Digitalising UK Manufacturing Plants Running on Obsolete Control Equipment

Can you digitalise your UK plant whilst it’s running on obsolete control equipment?

…And what happens if you ignore both those challenges?

In a fast-paced digitalised world, it’s easy to feel like some industries are being left behind – especially when there’s a belief that AI plug-ins can fix every problem a manufacturer has.

Certainly, when I listen to manufacturers trying to get the best out of their plants, I see the colour drain from their faces when it comes to contemplating digitalising their businesses. As a challenge, I understand it is a daunting one, often seeming too big or too complicated to contemplate.

Selling the Snake Oil of Industry 4.0…

So why is this? I believe it’s because of the big marketing budgets of software vendors and influencers who are selling the snake oil of Industry 4.0. It all seems to suggest that, in order to reduce downtime and improve productivity, everyone should be purchasing AI-enabled anomaly detection and augmented reality glasses.

Our industry – suppliers of technology and solutions to manufacturing and process plants, is partially to blame, not only for over-marketing all the latest tech but also for using language that tries to make us sound smarter and more advanced than our competitors.

But it doesn’t have to be this way…

In a landscape of high expectations from manufacturers’ shareholders (bosses and owners) and one where costs and overheads have been squeezed so much that operational managers are running out of options to improve the performance of their plants.

So how on earth do we expect the head of engineering, head of automation or director of operations to know where to turn? Especially when their engineering staff have been reduced and much of their IT support has probably been outsourced?

Add to this the skeleton in the cupboard (or electrical cabinet!) – plants being run on obsolete technology, just waiting to fail…

What’s the point in going digital if the plant controls are archaic?

You won’t be the first business running your plant and machines on obsolete control equipment. Yes, there are lots of reasons to go digital, even if currently your automation systems are past their best. But more about that later. For now, let’s talk about why plant and machinery need to form part of any digital strategy for manufacturers.

Plant Digitalisation – horses for courses… what can you get from it?

Trying to navigate the industrial digitalisation journey from a standing start is incredibly daunting, mainly because everyone describes it from their own perspective and its requirements and purpose often mean different things to different people.

In its simplest form, digitalisation means using real-time data to make better decisions on how to run your business. In its most complete form, that can mean a totally connected enterprise – one where customers can digitally configure and select their products and your plant efficiently produces that product in a completely connected way: from supply chain, to production capacity, to build, inspection, logistics and accounting… plus far too many other things to mention here.

Our view is that the data to do either the simplest step on the digitalisation journey – or the fully connected enterprise – all revolves around process, plant and machine information. Data that is, for the most part, already inside your automation and monitoring systems. But rarely is that data located or stored where it can be used effectively to make informed decisions by people or systems.

Most companies I meet are running their businesses on systems that aren’t sharing data, may have data locally on an HMI or a SCADA system – and almost always are complementing that data manually, by using spreadsheets and forms in weekly or monthly reporting.

Many of these businesses would benefit from real-time data in a single place that’s easily shared with all those who need it – because if only they could get their hands and eyes on it, they could very quickly improve productivity.

They would know the biggest causes of stoppages or downtime, or could reduce energy costs by knowing which equipment was drawing the most power and when. These are just some of the most immediate and obvious short-term benefits of undertaking a digitalisation journey.

Does it matter if my control equipment is old? I can add extra sensors to get the data… right?

Well, yes – and also no. The question I would ask is: would your head of finance run your business accounting or ERP system on Windows 95? Or would your head of IT base your cyber security on equipment running Windows NT? Of course not. So why do we ignore the head of automation when they say that the controllers are no longer available (or only on eBay, if you’re lucky) and that you need to invest in an upgrade project?

Yes, you can add additional sensors to machines and plant, but this needs to be carefully considered. And why would you – if the same data (and more) is already inside the control panels on your plant? IoT sensors can play their part in a site-wide digitalisation strategy, but usually only to supplement a bigger programme or to monitor remote equipment in isolation.

How much of a risk is it to run on obsolete control equipment?

We’ve seen countless examples where manufacturing processes are being run on control system hardware and software that are not only 10+ years past their last time-buy, but where the customer has also not kept records and backups of the relevant PLC programs or electrical designs.

Sometimes the PLCs are password-protected, meaning that if the PLC itself fails, the whole system would need to be redesigned from the ground up – potentially requiring several months of development and build.

Indeed, only last year I visited a customer in exactly this situation. The process was a weak link in 50% of the company’s manufacturing. In a business employing thousands of people, any failure would be catastrophic. They were running the process on a very reliable but no longer available PLC, with no schematics and no source code for the PLC program. A recipe for disaster.

