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A Fortune 500 global pharmaceutical manufacturer is located in the United States and has 55 production facilities worldwide. The manufacturer produces a wide range of life-saving medicines and therapies, and needs to operate under strict regulatory oversight while maintaining operations at scale.
- Mismatched IT and OT security tools that left critical systems vulnerable
- Lack of visibility into OT assets, which resulted in low visibility and slow threat detection
- Manual processes for inventory, patching, and risk assessment
- Difficulty balancing global regulatory compliance with timely security updates and threat response
- Implemented SecureOT™ Platform across 55 global facilities for unified OT security management
- Conducted technology-enabled assessment to identify gaps and design tailored solution
- Automated asset inventory, risk scoring, and vulnerability management workflows to replace manual processes
- Applied “Think Global: Act Local” rollout strategy to balance security standards with site-specific execution
- Reduced OT security-related labor costs by 70% with annual savings of nearly $700,000
- Achieved full visibility of OT assets and remvoed gaps in visibility across facilities
- Accelerated threat response from multi-day processes to near real-time action
- Freed engineering resources for revenue-generating activities while strengthening regulatory compliance
A pharmaceutical manufacturer with global operations faced mounting pressure to secure its OT environment.With production continuity, patient safety, and regulatory compliance at stake, the manufacturer needed a way to simplify security across a highly complex landscape.
Their leadership recognized that their IT tools couldn’t keep up with OT realities. They had no visibility, their manual processes were time-consuming, and regulatory hurdles slowed response times. The company needed a solution that would scale globally without disrupting operations.
Challenge
Incompatible Tools and No Visibility
The organization initially relied on IT-centric security solutions. But these systems that were designed for confidentiality and protection failed to address the need for uptime. This left critical assets exposed.
Large portions of their OT network were also unmonitored. Without a complete asset inventory, company leaders couldn’t answer fundamental questions, which in turn hindered threat detection and patching.
Balancing Manual Processes With Global Complexity
Their security teams spent thousands of hours on manual asset tracking and patch coordination. This not only cost them $1 million annually; it also increased the risk of human error.
Operating across dozens of facilities meant that security had to balance locations and conditions while still adhering to good manufacturing practice standards. Compliance slowed the rollout of security measures while change control processes blocked rapid response.
Solution
Start with Vulnerability Assessment and Phased, Low-Risk Rollout
Rockwell Automation conducted a technology-enabled assessment of people, processes, and technology across the manufacturer’s sites. This analysis identified security gaps and built the case for a tailored approach that leadership could trust.
The implementation of SecureOT™ Platform started with a pilot in four facilities. This allowed the manufacturer to validate the approach before scaling to 52 additional sites.
Identify Automation Opportunities While Staying Local
SecureOT™ Platform automated asset discovery, inventory management, vulnerability assessments, and contextual risk scoring. By reducing manual processes, the manufacturer reduced human error and freed scarce security talent for higher-value work.
In addition, the Rockwell Automation Think Global: Act Local approach balanced central visibility with local execution. Central analysis and automation informed enterprise-wide priorities while regional experts supported specific needs.
The solution also hardened the OT environment with improved network segmentation, tighter access controls, and upgraded backup capabilities. A streamlined vulnerability management workflow accelerated threat response from days to real-time, which reduced exposure windows
Result
Full OT Visibility and Risk Prioritization
The project cut OT security-related labor costs by 70%, saving nearly $700,000 annually. The automation of patching and risk assessment reduced much of the $1 million previously spent on manual work.
Visibility also improved across the 55 facilities. With contextual risk scoring, teams could focus their resources where they mattered most. The manufacturer also shifted from reactive to proactive. Now, instead of reacting to incidents, the manufacturer built resilience through early threat detection, faster remediation, and clear security roadmaps.
Additionally, the program strengthened compliance and business alignment. By adhering to GMP standards and embedding change management into workflows, the solution simplified audits and reporting. More importantly, it freed engineering staff to focus on revenue-generating initiatives instead of repetitive security tasks.
Published May 1, 2026