In the manufacturing sector, operational resilience represents an essential capability for ensuring continuity and production stability in an increasingly complex and interconnected context. Being resilient means being able to prevent, absorb, and overcome unexpected events without compromising the efficiency of production lines.
From this perspective, downtime becomes a concrete indicator of an organization’s level of resilience: the more a company is capable of reducing or managing it quickly, the greater its operational solidity. To strengthen resilience, companies must rely on systems capable of detecting anomalies in real time, predicting failures, and activating immediate interventions.
This is where ITSM for the manufacturing sector fully expresses its strategic value. Modern IT Service Management platforms are no longer limited to managing tickets or IT incidents. They have evolved into powerful orchestration tools that bridge the gap between IT and OT (Operational Technology), ensuring collaboration, resilience, and, at a more properly productive level, operational continuity.
The Gap Between IT and OT in Manufacturing
Manufacturing companies manage two distinct technological ecosystems – and two specialized teams. The IT team handles traditional business systems such as email, ERP, and networks. The OT team, on the other hand, is responsible for production infrastructures: machinery, sensors, control systems, and robotics that keep plants running.
A unified ITSM solution for the manufacturing sector brings these teams together on a single platform, with the objective of improving visibility, communication, and response times.
The Principle of Domain Separation in a Unified ITSM Platform
Traditionally separated for functional reasons, today IT and OT must collaborate more closely while maintaining clear logical boundaries. The principle of domain separation allows the same ITSM platform to be used while simultaneously ensuring the distinction between configurations, permissions, and data of each domain.
In this way, IT and OT operate in protected but interconnected environments, sharing only the information relevant to resolving common incidents. If, for example, an OT sensor generates an alarm, the ITSM system opens an automatic ticket, visible to both teams, who can intervene quickly to reduce downtime and improve operational resilience.
The Main Problem: Downtime That Blocks Production
When a plant shutdown occurs, it is almost never a trivial disruption. Much more often, it means instead:
- Loss of production and delivery delays
- Costly slowdowns in the supply chain
- Waste of materials
- Safety risks
- Danger of compliance violations
Traditional ITSM systems are not usually designed to manage the critical nature of OT incidents in real time. If a problem is not addressed correctly or recorded with the reference context in mind, precious minutes, or even hours, are lost.
By adopting ITSM solutions designed for the manufacturing sector, companies gain functionalities tailored to their operational needs: rapid incident escalation, automation of maintenance flows, and smooth collaboration between IT and OT.
From Reactive to Proactive: Real-Time Incident Management
Traditional incident management only intervenes after a failure has occurred. Modern ITSM platforms, instead, integrate with IoT devices, monitoring tools, and production systems to enable a proactive response.
If, for example, a sensor installed on a conveyor belt motor signals abnormal behavior, instead of waiting for a failure notification, the ITSM system automatically creates a ticket, correctly assigns it to an operator, and tracks the resolution. This integration between digital sensors and workflow automation minimizes unplanned downtime and supports predictive maintenance.
In essence, ITSM solutions for the manufacturing sector transform maintenance from reactive to predictive, improving the productivity and resilience of the entire infrastructure.
To support truly proactive incident management, ITSM platforms offer advanced functionalities that optimize both processes and operational visibility. Among these, some key elements stand out:
- Intelligent routing and workflow design, which ensure speed and precision in response
- A robust IT asset inventory, essential for maintaining control over all technological resources
Intelligent Routing and Workflow Automation
In the manufacturing context, there is no time for manual incident triage. An interruption at one point can have chain effects on multiple lines or plants. This is why both highly configurable routing and a workflow designer are fundamental components for ITSM in this particular sector.
- Highly configurable routing: ensures that the right person receives the correct information at the right time, without bottlenecks or assignment errors.
- Workflow designer: designs the workflow to visually create, modify, and automate process phases without coding, ensuring consistent and efficient operations. Workflows can also send simultaneous notifications to IT and OT when the incident involves both teams.
