In this follow-up to our conversation on designing digital manufacturing sites for sustainable success, our panel of Stellix leaders focuses on a reality facing every manufacturing organization: you can’t achieve operational goals with siloed teams.
Whether it’s designing a digital-first plant, running day-to-day production, or preparing for OT cyber threats, success depends on bringing the right people together early and practicing their responses to high-stakes scenarios.
Key Insights
OT Cyber Incidents and the Cost of Misalignment
The team reflects on real-world examples, like the 2015 Ukraine grid attack, to show how gaps between IT, OT, and operations can have physical consequences. In OT environments, the threat isn’t just data loss; it’s safety, uptime, and production stability.
Why Tabletop Exercises Matter
Cross-functional tabletop scenarios help teams uncover blind spots, understand each other’s roles, and build muscle memory before an incident or operational failure occurs. They are one of the fastest ways to reveal gaps and strengthen coordination.
Breaking Up Silos Across the Plant
Cyber preparedness mirrors the challenges of building and running high-performing facilities. Whether you’re designing new digital plants or improving existing operations, the same principle applies—bring people together early, align around the outcome, and prepare for how you want to work.
Highlights
- A real‑world cyber incident shows why IT/OT silos put physical operations at risk—and why shared situational awareness is essential for modern facilities. (00:25)
- Tabletop exercises help teams uncover blind spots early, strengthening communication between IT, OT, safety, and executives long before an actual event occurs. (02:10)
- OT‑specific cybersecurity is non‑negotiable, as physical‑safety vulnerabilities can’t be addressed with traditional IT controls alone. (06:55)
- Leaders can immediately improve readiness through simple actions—like floor walk‑throughs (“Go Look See”) and bottom‑up feedback programs—to surface inefficiencies and risks. (12:40)
- “Fusion teams” drive stronger outcomes by bringing IT, engineering, automation, manufacturing, and quality together around a common operational goal. (15:20)
Practical Recommendations Shared by the Team
Run Tabletop Exercises:
Simulate realistic cyber or operational incidents with IT, OT, operations, safety, and executive teams. These sessions expose communication gaps and accelerate alignment.
Create Fusion Teams:
Blend disciplines to solve complex challenges—whether designing capital projects or improving a running facility. Replace “that’s IT’s job” with shared accountability for business outcomes.
Assess OT Cybersecurity Separately from IT:
Ensure your cybersecurity program accounts for the physical, safety‑critical nature of OT systems rather than relying solely on IT‑centric controls.
Walk the Floor and Listen:
Leaders should regularly observe operations firsthand, while also encouraging frontline staff to identify and share improvement opportunities.
Watch the full episode for practical guidance on how to strengthen your operations from digital plant design to OT cyber preparedness.
