Decoding IT/OT Convergence: A Guide on Understanding IT and OT

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Decoding IT/OT Convergence A Guide on
Understanding IT and OT
As IoT grows synonymous with digital
transformation advancements in manufacturing,
it has also led to a wave of change on the shop
floor. This is a significant result of IT/OT
Convergence, which led to faster decision-making,
better collaboration, and a single source of
truth across the organization. But what does
the IT/OT Convergence do with IoT, though? How
are IoT, Information Technology (IT), and
Operational Technology (OT) connected? For
starters, they have the same three letters
appearing in some sequence in all three
abbreviations, but what more do these three have
in common?
Its essential to understand these terms before
analyzing the IT/OT convergence. What is
Information Technology (IT) and Operational
Technology (OT)? Until IoT became a thing, there
were two distinct worlds traditional OT
systems, which have machines, devices, and other
industrial equipment, and more digital IT systems
that handle everything related to computers,
servers, storage, networking, and others. Its
been a while since the two worlds crossed over
into one IoT. To put this in simpler terms
using an application of IoT, the smart devices
in our homes today that are automated are a
perfect example. These devices are part of a
network that combines the prowess of both IT and
OT systems to automate seemingly mundane human
tasks like switching on and off lights. Now that
we understand how IT/OT convergence happens,
lets look at IT/OT definitions with some
jargon. As the name suggests, Information
Technology (IT) includes computers, servers, and
networking devices to create, process, store, and
exchange all forms of electronic data in a
secure manner. For a manufacturing environment,
it can be hardware like laptops and servers and
software for ERPs, inventory management, and
other business-related tools.On the other hand,
Operational technology focuses on managing and
controlling physical devices operating
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globally. For manufacturing, it can include
systems like MES, SCADA, PLCs, and CNCs that
monitor control the processes on the shop floor.
How does IT/OT Convergence help in
Manufacturing? Converging various aspects of
technology is as old as technology itself.
Integrating and interoperating different
technologies can increase efficiency, cut down
costs, and improve the workflows of multiple
applications. Earlier, the OT teams would
handle everything that came under the purview of
operations, keeping the plant running smoothly.
On the other hand, the IT team runs business
applications smoothly from the head office. They
would only collaborate for one-off tasks like
unplanned downtime, an untoward security
incident etc., without any real
collaboration. The data for both teams was
available in silos with no single source of
truth-giving birth to communications issues,
blind spots in processes and delayed
decision-making. The OT machines, in particular,
were only communicating with the world via niche
M2M protocols, with data stored at disparate
locations, available only in silos. This is where
IT/OT convergence came in. The IT/ OT
convergence aimed to bring physical equipment
(OT) into the digital world of IT. This was made
possible, thanks to many advances in the tech
industry, starting from Machine-to-Machine (M2M)
communication, not to mention the increasing
sophistication of IoT sensors and actuators that
can be incorporated into OT equipment. Wireless
communication over standard networking protocols
allowed the data from each OT system to be
communicated to a central server. The IT OT
convergence allows for increased autonomy,
maintenance, uptime, and accuracy of all the
physical systems involved, with instant machine
data access to the relevant stakeholders. This
convergence is focused primarily on automatic
processes, using connected devices equipped with
sensors to gather, send, and receive data. The
data then is stored in a central platform, where
it can be analyzed, monitored and actioned upon
in real-time. This opens up a
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new realm of possibilities, where anyone with the
know-how can develop APIs to analyze different
devices and monitor, analyze control their
functioning.
Manufacturers Boon The IoT Convergence With
IoT, IT/OT convergence in manufacturing has
become a success story. The convergence allows
businesses and manufacturing entities to be more
cost-efficient (or, more precisely,
resource-efficient be it costs, time or supply
involved). With the sales and inventory data to
optimize manufacturing operations, equipment and
energy consumption is more efficient, while
maintenance and the quantity of unsold inventory
are reduced.
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