IT Challenges Facing Manufacturing Companies (And How to Solve Them)

Manufacturing IT Is Different

Manufacturing companies face IT challenges that most industries never encounter. You’re not just managing office computers and email. You’re managing production lines controlled by PLCs, SCADA systems monitoring critical processes, IoT sensors collecting real-time data, and decades-old machines running software that predates Windows XP.

And you’re doing it in an environment where downtime doesn’t just mean inconvenience—it means lost production, missed shipments, broken contracts, and real money walking out the door.

The IT landscape in manufacturing is changing fast. Operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT) are converging. Supply chains demand digital connectivity. Cyber threats target manufacturers specifically because they’re often underprepared. And the people who understand both manufacturing and IT are in short supply.

Here are the most pressing IT challenges facing manufacturing companies today—and what you can actually do about them.

OT/IT Convergence

For decades, operational technology (the systems that run your production floor—PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, DCS) and information technology (your business network—ERP, email, file servers) lived in separate worlds. Different teams managed them. They ran on different networks. They rarely talked to each other.

That separation is disappearing. Modern manufacturing requires data from the production floor to flow into business systems for real-time decision-making. ERP systems need production data. Quality systems need sensor data. Management needs dashboards showing output, efficiency, and downtime—in real time.

The problem: connecting OT and IT networks creates risk. OT systems were designed for reliability and safety, not cybersecurity. They often run outdated operating systems, lack authentication, and can’t be patched without shutting down production. When you connect them to the IT network—and by extension, the internet—you expose them to threats they were never built to handle.

What to Do About It

• Network segmentation. Keep OT and IT on separate network segments with controlled traffic between them. Use firewalls and DMZs specifically designed for industrial environments.
• Industrial-grade security tools. Standard IT security tools often don’t work well in OT environments. Look for solutions designed for industrial protocols (Modbus, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET).
• Unified governance, separate management. Your security policies should cover both OT and IT, but the teams managing each can remain specialized. What matters is that someone owns the gap between them.
• Inventory everything. You can’t protect what you don’t know about. Many manufacturers have OT devices on their network that nobody has catalogued. Start with a complete asset inventory.

Legacy Systems That Won’t Die

Manufacturing is full of legacy systems. That CNC machine from 2003 that still runs perfectly? It’s controlled by a Windows XP computer that hasn’t had a security update in over a decade. The custom MES application built by a vendor that went out of business in 2015? It’s still running your production scheduling.

These systems work. They’re paid for. Replacing them is expensive and risky. But they create serious problems:

• They can’t be patched, making them permanent vulnerabilities
• They often can’t run modern security tools (antivirus, EDR)
• They depend on protocols and interfaces that modern systems don’t support
• Knowledge of how they work lives in the heads of a shrinking number of employees
• They complicate any compliance effort (CMMC, NIST, cyber insurance requirements)

What to Do About It

• Isolate what you can’t replace. If a legacy system must stay, put it on its own network segment with strict access controls. Monitor traffic to and from it aggressively.
• Document everything. If only one person knows how the legacy MES works, that’s a business continuity risk. Document configurations, dependencies, and procedures now.
• Plan for replacement. Even if replacement is years away, have a roadmap. Know what the replacement will be, what it will cost, and what the migration path looks like.
• Use compensating controls. If you can’t patch a system, compensate with network monitoring, application whitelisting, and strict access controls.

Supply Chain Connectivity

Modern manufacturing supply chains are digital. Your customers expect EDI integration, real-time inventory visibility, and automated purchase orders. Your suppliers need forecast data and delivery schedules. Your logistics partners need shipment information.

Each of these connections is a potential entry point for attackers and a point of failure for your operations. The challenge isn’t just connecting—it’s connecting securely and reliably.

What to Do About It

• Standardize integration methods. Use established protocols (EDI, APIs with authentication) rather than ad-hoc file sharing or email-based processes.
• Vet your partners’ security. A supplier with weak security practices is your weak link. Include security requirements in supplier agreements and verify compliance.
• Segment partner connections. Don’t give suppliers direct access to your internal network. Use DMZs, VPNs, or secure portals that limit access to what they need.
• Plan for partner failures. If a critical supplier’s system goes down, how does that affect your production? Build contingency plans for your most important digital supply chain connections.

Cybersecurity for Manufacturing

Manufacturers are now among the most targeted industries for cyberattacks. Ransomware operators know that manufacturing companies can’t tolerate downtime—which makes them more likely to pay. Nation-state actors target manufacturers for intellectual property. And the convergence of OT and IT creates attack paths that didn’t exist a decade ago.

