Importance of IT-OT Cooperation to Deliver Continuous Improvement
The convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) is becoming increasingly critical in today’s rapidly evolving manufacturing landscape. Both IT and OT teams play crucial roles in ensuring the efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of manufacturing operations.
However, these two distinct groups often have different priorities and perspectives, which can lead to challenges in achieving seamless collaboration.
This blog explores the importance of IT and OT teams working together, with a focus on continuous improvement of plant floor production and the necessity of having a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) solution that is easily and cost-effectively adaptable.
The Roles of IT and OT Teams in Manufacturing
Before delving into the intricacies of collaboration, it is essential to understand the distinct roles of IT and OT teams in manufacturing.
Information Technology (IT)
IT teams are primarily responsible for managing corporate infrastructure, ensuring data security, and maintaining enterprise-wide systems such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions. Their focus is often on standardization, compliance, and scalability. IT teams work to implement corporate-standardized technology solutions that can be uniformly applied across multiple sites, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
Operational Technology (OT)
On the other hand, OT teams are responsible for managing and optimizing plant floor operations. They oversee the implementation and maintenance of industrial control systems, such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, and MES solutions. OT teams are focused on ensuring the seamless operation of machinery, improving production processes, and minimizing downtime. Their priorities often center around flexibility, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
The Purdue Model illustrates 0-5 levels across the enterprise and where Plant and Business meet.
The Need for IT-OT Collaboration
In the context of Industry 4.0, where digital transformation is reshaping manufacturing processes, the collaboration between IT and OT teams is paramount. Both teams must work together to integrate and streamline systems, ensuring that the manufacturing operations are efficient, secure, and capable of adapting to changing demands.
As an example, an automotive tier one manufacturer has a corporate IT team that mandated a standard MES. The IT team rolled out standardized templates across its plants, but:
- No two plants are the same.
- No two customers are the same.
- No two products are the same.
Furthermore, the corporate IT team does not have enough human resources to make modifications to this standard, shrink-wrapped MES.
While mandated to go with this MES solution, a plant in South Carolina successfully worked with corporate leadership to receive approval to select Matrix Automation for its MES instead, allowing the plant to:
- Reduce costs
- Lower risk
- Meet its production timeline
- Achieve an adaptable solution for long-term manufacturing success
Aligning Manufacturing Objectives
One of the primary ways to foster collaboration between IT and OT teams is to align their objectives. While IT teams prioritize corporate standardization and data security, OT teams are focused on optimizing plant floor operations and continuous improvement. To bridge this gap, it is essential to establish a common understanding of each team’s goals and find ways to align their efforts.
For instance, IT teams can work with OT teams to ensure that corporate-standardized MES solutions are flexible enough to accommodate the unique needs of individual plants.
By involving OT teams in the selection and implementation of MES solutions, IT teams can gain valuable insights into the specific requirements of plant floor operations and ensure that the chosen solution meets both corporate and operational needs.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is another critical factor in fostering collaboration between IT and OT teams. Regular meetings, joint planning sessions, and cross-functional workshops can help break down silos and facilitate the exchange of information. By creating a culture of open communication, both teams can better understand each other’s priorities and work together to achieve common goals.
The Importance of an Adaptable MES Solution
A key aspect of successful collaboration between IT and OT teams is the implementation of an adaptable MES solution. An MES is a critical component of modern manufacturing operations, providing real-time visibility into production processes, tracking performance metrics, and enabling continuous improvement initiatives. However, not all MES solutions are created equal, and it is essential to choose one that is easily and cost-effectively adaptable.
Flexibility for Continuous Improvement
The primary advantage of an adaptable MES solution is its flexibility. In a dynamic manufacturing environment, continuous improvement is crucial for maintaining competitiveness.
An adaptable MES allows OT teams to make modifications and enhancements to production processes without incurring significant costs or disruptions. For operations to be constantly changing and improving, the MES must be capable of changing on a regular basis to follow along. Otherwise, the MES impedes continuous improvement.
For example, if a plant identifies a new way to streamline a production line, an adaptable MES can be easily reconfigured to support the new process. This flexibility enables OT teams to implement changes quickly and cost effectively, driving continuous improvement and optimizing plant floor production.
Adaptability Reduces Costs
MES adaptability is a critical consideration related to cost savings:
- Reduced costs to make MES system changes: When manufacturers can adapt an MES more easily, costs are lower to make changes to the system.
- Reduced manufacturing costs: Even more importantly, an adaptable MES means that manufacturers can make changes based on continuous improvement efforts and significantly lower manufacturing costs. The MES is essential to OEE, downtime, quality, and more – directly related to the costs of manufacturing every day and the key to operational excellence.
Traditional, out-of-the-box MES solutions may require expensive customizations or ongoing support from IT teams, which can be a barrier to continuous improvement. In contrast, an adaptable MES solution is designed to be easily modified and maintained, reducing the reliance on IT resources and minimizing costs.
By choosing an adaptable MES solution, manufacturers can allocate their budgets more efficiently, investing in other areas such as training, equipment upgrades, or research and development. This approach not only supports continuous improvement but also enhances overall operational efficiency.
Lack of Adaptability and Impact to Operations
It is important to consider the implications of installing an MES that is not capable of adapting to constant changes in a manufacturing environment. As stated earlier, continuous improvement for manufacturing and operations means changes will be constant.
If the MES is not capable or flexible enough to keep up with the changes by manufacturing operations, those operations will begin to pull away from the MES and at some point, leave the MES completely ineffective – taking away from the win-win opportunity of an effective MES.
Modern Manufacturing Aligns IT and OT
In conclusion, the collaboration between IT and OT teams is essential for the success of modern manufacturing operations. By aligning their objectives, fostering effective communication, and implementing an adaptable MES solution, manufacturers can bridge the gap between these two critical functions and drive continuous improvement on the plant floor.
As the manufacturing landscape continues to evolve, the importance of seamless collaboration between IT and OT teams will only grow. By working together, these teams can ensure that their organizations remain competitive, agile, and capable of adapting to the ever-changing demands of the industry. An adaptable, cost-effective MES solution is a vital tool in this endeavor, enabling manufacturers to optimize their production processes and achieve their goals of continuous improvement.
With 40+ years of working with IT and OT teams together, Matrix Automation is here to help. Ready to align IT and OT to improve manufacturing? Contact us today to see how we can transform your manufacturing operations.