Industry 4.0: How IT integration with industrial management can bring operational efficiency

With fully connected networks and real-time managed equipment, the boundary between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) has virtually disappeared in Industry 4.0. Industrial automation and IT must operate in an integrated manner, as this convergence is crucial for achieving the highest performance and functionality in modern operations. In this context, the IT department, especially internal technology support, needs to align strategically with the operational area, since any failure in digital systems or equipment can halt entire production lines.

In connected industrial environments, unplanned downtime has a severe financial impact. A 2022 Siemens study titled "The True Cost of Downtime" indicates that companies can lose up to 11% of their annual revenue due to unplanned downtime (approximately US$ 1.5 trillion). A single hour of machine downtime can cost from US$ 39,000 in consumer goods to US$ 2 million in the automotive industry, depending on the sector.

These numbers explain why maintaining operational continuity is critical: every minute counts, and rapid IT response to resolve incidents makes the difference between a minor scare and major losses. However, industrial digital transformation delivers measurable gains when properly implemented. According to a study by Fiesp, Brazilian companies that have already adopted Industry 4.0 technologies reported an average productivity increase of 22% and a 17% reduction in operational costs.

Part of these gains comes from the reduction in failures and downtime thanks to features such as predictive maintenance and remote asset monitoring. In other words, integrating IT and industrial operations results in more efficient factories with fewer interruptions and waste.

Convergence between service desk and industrial operations

To enable this integration between IT support and industrial management, companies are investing in modern service desk platforms that offer multi-service capabilities and end-to-end automation. With cross-departmental integration and the establishment of workflows, technical tickets can flow seamlessly between IT teams, engineering, and operations, following predefined business rules.

For example, IoT sensors on machines can detect an anomaly and automatically open a service ticket, triggering the IT or maintenance team before a breakdown even occurs. Similarly, shop floor systems (MES, SCADA, etc.) integrated with the support center provide real-time visibility of incidents, enabling agile decisions to prevent bottlenecks.

Automation and intelligent workflows play a central role in this convergence. With well-defined workflows, a registered incident triggers notifications, escalations, and standardized procedures without human delay, ensuring faster and more accurate responses.

This preventive and coordinated approach drastically reduces the mean time to resolution for critical issues—a vital factor when "time is money" in industrial production. Companies themselves have recognized the importance of enhancing IT support to keep pace with digital transformation. A recent survey showed that 97% of Brazilian executives plan to improve IT service management (ITSM) in the next 12 months, 68% intend to implement new support software, and 43% are seeking to automate processes.

These numbers reinforce the perception that efficient and automated IT support is a pillar of Industry 4.0, ensuring that innovations like IoT and analytics operate without interruptions.

As Industry 4.0 evolves, companies that unify their IT and operational processes are one step ahead on the competitiveness curve. Integrating IT support with industrial management is not just a matter of efficiency, but of survival in a market where zero downtime is the ideal and rapid incident response is a differentiator.

Moreover, investing in tools and processes that break down silos between IT and production yields tangible returns: less downtime, higher productivity, and data-driven real-time decisions. In Brazil, this movement is already underway—and those who successfully integrate IT support and industrial management will reap the benefits of a more efficient, resilient operation ready for the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.

By Luciano Costa, co-founder of Setrion and Milldesk.