Building from scratch: Why a new factory is an opportunity for your IT/OT architecture

Building a new factory is a milestone for any company – a massive undertaking involving concrete, steel and logistics. But whilst the physical halls are taking shape, a strategic question arises behind the scenes that will determine competitiveness for decades to come:

Do we simply recreate yesterday’s IT/OT landscape, or do we seize the moment to make a digital quantum leap?

This question may sound abstract, but it is highly concrete. Because once the initial layouts, production line concepts and equipment manufacturers have been finalised, it will be decided whether your new plant will merely be a modern twin of the old one – or the starting point for a truly future-proof smart factory.

The burden of history: When architecture hinders growth

In many existing plants, we find IT/OT structures that have ‘evolved over time’. Over years and decades, a system has emerged that ‘somehow works’ in day-to-day operations. In detail, however, a pattern often emerges that hinders growth:

• Redundant systems: Different applications compete for control over production orders or material postings. Sometimes the MES posts, sometimes a proprietary shop floor tool, sometimes an old warehouse management system, and in the end nobody really knows which system holds ‘the truth’.
• Siloed solutions: Outdated applications, whose manufacturers have long since ceased to exist, continue to run because they serve a critical niche. Updates are no longer available, let alone security patches. The result: systems are ‘locked away’ in security silos instead of being phased out properly.
• Interface chaos: Point-to-point connections between ERP, MES, CAQ, SCADA and specialist tools that have grown up over the years. Every process change becomes a risky operation – with unclear side effects, high testing costs and the constant danger of something ‘breaking’ in an unexpected place.

These landscapes are the technological expression of what happens in day-to-day business: bit by bit, problems were solved, requirements addressed and functions added without an overarching vision. The result is a fragile web that hinders change, increases risks and slows down innovation.

The ‘copy-paste’ trap

When building a new factory, the temptation is great to simply copy this very network. The ‘copy-paste’ scenario seems attractive at first glance:

• The systems are familiar, and staff are comfortable with them.
• It avoids the impression of a parallel large-scale IT project.
• Construction progress does not appear to be jeopardised by additional digitalisation initiatives.

But the price is high, and it often only becomes apparent in hindsight:

• The new plant is no better digitally than the old one. It reproduces the same disconnects, the same detours, the same media breaks.
• The potential of Industry 4.0, IIoT and data-driven optimisations remains largely untapped or is realised only in isolated instances.
• The opportunity to radically simplify, standardise and clearly structure the architecture is squandered for years – for who would invest in fundamental IT/OT transformation again shortly after a new build?

‘Copy-paste’ thus creates a false sense of security: the start-up appears less risky, yet the new plant begins with yesterday’s digital legacy – in a market environment that is becoming ever faster, more volatile and data-driven.

The adesso approach: A systematic path to the Smart Factory

At adesso, we view the construction of a new factory as a strategic opportunity to put the entire IT/OT infrastructure to the test – without jeopardising ongoing operations and without disrupting the construction process.

Our approach combines practical relevance within the plant with methodological clarity – particularly through the use of TOGAF in architectural work.

At its core, we follow a structured approach that has proven its worth in many projects:

• 1. Bottom-up current state analysis
• 2. Top-down target vision
• 3. Capabilities & infrastructure planning
• 4. Independent software selection
• 5. Integrated implementation

Let’s take a closer look at these steps.

1. Bottom-up current state analysis: The truth lies on the shop floor

Any meaningful architectural work begins with an honest look at reality – not just in system landscapes, but above all in processes.

We conduct process workshops and specialist interviews directly with the people who work in the factory every day: shift supervisors, plant operators, maintenance, quality, logistics. Because they know best where the problems lie:

• Where do waiting times arise because information is missing?
• Where is data recorded twice – first on paper, then in a system?
• Where do people resort to Excel, Access or self-developed tools because the standard applications are insufficient?
• Where do manual workarounds arise to bridge interface problems?

At the same time, we bring insights from the industry:

• Which solutions have proven successful in other plants?
• How do other companies deal with similar challenges?
• Which trends are relevant – and which are just hype?

This combination of shop floor perspective and best-practice experience ensures that we identify potential for improvement not in abstract terms, but in very concrete ones.

2. Top-down target vision: From vision to a tangible smart factory

In parallel, we work with management, plant management and IT management to determine the direction of the journey.

