4IR integration of information technology best practice framework in operational technology

Purpose: Since inception in the 1970s, Operational Technology (OT) systems were designed to operate in isolation from Information Technology (IT) systems mainly due to differences in objectives relating to Confidentiality, Integrity, Security, and Availability (CISA). Additional IT/OT diverse components include computing speed, and failure severity in terms of safety, environmental, and financial impact. This presents a great challenge in terms of management of the industrial control systems on the facet of its largely IT infrastructure. The 4IR demands synchronous integration of the worlds of IT and OT with similar services management. Literature analysis indicates that limited research has been conducted on the management of IT and OT as a synergistically integrated set of systems. The focal point of this research is to evaluate if an Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) best practice framework can be integrated into the Operational Technology domain. Design/methodology/approach: The nature of this study is that it does not seek to gather and analyze numerical data that can be statistically analyzed, hence a qualitative research approach is adopted. A comparative research design with mixed qualitative methods is utilized to analyze and synthesize in a step-wise process the secondary data gathered from academic articles, standards organizations, whitepapers, etc. The employed research methods include constant comparative analysis and benefits case analysis. The proposed and evaluated application case is based on a petrochemical environment with ITSM inclusive of OT. Findings: After comparative analysis and application case, the research concludes that an IT best practice framework i.e. the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) can be integrated, with limited constraints, adapted into the operational technology domain to facilitate the management of OT for service management. Practical implications: The key benefit of this work is the inclusion of OT in global IT best practices in this Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) era. The demand for integrated systems with single service levels can be met. Originality/value: This paper contributes to ongoing research in IT/OT integration by providing a unique perspective on OT service management in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). Researchers can utilize the research outcomes to apply ITSM in the OT domain where 4IR technologies have been implemented.