From Visibility to Control: A Network Readiness Assessment for Manufacturers

This short self-assessment helps you understand how consistently your network is controlled across sites, so you can protect uptime and simplify support.

✓ Treat this as a confidential self-check, not an audit

✓ Built for IT leaders supporting manufacturing / plant operations

✓ Estimated time to completion is approximately 2-3 minutes

✓ You’ll be able to view your results immediately and download them as a PDF after finishing the assessment

What You’ll See in Your Results

Your responses will place your environment into one of three readiness tiers:

Reactive Controls are informal or vary by site

Emerging Strong foundations with gaps in consistency

Standardized Repeatable controls ready to scale

Each result includes practical next steps and optional resources to help you move forward.

Question 1 of 8

Connected Asset Clarity

Which statement best describes your ability to account for connected equipment across sites (switches, access points, controllers, endpoints)?

We cannot reliably list what is connected across plants We have lists, but they go out of date and aren’t always trusted We can produce a current inventory for most areas We maintain a reliable inventory and update it as part of normal operations

Question 2 of 8

Troubleshooting Speed

When a site reports slowness or intermittent outages, what is most common?

We start with educated guesswork and escalate as we go We usually find the issue, but it takes longer than it should We follow repeatable steps and identify common root causes quickly We have visibility and process that consistently reduce time to isolate issues

Question 3 of 8

Vendor Access Governance

How is vendor access to plant systems typically handled?

Ad hoc access, shared logins, or unmanaged remote tools Some controls exist, but vendors and sites handle access differently A standard method with named users and approvals A standard method with approvals, session visibility, and time limits

Question 4 of 8

Role-Based Access

How consistent is role-based access (who can do what) across plants?

Access is mostly informal and varies widely Some roles exist, but they aren’t applied everywhere Roles and permissions are defined for most critical systems Roles are consistently enforced and reviewed on a regular cadence

Question 5 of 8

IT and OT Separation

How are IT and OT environments separated while still supporting required data flows?

Little to no separation Some separation, but with many exceptions Clear separation with defined pathways for required connections Clear separation with defined pathways plus controls and monitoring

Question 6 of 8

Site-to-Site Consistency

If you compare two plants, how similar are their network standards and configurations?

They are materially different Similar intent, different execution Mostly aligned with documented standards Aligned with standards, with exceptions documented and controlled

Question 7 of 8

Change Discipline

How are network changes scheduled and approved in a way that respects production?

Changes happen when needed, often reactively Some changes are tracked, approvals are inconsistent A defined process with planned windows when feasible A defined process with validation, rollback steps, and documentation

Question 8 of 8

Segmentation for Critical Systems

For systems that impact production (line controls, SCADA-adjacent systems, key servers), how are network pathways controlled?

Traffic can move freely without clear rules Some rules exist, but they are inconsistent Rules are defined and enforced for most critical paths Rules are defined, enforced, and reviewed regularly

Your results are ready.

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Your Network Readiness Results

Your Network Readiness Score

out of 24

Your Readiness Tier

Reactive