With fully connected and real-time managed equipment in networks, the boundary between operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) has virtually disappeared in Industry 4.0. Industrial automation and IT need to work in an integrated manner, as this convergence is crucial to achieving the highest performance and functionality in modern operations. In this context, the IT department, especially internal technology support, must align strategically with the operational area, since any failure in digital systems or equipment can disrupt entire production lines.
In connected industrial environments, unplanned downtime has severe financial impacts. A 2022 Siemens study titled ‘The True Cost of Downtime’ indicates that companies lose an average of 11% of annual revenue due to unplanned downtime (approximately $1.5 trillion). A single hour of machine downtime can cost anywhere from $39,000 in consumer goods to $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. Brazilian companies that have already adopted Industry 4.0 technologies reported an average 22% increase in productivity and a 17% reduction in operational costs, according to a study by Fiesp.
Part of these gains comes from reducing failures and downtime thanks to resources like 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-department integration and established workflows, technical tickets can move seamlessly between IT teams, engineering, and operations without getting lost, following predefined business rules.
For example, IoT sensors on machines can detect anomalies and automatically open a service ticket, alerting the IT or maintenance team before a breakdown occurs. Similarly, factory 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 already 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, with 68% intending to implement new support software and 43% seeking to automate processes.
These numbers reinforce the perception that efficient and automated IT support is a pillar of Industry 4.0, ensuring innovations like IoT and analytics operate without interruptions.
As Industry 4.0 evolves, companies that unify their IT and operational processes are a step ahead in the competitiveness curve. Integrating IT support with industrial management is not just a matter of efficiency but survival in a market where zero downtime is the ideal and rapid incident response is a differentiator.
Beyond that, investing in tools and processes that break silos between IT and production yields tangible returns: less downtime, higher productivity, and data-driven decisions in real time. In Brazil, this shift is already underway—and those who successfully integrate IT support with 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 MilldeskBy Luciano Costa, co-founder of Setrion and Milldesk.
