Integration of information technologies (IT) and operational technologies (OT) is playing a decisive role on the path towards digital transformation. It determines the extent to which industries remain competitive and future-proof. As a core foundation for further digitalization of factories and production facilities, it is paving the way to Smart Factory concepts and all the advantages they promise.

Most business already know about the need to connect IT and OT. Around 76% of businesses surveyed by a Forrester survey in 2022 confirmed this awareness. However, only 36% are actively pursuing IT/OT convergence, establishing a key advantage for themselves in their markets. ERP and MES/MOM and automation systems must all be capable of sharing information to guarantee flexible production processes. Closer and closer integration of these two areas greater sharing of data mean that businesses can design more efficient processes, producing higher quality and generating added value by using data correctly.