Top five benefits of common infrastructure for digital factory solutions in modern manufacturing

As manufacturers modernize, common infrastructure is becoming the foundation of the digital factory. Learn the five key benefits driving productivity, security, and resilience across modern manufacturing environments.

Manufacturers are under pressure to modernize operations while maintaining uptime, safety, and security. As organizations adopt more connected technologies, many are moving toward a digital factory. A digital factory describes an approach to manufacturing where data from people, systems, and machines is brought together in a shared digital environment. This connected foundation gives manufacturers better visibility into operations. This approach is built on the use of common infrastructure – shared physical, digital, or organizational entities that unify people, systems, machines, and data across the enterprise.

Consider the increasing operational and security pressures that motivate manufacturers to pursue digital factory initiatives:

• For 40% of manufacturers, improving employee productivity is now a top operational priority, yet disruption remains costly and common
• More than half of manufacturers — 57% — experienced a ransomware attack in the past 12 months, exceeding the cross-industry average
• When incidents occur, the impact is rarely short-lived: 61% of manufacturing security incidents result in business disruptions lasting several days, and unplanned downtime is estimated to cost manufacturers approximately $125,000 per hour

Source of statistics: IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Imprivata, Manufacturing’s Digital Transformation Dilemma, IDC #US53662525, July 2025

Together, these realities underscore why modern manufacturing practices are foundational to digital factory success, both for better operations and security. Below are the top five benefits manufacturers gain by adopting digital factory solutions built on common infrastructure.

Improved operational efficiency through connected systems

A digital factory connects operational technology with shared infrastructure. This improves real-time visibility across manufacturing operations.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) highlights that digitally integrated manufacturing systems can help achieve the following:

• Improve output
• Reduce process variability
• Enable data-driven optimization across production environments, particularly when industrial control systems and enterprise platforms are securely connected

Connected environments enable faster feedback loops. This allows organizations to identify inefficiencies and respond before they impact output or quality. Connected systems also reduce unplanned downtime, enabling organizations to identify production bottlenecks more quickly. This enhanced operational efficiency leads to better alignment between production performance and business goals.

Stronger manufacturing security aligned with federal best practices

As manufacturing environments become more connected, they also become more exposed. Federal agencies consistently identify manufacturing and industrial control systems as high-value targets for cyberattacks.

NIST’s Guide to Industrial Control Systems Security outlines the need to secure both IT and operational technology (OT). This includes access to shared systems and network-connected equipment. In addition, NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework manufacturing profile emphasizes identity management and access control as two of the multiple foundational elements of modern manufacturing security practices.

Aligning a digital factory with these best practices helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access to critical systems. This improves resilience against operational disruption.

Secure warehouse and factory floor access using digital identity

In a digital factory, physical access to warehouses, production lines, and restricted areas is inseparable from cybersecurity. Traditional badge systems and shared credentials create risk, especially in shift-based and contractor-heavy environments.

NIST’s Digital Identity Guidelines define best practices for identity proofing and authentication, emphasizing multifactor and passwordless approaches to reduce credential compromise. Also, research shows that biometric identification, including face authentication and other biometric scanning for entry, strengthens accountability and reduces reliance on passwords.

Using digital identity authentication creates a more secure culture on the manufacturing floor. It reduces credential sharing across shifts as well as enabling faster access to all. The result is improved audibility for safer conditions and increased compliance with any applicable government regulations.

Better IT and OT integration through common infrastructure

A persistent challenge in manufacturing is the separation between IT and OT. A digital factory addresses this by enabling interoperability across systems and devices through shared infrastructure.

Research on Industry 4.0 consistently demonstrates that integrating IT and OT improves coordination and minimizes data silos. This enables more accurate, enterprise-wide decision-making.

For manufacturers, this integration supports:

• Unified visibility into production, security, and operations
• Faster response to issues affecting uptime or safety
• A scalable foundation for ongoing modernization

Greater resilience and long-term competitiveness

Common infrastructure is the backbone of the digital factory in modern manufacturing. It can increase productivity while maintaining secure access across the warehouse and factory floor. It can also lead to greater visibility across IT and operational technology, aiding manufacturing organizations to operate with greater confidence and control.

Beyond efficiency and security, a common infrastructure approach improves organizational resilience. It leans on predictive insights rather than reactive responses. It enables faster recovery from operational disruptions. It also enables continuous improvement without overburdening IT teams.

Supporting the digital factory with common infrastructure demonstrates a manufacturing organization's willingness to embrace adaptability. In highly regulated, competitive manufacturing environments, this adaptability becomes a critical differentiator.

At Imprivata, we believe that simple and secure access management, rooted in trusted digital identity and passwordless systems, is essential for manufacturers modernizing their operations. When access is frictionless and secure, organizations can protect critical systems without slowing down the work that matters most. Click here to learn more about how we can help you achieve that.