Walk any modern plant floor and you’ll see it. The machinery still moves, but the intelligence rests in the data behind it. For decades, operational technology (OT) was the workhorse behind the scenes. The machinery, sensors, and systems kept production lines running while leadership focused elsewhere. As manufacturers connect more systems to IT environments, like the cloud, OT has shifted from a mechanical necessity to a strategic advantage that shapes how decisions are made across the business.
Whether you’re trying to make strategic decisions like choosing to optimize existing equipment or implement new machines, or understand your capacity, operational efficiency, or equipment utilization, the data is the driver for these decisions. Accurate data relating to downtime, labor efficiency, and utilization make these decisions easy and avoid costly delays in business planning.
That shift is closing the divide between the shop floor and the front office. What once operated in parallel becomes a single, connected system, but not often is this connected system actually connected or effectively leveraged. For many manufacturers, that change is no longer just about an upgrade, it’s ensuring the upgrade works for their business.
Why integration matters now
OT once lived in its own world. It owned the data, and it owned the floor. That separation made sense when systems didn’t need to communicate. In a disconnected operation, decisions slow, risks hide, and it limits how quickly teams can respond when something goes wrong.
Many manufacturers still operate with disconnected systems. Legacy controllers can’t talk to analytics platforms. Aged and legacy ERP platforms don’t have the connectivity to enable integration. Vendor tools can’t communicate with each other. Data exists, but it’s scattered across devices and departments. When systems can’t see each other, teams react instead of anticipating — and by the time visibility improves, the opportunity to act has passed.
Integration helps manufacturers gather the right data at the right time — turning details like machine downtime, throughput, labor efficiency, scrap rates, and material traceability into meaningful insights. Modern manufacturing requires the ability to trace source materials from receipt, all the way through to shipment and delivery. Customers often won’t accept anything less. By connecting machines, systems, and people into one seamless ecosystem, integration keeps information moving as fast as production. With the right implementation, IT, OT, and cybersecurity come together to ensure that data isn’t only reliable and protected but also efficient.
Digital twin technology brings that idea into focus. By creating a virtual model of real-world operations, manufacturers can test changes, predict performance, and improve outcomes without interrupting production. It’s a practical example of how integration fuels implementation — each decision becomes data-informed before it’s ever applied on the floor.
The role of OT is changing. It’s generating data that drives business strategy versus simply keeping machines operational. So, where does your organization stand on this journey? Understanding your level of integration helps define the next step forward.
Identify your place on the maturity curve
Every manufacturer sits somewhere on the OT maturity curve. The key is knowing where your business sits and what matters most at that stage. Here are a few to consider:
- Siloed operations. Many small and midmarket manufacturers still rely on manual processes or disconnected legacy systems. The focus here is building a digital foundation that identifies which data points matter most to efficiency and quality.
- Foundational connectivity. At this stage, some systems are connected, but information remains fragmented. Teams can access data but lack a complete picture. The goal is to unify those systems and remove blind spots between departments.
- Proactive integration. IT and OT systems start working in sync, feeding data for real-time monitoring. The next step is to move from observing problems to predicting them using analytics to anticipate downtime and optimize performance.
- Strategic optimization. Fully integrated systems now inform both operations and leadership decisions. Data from the shop floor influences planning, finance, and forecasting. These organizations are moving along with trends versus following after them.
Knowing your place on this journey helps set realistic goals. Manufacturers don’t leap in their journey from early stage to late, overnight. Progress comes from deliberate steps that refine processes, train teams, and scale what works.
Bridging the IT and OT divide
Connecting IT and OT starts with clarity, not code. What do you need your systems to tell you? And once they do, how will you use that information to make decisions?
For many, that clarity depends on what’s already in place. Integrating new OT systems with a legacy or heavily customized ERP can add layers of complexity — especially when data models and workflows weren’t designed to align. That’s where a clear implementation strategy prevents technology from outpacing the people and processes behind it.
Another requirement is the skill set and knowledge to be able to tie it all together. When building a complex integrated infrastructure, reliability, robustness, and security are all key factors in the usefulness of the system. Having the right partners and staff to design, implement, and support integrations will ensure that you deliver and maintain these key factors.
When integration becomes a business strategy rather than a technical project, information flows freely. Maintenance becomes proactive, not reactive. Decisions improve because everyone, from engineering to finance, sees the same version of the truth. That alignment turns incremental improvements into measurable performance gains.
The goal isn’t to merge IT and OT or redraw ownership lines. It’s to align intent. IT brings governance and scalability to protect the system. OT brings the experience to make it work in practice. Together, they create a connected foundation that supports sharper decisions and better results.
Putting your data to work
Many organizations are still on the path to automation. Leveraging automation enables the next steps toward integration. It opens the door to the ability to access and gather all of that OT data that can be used for making informed decisions and becomes the foundation for the rest of your journey.
Automation used to be the goal, now the advantage lies in how well you use what’s already running.
When OT data feeds into enterprise systems, patterns begin to surface. You can see where production slows, why downtime happens, and how decisions in one area affect performance in another. Instead of analyzing performance after the fact, you can adjust in real time.
Good data doesn’t replace good judgment, but it helps you see farther and act faster. Visibility without confirmation is noise; visibility with alignment builds confidence. Over time, those insights start changing culture. Operators spot inefficiencies before metrics confirm them. Leadership stops guessing about performance and starts improving it. Now that you have a system for managing data more efficiently, how do you protect it?
Cybersecurity as a critical layer, not an add-on
The more connected your plant becomes, the more entry points it creates for attack. That reality shouldn’t cause hesitation, but it should guide a plan.
A secure OT environment depends on a proactive mindset. Here’s what that looks like:
- Gain visibility. Know what’s connected, who manages it, and where vulnerabilities exist.
- Integrate security. Treat cybersecurity as part of operational resilience, not a compliance checkbox.
- Assume you’re a target. Prepare for, detect, and isolate threats early to minimize disruption.
It no longer takes a full-scale breach to disrupt operations. A single compromised connection can halt production and cause costly downtime. To prevent those compromises before they begin, start by asking the right questions.
Getting started
Transformation doesn’t happen in a single leap. The manufacturers that succeed start small, measure progress, and scale what works.
Three practical ways to begin:
- Ask sharper questions. Start with what’s slowing you down. If you can’t name the top causes of production loss last month, that’s your first opportunity to improve.
- Map your systems. Identify where data flows, where it stops, and where manual work fills the gaps.
- Test the concept. Choose one high-impact integration, such as reducing downtime by 10 percent, to prove value before scaling. A great opportunity to leverage digital twin simulation.
Where this leads
Operational technology has always powered manufacturing. What’s changing is its strategic reach. When data from the floor becomes part of your business strategy, you stop reacting to problems and start preventing them.
Sustaining these integrations requires more than technology — it takes people who can manage, maintain, and adapt them. Many manufacturers face a limited internal talent pool, making it essential to build and retain teams who understand both the systems and the strategy behind them. The right guidance can help close that gap while strengthening internal capability over time.
Manufacturers that approach integration holistically by blending technology, cybersecurity, and operational processes build systems that not only perform but last. A trusted advisor can help determine where you are on your digital maturity journey and how to implement the right processes to reach your goals. You’ll never control every variable, but you can control how you manage the ones that matter most.