• Should the new plant become a highly automated “Dark Factory” where human intervention is minimal?
• Or is the focus on an agile “Smart Factory” that reacts with high flexibility to changing products, variants and quantities?
• What role do topics such as end-to-end transparency, set-up time optimisation, condition monitoring, predictive maintenance or energy and resource efficiency play?

We translate this strategic vision into concrete digitalisation use cases, for example:

• End-to-end traceability from raw material to end product – in real time.
• A central production control cockpit with OEE, root cause analysis of faults and bottleneck analysis.
• Digital assistance systems for workers that make complex processes understandable and safe.
• Integrated energy monitoring that detects peak loads early and links production planning with energy costs.

In this way, an abstract target vision becomes a tangible set of capabilities that are intended to truly distinguish the new plant.

3. Capabilities & Development Planning: Structure rather than gut feeling

Based on the current state analysis and the target vision, we derive the required technical capabilities – methodologically supported by TOGAF.

Examples of such capabilities include:

• Detailed order planning and control
• Real-time feedback of machine and process data
• Integrated quality data collection and analysis
• Traceability across all process steps
• Warehouse and material flow control
• Energy monitoring and optimisation

We map these capabilities against the existing systems:

• Which system currently supports which capability – and how well?
• Where are there obvious gaps?
• Where do multiple systems exist for the same capability – a clear indication of redundancy?
• Which in-house developments safeguard critical know-how but pose a long-term risk?

The result is a development plan conceived not from a tool perspective but from a business perspective. It answers questions such as:

• Which systems can be usefully transferred to the new plant – in a modernised form?
• Where is consolidation urgently advised to reduce complexity?
• Where is it worthwhile to consciously opt for new technologies or platforms?

This results in a strategic roadmap that links business priorities, technological decisions and the sequence of events. It provides COOs, plant managers and IT managers with a robust basis for investment decisions – rather than having to rely on individual solutions or vendor arguments.

4. Independent software selection: Vendor-neutral to find the right setup

With a clear view of capabilities and a defined target architecture in place, we begin selecting specific solutions – vendor-neutral.

Our role: We represent your interests, not those of a specific vendor.

• We draw up requirements documents and specifications that precisely describe which capabilities are required and to what extent.
• We structure the tendering process, compare bids, facilitate workshops and evaluate both technical and economic aspects.
• We support proof-of-concepts (PoCs) to see how solutions perform in a real-world environment – particularly when integrated with ERP, existing OT systems and new installations.

For decision-makers, this means:

You benefit from methodological clarity (TOGAF), industry experience and impartiality – rather than getting lost in vendors’ feature lists or marketing promises.

5. Integrated implementation: When construction, plant and IT/OT converge

Even the best architecture is of little use if the implementation is not properly orchestrated. In new factory construction, several worlds collide:

• Construction workers and main contractors
• Plant suppliers and automation specialists
• IT department, OT managers and specialist departments

Our aim is to bring these worlds together and allow the IT/OT landscape to grow in step with the construction.

To achieve this:

• we coordinate the milestones of construction, plant engineering and IT/OT projects,
• work with the specialist departments to develop the target process to be implemented in the new plant,
• ensure that any changes to the plant layout or automation strategy are directly reflected in the IT specifications and interface designs,
• support commissioning, ramp-up and stabilisation not only technically but also organisationally – with training, hypercare phases and clear responsibilities.

In this way, we ensure that the new plant is operational not only physically but also digitally by the planned start date – and that the defined use cases are not just a PowerPoint vision, but become a lived reality on the shop floor.

Conclusion: Seize the moment

Building a new factory without IT modernisation is like a new sports car with an engine from the 90s. It looks good, but it doesn’t deliver the performance on the road.

Today, with supply chains being volatile, energy prices fluctuating and product life cycles getting shorter, the quality of your IT/OT architecture helps determine

• how quickly you bring new products into production,
• how robustly your plant responds to disruptions,
• and how transparently you manage quality, costs and energy consumption.

Are you facing a factory construction project or planning a fundamental modernisation of your existing production IT/OT systems?

We support you every step of the way – from the initial baseline analysis through TOGAF-based development planning and vendor-neutral software selection to the successful commissioning of your smart factory – working in partnership, pragmatically and with a clear focus on measurable added value.