Interest rates are rising and manufacturing budgets are being watched closely. It’s the reality we face today and there is no way of knowing how long this may last. With budgets tightening, many manufacturers are quick to cut investments and turn their efforts towards the day-to-day operations. While this strategy may help in the short term, the sacrifice in the long term may not be worth it. When it comes to total cost of ownership (TCO), putting investment in the right areas while budgets are constrained will pay off in the future.
Investing in your plant network is crucial for many reasons, one of which is lowering your TCO. With lower TCO comes operational efficiency, reliability, and long-term savings. These come in the form of technological improvements, as well as people and processes effectiveness.
A well-invested OT network enhances operational efficiency. By upgrading equipment, automating processes, and integrating advanced technologies, manufacturers can run more smoothly, with less downtime, and protect their assets from cyber threats.
Defense in Depth
While budgets may be under scrutiny it’s important to remember that cyber threats are not slowing. In fact, cyber criminals are extremely patient as they wait for vulnerabilities to rise to the surface. Using a technology like OT-SDN enables consolidated management of the industrial control network and follows rule-based, zero-trust cybersecurity best practices.
Efficiency
Manufacturers that consume fewer resources, require less maintenance, and produce less waste will have a lower TCO. The Veracity OT-SDN platform eliminates the need for traditional networking tools like VLANs and ACLs, which are time consuming and expensive. Eliminating the manual aspect with features like automatic identification of industrial communication devices eases implementation so network downtime is minimal.
Reliability
Investing in the industrial network means upgrading or replacing aging infrastructure that may be prone to breakdowns. Unplanned downtime not only disrupts production but also incurs significant costs in repairs and lost productivity. Using a consolidated network management tool reduces the time it takes to troubleshoot, maintain, and manage the network. An OT-SDN network gives visibility to ensure that operations are continuous and consistent. Over time, this reliability translates to lower maintenance costs and fewer unexpected expenses.
Workforce
The ability to find and retain OT expertise continues to be a major challenge. Investing in automated technology and processes can reduce the likelihood of human error and ensure that operations are carried out faster and more accurately. With less people having the skills required to do the open jobs, OT-SDN gives you more control of your network.
As market demands change, having a flexible and scalable OT network allows manufacturers to adjust quickly without incurring excessive costs. This agility ensures the customer needs are never sacrificed, regardless of the economic state.
When it comes to adopting new solutions, getting started can be tough. A good place to start is by investigating and testing technologies that may fit your application needs. If you want to learn more about OT-SDN, sign up for our next demo.