A ransomware attack that encrypts your ERP system is bad. One that reaches your production floor and shuts down your lines is catastrophic.

What to Do About It

• Start with the basics. Multi-factor authentication, endpoint detection and response, email security, regular patching, and tested backups stop the majority of attacks. Many manufacturers haven’t implemented these consistently.
• Build an incident response plan. Know who to call, what to isolate, and how to recover—before you need to. Include scenarios specific to manufacturing: production line shutdown, compromised SCADA, ransomware on the business network.
• Get visibility. You need to see what’s happening on both your IT and OT networks. Invest in monitoring that covers both environments.
• Address the human element. Phishing is the entry point for most attacks. Train your workforce—including shop floor supervisors and operators who use shared workstations—to recognize and report suspicious activity.
• Meet compliance requirements. If you’re a defense contractor, CMMC is coming. If you have cyber insurance, your carrier’s requirements are tightening. Use compliance frameworks as a roadmap for security improvements.

IoT on the Production Floor

IoT devices are everywhere in modern manufacturing: temperature sensors, vibration monitors, smart valves, connected cameras, RFID readers, environmental monitors. They enable predictive maintenance, quality monitoring, and process optimization.

They also create a massive attack surface. Most IoT devices have limited security capabilities. They often ship with default credentials, run minimal operating systems, and can’t be updated easily. Many communicate using unencrypted protocols.

What to Do About It

• Segment IoT traffic. Put IoT devices on their own network segment, isolated from both your production OT network and your business IT network.
• Change default credentials. On every device. Before it connects to anything.
• Maintain an IoT inventory. Know what’s on your network, what it does, what firmware it’s running, and who’s responsible for it.
• Monitor for anomalies. IoT devices should behave predictably. When a temperature sensor starts communicating with an IP address in Eastern Europe, you want to know immediately.
• Include IoT in your security program. Don’t treat IoT as someone else’s problem. If it’s on your network, it’s in your security scope.

The Skills Gap

Finding IT professionals who understand manufacturing is genuinely difficult. You need people who can manage an ERP system and understand why you can’t reboot the PLC controller during a production run. People who know cybersecurity and understand that a shop floor HMI can’t run the same security stack as an office laptop.

The skills gap is compounded by several factors:

• Manufacturing facilities are often in areas with smaller IT talent pools
• Competing with tech companies and remote-work employers for IT talent is difficult
• OT expertise is a niche skill set with an aging workforce
• The convergence of OT and IT requires people who understand both—and there aren’t many

What to Do About It

• Partner with a managed IT provider. A managed IT partner with manufacturing experience gives you access to a team of specialists instead of relying on one or two internal hires.
• Cross-train your existing staff. Help your IT team understand OT fundamentals, and help your OT team understand IT security basics. You don’t need everyone to be an expert in both—you need them to communicate effectively.
• Document tribal knowledge. The OT engineer who’s been running your systems for 25 years won’t be there forever. Capture what they know in documentation and procedures.
• Automate where possible. Reduce the burden on your limited IT staff by automating routine tasks: patching, monitoring, backup verification, and alerting.

ERP and Business System Modernization

Many manufacturing companies are running ERP systems that are a decade or more old. They’ve been customized heavily, integrated with production systems, and become deeply embedded in daily operations. Upgrading or replacing them is a major undertaking.

But staying on outdated systems carries its own costs: limited functionality, inability to integrate with modern tools, growing maintenance costs, security vulnerabilities, and increasing difficulty finding people who can support them.

What to Do About It

• Assess your current state honestly. Is your ERP still meeting your business needs? What workarounds has your team built to compensate for its limitations?
• Evaluate cloud-based options. Modern cloud ERP systems offer better integration, lower infrastructure costs, and automatic updates. They also shift security and maintenance burden to the vendor.
• Plan the migration carefully. ERP migrations in manufacturing are high-stakes projects. Budget adequate time for data migration, testing, training, and parallel operation.
• Don’t forget integration. Your ERP needs to talk to your MES, your quality system, your supply chain tools, and potentially your production equipment. Plan for integration from the start.

Moving Forward

Manufacturing IT is complex because manufacturing is complex. You’re managing modern and legacy systems, digital and physical processes, IT and OT environments—all in a business where downtime has an immediate, measurable cost.

You don’t need to solve everything at once. Start with the fundamentals: know what’s on your network, protect your most critical systems, back up your data, and build a team (internal or external) that understands both manufacturing and IT.

BrightWorks IT works with manufacturing companies to address these challenges—from cybersecurity and compliance to infrastructure modernization and managed IT support. Schedule a free assessment and let’s talk about where your IT stands and where it needs to go.