All industries

Manufacturing

Shop-floor uptime, OT/IT segmentation and ERP-friendly networks.

In manufacturing, IT downtime is production downtime. We work with small and mid-sized manufacturers in Ottawa, the GTA and across Ontario to modernize shop-floor networks, protect ERP and MES systems, and keep production running while we do it. The goal is fewer surprises, not more dashboards.

Common challenges we hear
  • Aging on-prem servers running ERP and production tools
  • Flat networks where office and OT share the same VLAN
  • Ransomware risk to production systems
  • Multi-site connectivity and remote access
How we help
  • Design networks that properly separate office traffic from shop-floor OT, PLCs and IoT devices.
  • Stabilize and document the environment around ERP, MES and CAD systems so vendor changes do not cause mystery outages.
  • Build ransomware-resistant backups for production-critical servers, with immutable cloud copies and tested restores.
  • Provide multi-site connectivity and secure remote access for plant managers, controllers and travelling sales staff.
Outcomes

What good looks like.

The practical results clients in this industry see after the first 90 days.

Fewer line stoppages caused by network or server issues.

A clear inventory of what is on the network, who owns it and how it is patched.

Confidence that ransomware would mean hours of recovery, not weeks.

Predictable IT spend tied to a plan, not a fire.

Compliance & risk

What regulators, insurers and clients expect

The compliance pressures we see most often in manufacturing - and how we cover them.

Customer security questionnaires

Tier-1 buyers (automotive, aerospace, defence) increasingly require documented IT controls, segmented OT networks and an IR plan before they place orders.

Cyber insurance

Ransomware claims have driven carriers to require enforced MFA, EDR, immutable backups and OT segmentation for renewals.

CMMC / ITAR-adjacent work

If you supply US defence primes, expect questions about NIST 800-171 controls. We can map your baseline to the relevant control families.

A day with us in the background

How IT should feel in manufacturing

What a normal day looks like once the environment is documented, hardened and supported properly.

Shift handover

Shop-floor terminals and ERP responsive at shift change. Label printers and scanners online without intervention.

Production day

ERP / MES stable, PLCs reachable on a segmented OT VLAN, vendor remote access controlled and logged.

Maintenance window

Patching and backups run outside production hours, with documented rollback per system.

Incident

Ransomware or network event isolated to a segment, not the whole plant. Recovery from immutable backup in hours, not weeks.

Reference tech stack

What we typically deploy

A starting point - we right-size to your environment, vendors and budget.

Common building blocks
  • Microsoft 365 Business Premium
  • Fortinet / Meraki with OT VLANs
  • Managed EDR (SentinelOne / Defender)
  • Veeam with immutable repositories
  • Site-to-site VPN / SD-WAN for multi-plant
  • Vendor remote access via ZTNA
FAQ

Manufacturing questions we hear most

Ready when you are

Let's right-size your IT in 30 minutes.

No sales pitch. We review your current environment, identify key risks and quick wins, and leave you with a practical roadmap you can actually use.

Prefer a shorter introductory call first? Quick intro calls are also available.

What you get
  • Microsoft 365 review
  • Security quick wins
  • Backup & recovery assessment
  • Infrastructure recommendations
  • Operational risk review

A prioritized list of quick wins, risks, and next steps. Yours to keep, whether we work together or not.

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