Managed IT for Manufacturing

Managed IT for Manufacturing Companies in BC

Manufacturing operations depend on the intersection of operational technology and information technology. Nexanova provides managed IT that keeps production running, protects connected systems, and bridges the gap between the shop floor and the front office.

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Technology Challenges in Manufacturing

OT/IT convergence without proper segmentation

Production floor equipment, PLCs, SCADA systems, and IoT sensors increasingly share network infrastructure with office IT: email, ERP, accounting, and file servers. Without proper segmentation, a phishing email opened by an office employee can reach production systems, and a compromised IoT device can provide a path into financial records. Most manufacturers know this risk exists but have not invested in the network architecture needed to mitigate it.

Production continuity depends on uptime

When IT systems fail in an office environment, employees lose productivity. When IT or OT systems fail in a manufacturing environment, the production line stops. Downtime is measured in direct cost: product not shipped, workers idle, deadlines missed, and penalties incurred. The tolerance for unplanned outages in manufacturing is effectively zero, which demands monitoring, redundancy, and response capabilities that most generic IT providers do not offer.

IoT and device management at scale

Modern manufacturing facilities deploy dozens or hundreds of connected devices: sensors, controllers, barcode scanners, handheld terminals, tablets, and embedded systems. Each device is a potential attack surface and a potential point of failure. Without centralized device inventory, firmware management, and network access controls, the device sprawl creates blind spots that are difficult to audit and impossible to secure reactively.

ERP systems are the operational backbone

Manufacturing ERP platforms manage everything from materials procurement to production scheduling to shipping logistics. When the ERP is slow, unreliable, or poorly integrated with production systems, the entire operation suffers. Many manufacturers run ERP systems on aging server infrastructure with deferred maintenance, accepting gradual performance degradation until a critical failure forces an emergency upgrade.

Regulatory and customer audit requirements

Manufacturers often face audit requirements from industry regulators, major customers, or certification bodies. These audits frequently include IT security and data management practices. Demonstrating proper access controls, backup procedures, and network security requires documentation and configuration that many manufacturers have not formalized.

Manufacturing Software We Support

SAP Business OnePrimary

ERP platform for small to mid-sized manufacturers. We manage the server infrastructure, database health, backup procedures, and workstation environment that SAP Business One depends on for reliable performance.

Sage 100 / Sage 300

Accounting and ERP platform widely used in BC manufacturing. We support Sage deployments including server management, database optimization, integration with production and shipping systems, and multi-user performance tuning.

Epicor / Prophet 21

Manufacturing and distribution ERP. We manage the infrastructure underneath Epicor, including server provisioning, network performance, and integration with warehouse management and EDI systems.

QuickBooks Enterprise (Manufacturing Edition)

For smaller manufacturers using QuickBooks Enterprise as their primary financial and inventory platform. We manage the hosting environment, multi-user performance, and integration with other business systems.

Microsoft 365 and Azure

Office productivity, email, and cloud infrastructure for the front office. We configure Microsoft 365 with security policies appropriate for manufacturing, and we use Azure services where cloud-based reporting, storage, or compute supports manufacturing operations.

How Nexanova Supports Manufacturing Companies

OT/IT network segmentation
We design and implement network architecture that separates operational technology from information technology. Production systems, PLCs, and IoT devices operate on isolated network segments with controlled access points. Office systems, email, and internet access are separated so that a security event on one side cannot cascade to the other. We document the architecture so you can demonstrate segmentation to auditors and customers.
Production-aware monitoring and response
We monitor infrastructure with production schedules in mind. Maintenance windows are coordinated with production downtime. Alerts are triaged based on production impact, not just technical severity. When an issue threatens production continuity, it receives immediate attention. We understand that a server reboot during a production run is not the same as a server reboot on a Saturday.
IoT and device lifecycle management
We maintain a complete inventory of connected devices, manage firmware updates on a controlled schedule, and enforce network access policies that prevent unmanaged devices from reaching sensitive systems. When new equipment is commissioned or old equipment is decommissioned, we update the inventory and adjust access controls accordingly.
ERP infrastructure management
We manage the server, database, and network infrastructure that your ERP depends on. We monitor database performance, manage storage capacity, run backups with verified restores, and plan hardware refreshes before aging infrastructure degrades ERP performance. When your ERP vendor needs infrastructure-level support for an upgrade or patch, we handle it.
Audit-ready documentation
We maintain documentation of your IT environment, security configuration, access controls, backup procedures, and network architecture. When a customer audit, ISO assessment, or regulatory review includes IT requirements, you have the evidence ready without scrambling to reconstruct it.

Frequently Asked Questions

We support both sides. We manage office IT infrastructure and we understand the requirements of production floor systems including OT network segmentation, IoT device management, and the critical importance of production uptime. We design our service around the reality that manufacturing IT is not the same as professional services IT.

Yes. OT/IT segmentation is a core capability. We design network architecture with VLANs, firewalls, and access controls that isolate production systems from office systems. We document the architecture and test the segmentation to confirm that it works as designed.

We can. ERP performance issues are usually infrastructure problems: aging servers, insufficient memory, database fragmentation, network bottlenecks, or storage that cannot keep pace with concurrent users. We diagnose the root cause and implement targeted improvements rather than recommending a full system replacement as a first step.

Yes. We configure and document your IT environment to support audit requirements: access controls, network segmentation, encryption, backup procedures, and incident response plans. When audit questions arrive, we provide the technical evidence and walk auditors through the configuration.

Ready to discuss IT support for your manufacturing operation?

Book a 15-Minute IT Assessment for Your Facility

Or call (604) 613-0150