In manufacturing, every second counts. A production line stoppage does not merely mean lost time, but often also significant costs, delivery delays, and reduced customer satisfaction. At the same time, industrial companies face growing cybersecurity threats, tightening compliance requirements, and a continuously expanding digital operating environment.
In many organizations, reconciling production efficiency with security has become one of the greatest challenges. The question is: how can you ensure that employees gain rapid access to the systems they need without compromising security?
Identity challenges in modern production environments
Production facilities differ significantly from traditional office environments. Employees often use the same workstations across multiple shifts, system environments consist of both modern cloud services and decades-old applications, and continuous access is required to MES, ERP, SCADA, and quality management systems.
In addition, production environments present several specific challenges:
- Shared workstations and terminals used by multiple users
- Time-critical logins that directly affect production availability
- Growing cyber threats targeting operational technology (OT)
- Managing access rights for third parties and maintenance personnel
- Compliance requirements and audit needs
In many companies, the problem is further compounded by shared credentials, forgotten passwords, and slow login processes. When users cannot access systems quickly, production slows down. When security is circumvented for the sake of usability, risks increase.
Login can be a production bottleneck
On the production floor, problems become tangible. An employee arrives for their shift but cannot log into the system. The password has been forgotten or the account is locked. Next, IT support is called, production waits, and costs rise.
According to one manufacturer’s experience, a single user lockout can cause significant production delays and lead to considerable costs. Meanwhile, IT team time is continuously consumed by password resets instead of resources being used for business development.
The challenge is not purely technical. It affects employee experience, productivity, and the entire organization’s ability to operate efficiently.
Secure access can also be fast
Modern identity and access management solutions transform the approach entirely. Instead of employees remembering complex passwords and logging into multiple systems separately, access can be implemented quickly and securely using, for example, access cards, biometric authentication, or other passwordless authentication methods.
Usability is part of security
One of the most important findings in manufacturing is that user-friendliness is not the opposite of security – it is its prerequisite.
When secure practices are the easiest option for the user, they are also followed. If logging in takes only a few seconds by showing a card, employees have no need to share credentials, write passwords on sticky notes, or seek workarounds to get their work done.
At the same time, the organization gains complete visibility into who has used which system and when. This facilitates audits, supports regulatory compliance, and accelerates the investigation of potential incidents.
The result: more production, less friction
Practical experience shows that modernizing secure access to devices and software can deliver significant benefits. Manufacturers have reported reduced password reset requests, faster logins, improved user satisfaction, and considerable time savings in production and IT work. In one case, login time was successfully reduced by 10–55 seconds per login, which accumulates to hundreds of saved work hours annually.
Ultimately, this is not just about technology. It is about trust, smooth workflows, and enabling people to do their work without unnecessary obstacles.
The factory of the future is built on secure and easy access
Digitalization in manufacturing continues at an accelerating pace. At the same time, both efficiency requirements and the importance of cybersecurity are growing. Successful organizations do not choose between security and productivity, but build solutions that support both.
When users gain rapid access to the systems they need, production remains operational. When access is secure and traceable, the company’s critical information and business are also better protected. This is precisely where modern identity and access management offers manufacturing a significant competitive advantage.
