A global consumer goods manufacturer operates one of the largest and most complex production networks in the world, delivering billions of units annually across dozens of countries. Supporting that scale requires manufacturing environments that are resilient, secure, and increasingly connected.
As the organization accelerated its Industry 4.0 initiatives, leadership recognized a growing disconnect. While enterprise IT operated with strong visibility and governance, operational technology on the factory floor remained fragmented, locally managed, and largely invisible at the enterprise level.
To move forward, the organization set out to unify IT and OT operations on a single platform, without disrupting production.
Challenge
Despite a mature IT service management foundation, the manufacturing environment faced persistent structural challenges. Key issues included:
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Limited visibility into OT assets such as PLCs, HMIs, and industrial robots
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Fragmented tooling and legacy systems inherited through years of growth and consolidation
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Manual, site-by-site audits are required to answer basic security and risk questions
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OT changes occurring without consistent governance or approval workflows
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No reliable way to assess production impact during incidents or vulnerabilities
Without a centralized system of record for OT, the organization struggled to move from reactive firefighting to proactive operational control.
Solution
The organization partnered with CoreX to extend its existing ServiceNow investment into the manufacturing layer using a structured OT transformation approach. The engagement centered on implementing ServiceNow Operational Technology Management (OTM) as the system of record and system of action for OT. Core components included:
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ServiceNow OTM as the unified OT platform
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Passive OT discovery through industrial security tooling
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Industrial asset modeling aligned to the ISA-95 standard
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OT-specific Change Management workflows
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Secure, segmented access controls appropriate for industrial environments
Rather than treating this as a single deployment, the work was designed as a foundation-first program that prioritized safety, governance, and production continuity.
OT Visibility Without Disruption
Passive discovery sensors were integrated to identify OT assets without scanning or interrupting fragile industrial networks. Asset data flowed securely into ServiceNow, establishing visibility without operational risk.
Industrial Context Through ISA-95
OT assets were modeled according to an enterprise-to-line hierarchy, allowing incidents, vulnerabilities, and changes to be viewed in terms of production impact rather than isolated devices.
Governance Embedded into Operations
OT Change Management workflows ensured that control system changes followed documented approval paths, reducing the risk of accidental downtime and unplanned outages.
Enterprise Access With Site-Level Control
Role-based access controls were designed around site and line boundaries, ensuring global teams could gain insight without violating local operational constraints.
Results
The transformation delivered immediate operational clarity and long-term resilience. Outcomes included:
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A single source of truth for IT and OT assets across manufacturing sites
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Faster incident response through contextual visibility into asset ownership and location
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Automatic detection of unauthorized or unmanaged OT devices
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Reduced reliance on manual reporting and spreadsheet-based tracking
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Improved executive visibility into manufacturing risk and performance
The result was not just better visibility, but the ability to measure, govern, and improve OT operations at scale.
Summary
By establishing ServiceNow as the operational backbone for OT, this global manufacturer moved beyond fragmented visibility to a governed, enterprise-grade OT operating model. The work unified production data, security insights, and service workflows into a single platform without disrupting manufacturing operations.
