Production availability is the metric
An hour of ERP downtime can idle a line. Redundancy and recovery planning are built around production schedules, not office hours.
Industries
Technology for Manufacturers
Manufacturing runs on ERP systems, production equipment and networks that reach across plant floors and warehouses. Downtime is measured in stopped production, and much of the software involved is older than the people using it.
What this sector actually deals with
ERP and legacy applications dominate
Many ERP and scheduling systems require specific Windows Server versions. Private cloud hosting removes aging hardware while the modernization decision is planned properly.
Plant networks are not office networks
Production equipment, PLCs and machine controllers frequently run unsupported software and cannot be patched. Segmentation between production and office networks is essential.
Warehouse and yard coverage is difficult
Scanners and mobile devices need reliable wireless across racking, metal structures and outdoor areas, a design problem that requires a survey.
Equipment vendors want remote access
Machine vendors request remote connections into production systems. Those connections need identity, restriction and logging rather than a permanent open door.
Recovery has physical dependencies
Restoring a server is only part of it: machine configurations, licensing and integration points must also be recoverable.
The office network and the production network are not the same environment
Office systems get patched on a schedule and rebooted when needed. Production systems run software that is validated, warrantied or simply frozen by the machine vendor, and a reboot may mean a stopped line and a setup to redo. Treating both the same way is how a routine update becomes a production incident.
- Segmentation between office, warehouse and production traffic, with explicit rules for what may cross
- Restricted access to controllers and HMIs, including which office systems may reach them at all
- Maintenance windows set against shift schedules rather than a standard patch night
- Vendor coordination before changes that touch machine-connected systems
- Legacy application planning where the ERP or scheduling system requires an older Windows Server
- Recovery priorities that put production dependencies ahead of administrative systems
Mayer Networks manages the IT environment around production. We do not program PLCs or manufacturing machinery; we coordinate with the vendors who do.
Office IT
- Patched on a schedule
- Standard endpoint protection
- Users, email and ERP clients
Plant floor / OT
- Vendor-frozen software
- Change windows tied to shifts
- Access restricted and logged
What production actually depends on
A plant is one dependency chain from the order in the ERP to the label on the pallet. Downtime anywhere in it shows up on the floor.
- Office IT
- ERP / MRP
- Warehouse
- Plant floor
- Machines
- Network
- Cybersecurity
- Backup
ERP / MRP
Orders, inventory, scheduling and shipping. When it stops, the line notices.
Office users
Purchasing, accounting, quality and engineering on the business network.
Warehouse
Scanners, label printers and wireless coverage through racking and dock doors.
Plant floor
HMIs, workstations and terminals in an environment that is loud, dusty and hot.
Machines / controllers
PLCs and CNC controllers with fixed software and vendor-set requirements.
Network
Segmented switching between office, warehouse and production traffic.
Vendor access
Machine and ERP vendors connecting in, through identity and logging.
Cybersecurity
Protection sized so it does not interfere with production systems.
Backup & recovery
Servers, databases and, where the vendor supports it, machine configuration.
Multiple plants, warehouses and a corporate office are handled as one environment: shared ERP access, site connectivity sized for it, one set of security standards, and wireless designed from a survey at each building rather than copied between them.
Where we focus first
- Segmentation between production, office and vendor access
- ERP infrastructure resilience and disaster recovery
- Warehouse and outdoor wireless designed from a survey
- Controlled, logged vendor remote access
- Backup that includes machine and integration configuration
- Hosting for legacy production applications where appropriate
Can our ERP be hosted?
Frequently yes, after evaluating the application, vendor support and performance requirements.
How do you handle equipment that cannot be patched?
Segmentation, restricted access and monitoring, coordinated with the equipment vendor.
Can you support second and third shift?
Support arrangements are defined to match production schedules, including after-hours coverage for critical systems.
Do you handle plant floor cabling and wireless?
Yes, including surveys for warehouse, racking and outdoor coverage, coordinated with cabling installers.
Let's talk about your technology
Tell us what you are running and what is not working. We will tell you plainly what we would do about it.