With advanced automation rules, incidents are immediately classified and assigned based on:
- Equipment type or location
- Severity and impact on production
- Technician skills or availability
With configurable and dynamic flows, ITSM accelerates decisions and reduces downtime, increasing overall resilience.
Complete and Reliable IT Asset Inventory
Visibility is the key to operational efficiency. Manufacturing companies manage thousands of assets – from machinery to corporate servers. Keeping track of everything, from life cycles to software dependencies, is impossible by relying solely on spreadsheets or isolated systems.
Modern ITSM platforms include a complete and reliable IT asset inventory and an equally solid CMDB (Configuration Management Database), which stores information on all components (configuration items or CIs) of an IT infrastructure, such as hardware, software, and services. Together, these tools provide a centralized view that allows IT and OT to know exactly which assets exist, where they are located, and how they are connected.
For example, when a machine breaks down, ITSM immediately shows software dependencies, maintenance logs, and supplier data, thereby significantly reducing diagnosis times and preventing problem recurrence.
The Support of IT Expertise
OT systems tend to become increasingly similar to IT systems: connected, software-driven, and integrated into business systems. However, OT teams often lack adequate experience in cybersecurity or network management. Thanks to a unified ITSM platform, IT can provide structured support to OT.
When an incident related to industrial systems occurs, IT applies established processes – categorization, change management, problem tracking – while OT focuses on physical and safety aspects. This approach, which enables joint visibility of IT and OT, allows weaknesses to be identified and quick reactions that reduce downtime.
From Chaos to Control: A Concrete Example
Imagine a manufacturer with multiple plants, each with its own IT and OT tools. Each site uses different processes, separate asset lists, and little communication between teams. Downtime investigations require hours.
After implementing a unified ITSM platform with domain separation, automatic routing, and shared inventory, the situation changes radically.
- OT sensor alarms create automatic tickets
- Routing rules immediately notify the “right” technicians
- The CMDB offers a single source of truth for assets
- Dashboards provide full visibility on uptime and resolution times
Result: faster intervention times, reduced downtime, and smooth collaboration between IT and OT.
Measurable Business Results
DThe adoption of ITSM in manufacturing doesn’t just bring a technical update: it’s a strategic investment that generates tangible ROI. The benefits are numerous, the main ones include:
- Downtime reduction: automated management and faster responses
- Enhanced collaboration: IT and OT share visibility and priorities
- Operational efficiency: optimized workflows and fewer manual activities
- Simplified compliance: centralized data and complete traceability
- Strengthened resilience: predictive maintenance and proactive response
By aligning technology, people, and processes, ITSM for the manufacturing sector transforms production into a connected, efficient ecosystem ready to face any challenge.
At the Heart of the Most Advanced ITSM Solutions: Predictive Analytics and Automation
Predictive maintenance is now a strategic necessity. ITSM platforms can integrate with IoT sensors, analytical tools, and artificial intelligence systems to predict future failures.
Thanks to advanced analytical models, it will be possible to identify anomalies before they turn into critical failures, automatically activating preventive maintenance processes, notifications, and targeted interventions. Not only will response speed increase, but it will be possible to standardize operations, ensuring consistency, security, and traceability at every stage of the production process.
The Future of ITSM in Manufacturing: A Resilience Engine
With the advancement of Industry 4.0, ITSM will establish itself as a true nervous system of the organization, connecting IT, OT, and digital intelligence in a single ecosystem. This integration will make processes smoother and more secure, reducing downtime and increasing productivity.
Thanks to real-time analysis of data from sensors, industrial networks, and IoT platforms, artificial intelligence and machine learning will identify hidden correlations, improving the predictive and decision-making capabilities of IT and OT teams.
ITSM will also offer a unified experience to all departments, with shared dashboards, transparent workflows, and real-time collaboration. Every operator will be able to access the data necessary for faster and more informed decisions, promoting a data-driven culture.
In sectors where every minute of downtime can cost millions, ITSM for the manufacturing sector represents the perfect solution to increase resilience and efficiency, and gain a competitive advantage in the long term.