Your digital transformation plan is probably not failing because you picked the wrong protocol. It’s failing because IT and OT are solving different problems with different timelines, different risk tolerance, and zero shared language. We sit down with David Ariens and Willem van Lammeren from the ITOT Insider podcast to get honest about what it really takes to make IT/OT convergence work inside real manufacturing and critical infrastructure.
We trace how they went from plant roles at BASF to building IT/OT Insider as a “therapy session” that turned into a blog, a podcast, a live online academy, and now a new book, The IT/OT Handbook. Along the way, we talk industrial cybersecurity after Stuxnet, why vendors struggle to position products, and why most teams are not limited by technology as much as cooperation, politics, ownership, and decision-making.
We also dig into scaling, because proofs of concept are cheap and production is brutal. From “pilot purgatory” to the bus factor (or lottery problem), we unpack what it takes to move from a clever demo to something secure, supportable, and sustainable. If you care about DataOps, unified namespace thinking, industrial data platforms, or AI in manufacturing, this conversation keeps the focus where it belongs: the operating model around the tech.
Bonus: we’re giving away free copies of The IT/OT Handbook. Post on LinkedIn, link to this episode, tag Automation Ladies and IT/OT Insider, share what you liked (or didn’t), and say you want the book. First 10 people get a copy. Subscribe, share this with one OT or IT friend who needs it, and leave a review so more automation folks can find the show.
Support the show (https://www.buzzsprout.com/2053051/support)
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🎙 About Automation Ladies
Automation Ladies is an industrial automation podcast spotlighting the engineers, integrators, innovators, and leaders shaping the future of manufacturing.
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🎤 Want to be a guest on the show?
https://www.automationladies.io/guests/intake/
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👩🏭 Connect with the Hosts
Nikki Gonzales (https://linkedin.com/in/nikki-gonzales)
Courtney Fernandez (https://linkedin.com/in/courtneydfernandez)
Ali G (https://linkedin.com/in/alicia-gilpin-ali-g-process-controls-engineering)
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🎟 The Automation Ladies Community Conference: https://otscada.com
Learn more about the hosts’ industrial automation conference OT SCADA CON attended by 100+ automation professionals, engineers, integrators, and technology leaders for hands-on learning, real-world case studies, and meaningful industry connections.
🎬 Credits
Produced by: Veronica Espinoza
Music by: Sam Janes
P.S. - Help our podcast grow with ... (https://www.podpage.com/automation-ladies/reviews/new/)
