OT convergence, you need to test your current infrastructure. Find out if your existing systems are compatible with other systems or not. If they are, it will be easier to integrate them. If they aren’t, then changes need to be made to make them compatible before incorporating them.
- Start a Pilot Project
To make the most out of your IT-OT convergence, you must first test the feasibility of integrating different technologies. Suppose you want to integrate MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems.
You need to consider how they will interact and complement each other’s functions. If a pilot project is not possible, create a proof-of-concept (POC). This way, you can better understand how things will work once they converge.
- Identify Critical Elements for Convergence
Analyze existing systems and identify areas where integration would be beneficial. Suppose many systems handle manufacturing processes. It might make sense to integrate them since they are all related to each other anyway.
But, it might not make sense to incorporate them with sales or customer services. This is because those don’t directly connect to manufacturing processes. The goal here is to achieve the most benefit with minimal effort. Ensure you go through this process carefully before moving forward with any changes!
- Collaborate With Peers and Industry Professionals
Organizations need to collaborate with other companies that have already undergone a similar transition. They will be able to share best practices and lessons learned.
They also need to be active participants in their industry associations. These groups often offer valuable networking opportunities. You can get valuable research on what works and what doesn’t regarding IT-OT convergence.
Conclusion
IT-OT convergence is two entities, IT and OT, which have always been separate but have now come together to create the perfect union. How you may ask?
Technology security and Industrial, or OT, are becoming one. And for organizations, this is big news. After all, why shouldn’t our technologies be optimized for the operation of everyday life? By doing so, we can make all the processes in operation more efficient by leveraging data. And by optimizing processes with data, we can live more fulfilling lives.