IT/OT Convergence - What's That All About?

If you work in the industrial sector, you've probably heard a lot about IT/OT convergence over the last several years. But what is it all about? In this blog post, I'll explore what IT/OT convergence means and how it can benefit your business.

Defining IT/OT Convergence

IT/OT convergence is a term that describes how industrial operational technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) teams can collaborate to create a more holistic approach to industrial safety, data management, and process optimization. This concept isn't simply about technology alone – it's also about changing the attitudes and approaches taken by industrial leadership in order to integrate various industrial systems with a coordinated change management strategy. By successfully blending the informational power of IT systems with industrial applications, like sensors and machine learning algorithms, organizations are able to form a truly synchronized view of their processes that allow for better decision-making from the highest levels of management down. Effectively embracing IT/OT convergence means having a comprehensive understanding not only of the hardware used in industrial data collection but also having an effective data strategy that ties together all elements of their industrial operations.

The Benefits of Converging IT and OT

By converging the two, businesses can benefit from improved operational efficiency, greater reliability, better visibility into operational performance, and increased safety for personnel. Bringing these two entities together also creates a foundation for innovation and digital advancement.

By doing this, companies are able to unlock deeper insights than ever before, by utilizing IT solutions within industrial OT systems (this bridges the contextualization gap).

Take, for example, maintenance. When both sides bring their data together, maintenance teams have access to real-time data to help them identify potential issues before they become costly breakdowns. They do this by contextualizing asset telemetry data with broader enterprise information (ie: how does a failure on a machine impact the daily production plan or S&OP planning). They also have the ability to make better decisions, like if a production run can be completed before the asset is expected to fail, thus removing the unnecessary step of halting production when it's not required.

Converging IT and OT vastly increases the ability for machines, sensors, devices and analytics to communicate with each other and other systems - thus improving functionality while enabling companies to quickly react to any challenges presented in swiftly changing environments.

How to get started with convergence in your own organization

Starting an initiative like this, in your own organization, can be both exciting and daunting!

The first step to taking on this challenge is to identify the current processes and procedures that are hindering your team’s productivity. Analyzing where resources may be falling short can help you understand how the organization could benefit from introducing convergence practices.

Next, look for any existing technology or tools, both commercial and open-source, that could help your team with streamlining processes and communications.

Finally, don’t forget to plan for opportunities to adjust the strategy over time - what works today may not work tomorrow - and make sure everyone is on board with adopting a convergence approach (change management is the hardest part).

By following these steps, even the most novice of organizations can have success introducing an effective convergence program.

Are you tired of hearing about IT/OT convergence? Do you agree with the benefits / value? Let me know your thoughts below!