IIoT Readiness Checklist | Unplugged: An IIoT Podcast

25-point checklist to assess whether your facility is ready for an IIoT deployment — covering network, data, people, and process readiness. Use this before scoping any IIoT project.

Network & Connectivity (6 points)

01
Mapped OT network topology — You have a current diagram of your OT network including PLCs, HMIs, sensors, and gateways.
02
Identified segmentation gaps — IT/OT network zones are clearly segmented (or gaps have been documented for remediation).
03
Confirmed bandwidth availability — Available bandwidth at edge locations is sufficient for expected data volumes without impacting control traffic.
04
Protocol inventory complete — All communication protocols in use are documented (Modbus, EtherNet/IP, OPC-UA, MQTT, etc.).
05
Wireless coverage assessed — Wi-Fi or cellular dead spots in production areas are identified and addressed if wireless sensors are planned.
06
Firewall rules documented — Existing firewall rules between OT and IT (or cloud) are documented and reviewed for IIoT data flows.

Data & Device Readiness (6 points)

07
Asset register exists — A complete list of all production assets (machines, PLCs, sensors) with make/model and communication capabilities.
08
Data sources identified — You know which assets will generate data and what variables/tags you plan to collect.
09
Historian or data store in place — A time-series historian or database exists (or is planned) for storing collected data.
10
Data quality baseline defined — You understand current data quality issues (missing values, noise, inconsistent timestamps) and have a plan to address them.
11
Legacy device connectivity assessed — Older devices that lack native connectivity have been evaluated for retrofit options (gateways, protocol converters).
12
Naming conventions established — Tag/variable naming conventions are standardised across assets to enable reliable aggregation.

Security & Compliance (5 points)

13
OT cybersecurity policy exists — A documented policy covers acceptable use, access control, and incident response for OT systems.
14
Remote access controls in place — All remote access to OT systems requires MFA and is logged/audited.
15
Patch management process defined — A process exists for evaluating and applying security patches to OT systems without disrupting production.
16
Regulatory requirements mapped — Industry-specific compliance requirements (IEC 62443, NERC CIP, etc.) have been mapped to IIoT deployment plans.
17
Incident response plan updated — The existing incident response plan has been updated to include IIoT-specific scenarios.

People & Process (5 points)

18
Executive sponsor identified — A named executive is accountable for the IIoT initiative with authority to allocate budget and resolve cross-functional issues.
19
OT/IT collaboration model defined — OT and IT teams have agreed on roles, responsibilities, and decision rights for IIoT projects.
20
Operator training plan in place — Front-line operators who will interact with new IIoT systems have been included in planning and a training approach is defined.
21
Change management process exists — A process for managing operational changes introduced by IIoT (new dashboards, alerts, workflows) is defined.
22
Skills gap assessed — The gap between current team capabilities and skills required for IIoT operation has been assessed and a training/hiring plan exists.

Business Case & Governance (3 points)

23
Use case and success metrics defined — Specific IIoT use cases are documented with clear, measurable success criteria (OEE improvement, downtime reduction, etc.).
24
ROI model completed — A financial model estimating costs, timeline, and expected returns for the IIoT investment has been reviewed by finance.
25
Vendor/partner shortlist prepared — Platform, integration, and professional services vendors have been evaluated against requirements and a shortlist is ready for pilot selection.