Define your IT/OT Convergence Strategy

Patterns, Anti-patterns and collaboration models

In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) is no longer a futuristic concept—it’s a pressing reality. As industries strive for greater efficiency, agility, and innovation, bridging the gap between IT and OT has become a crucial step in driving digital transformation. However, achieving seamless IT/OT convergence is not without its challenges. It requires a deep understanding of both domains, as well as a strategic approach to integration and collaboration. This article delves into the heart of IT/OT convergence, exploring the patterns and anti-patterns that can either foster or hinder this critical integration. We will dissect the various cooperation models that organizations can adopt to ensure successful convergence, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Our goal is to provide you with a comprehensive guide that not only demystifies the complexities of IT/OT convergence but also offers practical insights and strategies for navigating this transformative journey.

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Chapter 1

Anti-Patterns or ‘How to get Divergence fast’

Converging two organizations (or maybe you only want to make them work better together) is not just about scaling technology and building value-added applications together. We need to organize ourselves in a way to deal with diversity without getting stuck in complexity.

Divergence might happen sooner than you think

The road to IT/OT Divergence happens sooner than you might think.

Anti-Pattern 1: IT/OT Convergence as a top-down decision by management

When we have a desire to converge organizations, we are not engineering a new production line. Quite the contrary, we are now dealing with socio-technical systems where both IT and OT: (1) employ people with specific capabilities, (2) follow their own processes, (3) use (partially shared) technology and infrastructure, (4) have their own goals and (5) share certain cultural assumptions and norms.

Splitting thinking and doing was a way of working from the years when the smart boss told the workers what to do right. However, most management teams today still ‘accidentally’ apply this anti-pattern. They don’t do it consciously because it is so deeply ingrained in how many ‘bosses’ still think and act.

When someone with a typical engineering or operations background gets promoted two things can happen: (1) they apply their old way of thinking onto digital projects (problem!) or (2) they are real leaders, open up to other points of view and create room to experiment, grow and be successful (opportunities ahead!).

Anti-Pattern 2: IT/OT Convergence is about making OT become more like IT (or vice versa)

IT/OT convergence can be misinterpreted as if OT will become more like IT (or vice versa: IT will become more like OT). People who believe this anti-pattern is something to really ‘go for’ will start making claims towards the other: “We know this better because…” or “Our technology is better/more advanced because …”.

This is not going to work, on the contrary, this insinuates that one is better than the other and that will only create resistance, people will start tuning out and eventually will leave your organization.

Side note: If innovation is going to come from anywhere, it is IT. OT is far too little engaged in adapting new ways of working and their scale/talent pool is many orders of magnitude smaller. If you want to know where OT is going in a couple of years, look to IT (but not because IT is “better”).

When claims are being made in one or both directions, friction will lead to mistrust and divergence is waiting around the corner.

Read our full article on the anti-patterns here

Chapter 2

Patterns or ‘What You Should Do To Align IT and OT’

Pattern 1: Real IT/OT Convergence is Expanding the Common Ground, both technically and organizationally.

What’s in the green box? The green box is nothing more than what we have in common. At the start both seem to work with different technologies and think in different ways: DCS vs ERP, PLC vs cloud server, agile vs detailed requirements, CI/CD vs FAT… The moment you need to work together however that split is costing you a lot of money. Organizations that manage to increase what’s in common will be rewarded with more innovative, more effective and faster deployment of solutions to real problems in production.

The way to increase the size of that box isn’t some star project manager or leader with all the answers coming from the latest fad. You’ll need to facilitate cooperation the hard way and remove obstacles while respecting the differences.

Convergence is about expanding the common ground. That common ground encompasses both technical and organizational aspects. As a consequence of that expansion, collaboration becomes easier allowing the organization to effectively solve business problems.

Pattern 2: Forget Convergence, start with Cooperation

Achieving IT/OT convergence requires expanding the box from both technical and organizational perspectives, and the best way to do this is through continuous improvement in cooperation. While technical integration has its limits due to the current state of technology, exposing people to both IT and OT worlds will give you a competitive edge in effectively implementing new technologies. Organizational integration is equally crucial, and two standout cooperation models offer inspiration: facilitation and temporary central project teams.

Facilitation involves sending out a small group of “liaisons” to foster cooperation and build trust between IT and OT teams. This approach avoids creating additional silos but does not replace a comprehensive digitalization strategy and lacks scalability. The temporary central project team model, on the other hand, is designed for a limited time (1-2 years) and staffed with motivated individuals from both IT and OT. This team collaborates on initial projects, exploring cooperation and driving evolution within the organization. Key to this model’s success are its limited timeframe, appropriate staffing, and a genuine desire from both sides to evolve and integrate. If the organization fails to change by the end of this period, the effort is wasted.

Improving cooperation between IT and OT is always the best next step.

Read our full article on the patterns here

Chapter 3 — Pick your Model