Another manufacturer in the plastics industry, only a few years ago, was running their entire production on extruders with 1990s PCB controls and Windows 3.11 – with no access to the machine manufacturer, the designs, or the software.

Far too many companies – from major process industries to automotive – expect to make board-level repairs on circuit boards to get their machines up and running after each failure. In this case, why bother improving your productivity by 5%, when a single component failure could cost you weeks or months of production?

It doesn’t have to be either/or: ‘obsolescence upgrade’ or ‘go-digital’…

Ignoring either of these is bordering on an existential threat to a business. It’s rather too easy to let the automation department keep firefighting with their control equipment and postpone any digitalisation project for another year. But sooner or later, equipment will fail – and the business ends up left behind, as their competitors invest in both production equipment and a advance with their own digitalisation journey.

The fact is, even getting data out of new control systems can be challenging – especially if the OEM hasn’t been contracted to provide access. They might simply not want to let you access it. And if the OEM or control system provider is no longer in existence, you’ll need specialist help from control system engineers to gain access to its data. It’s rarely simple, but it is possible – with the right experience and access to older development tools.

For sure, we would always champion asking the right questions of equipment suppliers before you invest further. Most manufacturers will provide access to data at no extra cost – if you ask them at the time of negotiating the contract.

Doing both – but which one first?

But when your equipment is so old that you can’t rebuild or repair within an hour or so of failure – because the systems are obsolete and you don’t have access to the software – then you really must embark on an upgrade programme. When you’ve assessed the vulnerability of your assets, you can prioritise which one needs upgrading first.

And here’s the real benefit: when you look to upgrade, why not use that as the starting point to enter the world of a smart, connected plant?

Avoiding the siloed approach – or ‘pilot purgatory’… the two death knells of plant digitalisation

If this is a route that appeals to you, take care not to rush ahead with a siloed approach to tick off your ‘we’ve started our digital journey’ need – where it’s applied in isolation to one part of the business, for the benefit of only one department.

Also avoid ‘pilot purgatory’ – where under-thought, under-invested pilot projects never reach their potential due to a lack of long-term planning, senior board-level commitment and collaboration between teams from shop floor to top floor. You need to consider your journey a company-wide transformational one and a long-term one at that.

We would advocate several approaches to make a success of your digitalisation journey, taking into account both the OT (operational technology) and IT implications of your business. This includes helping you design a secure network and server architecture for your OT data communications that satisfies the needs of both automation and IT departments.

Developing a ‘digital’ roadmap for your business – one that encourages collaboration between stakeholders and departments and includes a long-term plan of priorities, standards and specifications – will ensure that a journey which starts in the right place can be scaled across the business over time. This can help you achieve results like improving quality, sustainability, productivity, or profit.

Conclusion: Make Obsolescence the Catalyst for Digital Success

People should get fired for ignoring obsolescence – such is the damage it can do to a business. But on the plus side, a well-managed upgrade programme can not only reduce that risk to virtually zero but also be a springboard for your digitalisation aspirations.

Sooner or later, you won’t be able to ignore obsolescence in at least one of your systems. So why not use that as a catalyst to start exploring what digitalisation can do for your business over the next few years? Who knows – you might even get promoted.

FAQs: Digitalising with Obsolete Control Equipment

Can I start digitalising my plant if I’m still using obsolete automation equipment?
Yes – but with caution. While it’s possible to extract useful data from old systems, obsolescence presents a high risk. A phased upgrade strategy that combines modernisation with digitalisation is the safest and most effective approach.

Why is running on obsolete PLCs and SCADA systems risky?
Obsolete systems are unsupported, often irreplaceable and may lack backups or documentation. If they fail, recovery can take months. You wouldn’t run your finance software on Windows 95 – so why tolerate it in automation?

Can I just add sensors to old equipment to gain data insights?
Sometimes, yes. But if your existing controls already capture that data internally, adding sensors is inefficient. Worse, it may sidestep the real issue: your control system is dangerously outdated.

What’s the best place to begin a digitalisation journey?
Start with an audit of existing equipment and its vulnerabilities. Use upcoming obsolescence upgrades as an opportunity to build a digital strategy around new, open, data-enabled controls.

What are the risks of delaying a digital transformation?
You risk being left behind competitively, incurring longer downtime from equipment failures and missing out on energy, productivity and cost savings. Many businesses fail to act until a crisis forces their hand.

How do I avoid ‘pilot purgatory’ in digitalisation?
Build a digital roadmap from the start – one that aligns stakeholders across departments, sets clear goals and budgets and scales beyond siloed trials. Commitment from senior leadership is crucial.

What’s a smart approach to balancing obsolescence upgrades with digitalisation?
Treat every control upgrade as a strategic step. Specify hardware and software that are future-ready, support open standards, and give you access to the data you need for wider digital integration.