IT for Manufacturing
Manufacturing IT lives at the boundary of office IT and shop-floor OT (operational technology). The challenges: integrating ERP with MES and shop-floor systems, segmenting IT from OT networks, supporting blue-collar workforce with appropriate licensing, and meeting customer audit requirements (IATF, ISO).
IT/OT Segmentation
Office network separated from shop-floor PLC/SCADA traffic.
ERP / MES Atop
Existing ERP/MES preserved; we layer security and reporting.
Blue-collar Licensing
M365 F1/F3 for shift workers — affordable, focused.
IATF / ISO Posture
Audit log, access control, documentation for customer audits.
What's different about manufacturing
- IT and OT networks — office productivity vs PLC/SCADA. Segmentation is critical (Purdue Model).
- ERP at the centre — Logo, Mikro, Netsis, SAP B1. Plus MES (manufacturing execution).
- Blue-collar workforce — shop floor users need limited IT access (kiosks, shift terminals).
- Customer audits — automotive (IATF 16949), defence, aerospace require documented IT controls.
- Industrial uptime — production line stoppage costs are minute-by-minute.
- BOM / IP confidentiality — drawings, formulas are crown jewels.
Frequently chosen with this service
Licenses commonly selected on the same project — each product page has comparisons, FAQ and a quote/cart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Per the Purdue Model — separate VLANs for office IT, production IT, control systems and field devices. Firewall rules permit only necessary traffic. We don't typically administer PLC/SCADA itself, but design the network boundary and security controls around it.
Microsoft 365 F1 (basic) and F3 (richer) are SKUs designed for frontline workers — kiosk/shift workers who need Teams, light Office, web mail. Significantly cheaper per user than knowledge-worker SKUs. We help right-size the mix.
Documentation of IT controls (access, identity, change management, backup), evidence of audit log retention, encryption posture, incident-response runbook. We coordinate with the customer's certification body but don't issue IATF certificates.
Sensitivity Labels for "Engineering — Confidential", DLP rules to prevent attachment to external e-mail, encryption-at-rest, audit log on access. For very sensitive IP (defence, aerospace) we add information barriers and dedicated SharePoint structures.
How Xen Bilişim delivers IT for Manufacturing
- 1. Discovery: Stakeholder interviews, current-state inventory, compliance review and risk mapping; deliverable: written discovery report.
- 2. Plan: Target architecture, SKU/licence selection, migration plan and SLA scope documented; quote signed.
- 3. Implement: Phased rollout with pilot → full deployment; user training and runbook delivered; KVKK/ISO compliance evidence collected.
- 4. Operate: Continuous monitoring, quarterly health-checks, incident response and roadmap reviews — under MSP retainer or project-end transfer.
Typical end-to-end timeline: 4-6 weeks (varies by scope).