Managed IT Services for Atlanta Manufacturers and Distributors
If you run a plant, warehouse, or distribution operation in metro Atlanta, your IT environment looks nothing like a law office or an insurance agency—and it shouldn’t be managed like one. You have CNC machines, PLCs, barcode scanners, an ERP system that cannot go down mid-shift, and possibly a defense contract that comes with its own compliance obligations. Standard managed IT packages are built for desks and laptops. What you need is a provider who understands the shop floor as well as the server room.
Century Solutions Group works with Atlanta-area manufacturers and distributors to manage both sides of that environment—keeping operational technology (OT) isolated and stable while keeping the business technology (IT) fast, secure, and connected.
Why Manufacturing IT Is Different: Two Networks, One Building
Most businesses run a single network. Manufacturing facilities effectively run two: an IT network (email, ERP, file shares, business applications) and an OT network (the equipment that physically makes or moves product—CNC machines, robotic arms, conveyor control systems, PLCs, and HMIs).
The problem is that these two networks increasingly share the same building—and sometimes the same physical infrastructure—without sufficient separation. When IT and OT traffic mix, a ransomware event on a business workstation can propagate to shop-floor controllers. A firmware vulnerability in a legacy Windows XP machine running a laser cutter becomes everyone’s problem.
The risk tolerances are also completely different. IT systems can be patched on a regular monthly cycle. OT systems often cannot—patching a PLC or an industrial HMI may require coordinating with the equipment manufacturer, scheduling downtime, and validating that the update doesn’t change machine behavior. Many shops are running control software that was certified for a specific OS version and cannot simply be upgraded.
Century’s approach separates these networks at the infrastructure level using VLANs and managed firewall rules, so shop-floor equipment operates on an isolated segment. Communication between IT and OT is controlled and logged—rather than open by default.
Network Segmentation for Legacy Control Systems
Legacy Windows machines controlling shop-floor equipment are one of the most common and most underappreciated risks in manufacturing environments. A machine running Windows 7 or Windows XP isn’t inherently dangerous in isolation—it becomes dangerous when it shares network space with internet-connected workstations.
Segmentation doesn’t mean abandoning those machines. It means building a protective boundary around them. For a 75-person plant in metro Atlanta, a properly segmented OT environment typically involves:
- Dedicated VLANs for shop-floor equipment, separated from corporate IT traffic
- Next-generation firewall rules controlling which systems can communicate across the OT/IT boundary and under what conditions
- Monitoring and alerting on anomalous traffic patterns within the OT segment—catching unusual behavior before it becomes a production incident
- Documented patching exceptions for equipment that cannot follow a standard patch cycle, with compensating controls in place
This isn’t just a security best practice—it’s a business continuity measure. A stopped production line at an SMB-scale plant typically costs $5,000 to $25,000 per day in lost output, delayed shipments, and labor inefficiency. Recovery targets for manufacturing environments need to be measured in hours, not days.
ERP Uptime: Keeping Business Systems Available During Every Shift
Your ERP is the backbone of your operation. Whether you’re running Epicor, Infor, Sage, or a manufacturing-specific ERP, the moment it goes down during a shift, you’re working blind—no inventory visibility, no job tracking, no shipping documentation.
Century designs infrastructure specifically to support ERP availability, including:
- Redundant connectivity so an ISP outage doesn’t halt operations
- Local server or hybrid cloud configurations that keep your ERP accessible even during an internet disruption
- Proactive monitoring of the servers, storage, and network paths your ERP depends on—so we catch a failing drive or a degraded network link before it causes an outage
- Scheduled maintenance windows aligned with your production schedule, not ours
For distributors running warehouse management systems (WMS) alongside ERP, we coordinate both environments to ensure application dependencies are understood and protected together.
Warehouse Wi-Fi, Barcode Scanning, and Structured Cabling
A warehouse or distribution floor is a demanding RF environment. Forklifts, metal shelving, high ceilings, and dense inventory create dead zones that make consumer-grade or improperly deployed Wi-Fi unusable. When your scanners drop connectivity mid-pick, productivity stops and errors compound.
Century designs and deploys enterprise-grade wireless infrastructure for warehouse and distribution environments, including:
- Site surveys to map RF coverage before installation, not after
- Access point placement and channel configuration optimized for mobile scanning equipment and handheld devices
- Wired infrastructure (structured cabling, patch panels, switches) that supports both wireless access points and hardwired workstations throughout the facility
- Ongoing monitoring to detect interference, rogue devices, or coverage degradation over time
If you’ve been living with spotty Wi-Fi coverage in your warehouse, there’s a structural fix available—it just requires infrastructure designed for the environment.
CMMC and NIST 800-171 for Defense-Adjacent Shops
If your shop holds any contracts with the Department of Defense, or if you’re a subcontractor to a prime that does, you’re likely operating under DFARS requirements that mandate compliance with NIST 800-171. The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) framework is tightening enforcement timelines for companies throughout the defense industrial base—including small and mid-size manufacturers.
This affects shops that might not think of themselves as “defense contractors”—a precision machining operation making components for an aerospace prime, a distributor supplying consumables to a military base, a fabricator holding a GSA schedule.
Century helps defense-adjacent manufacturers:
- Conduct a NIST 800-171 gap assessment to identify current shortfalls against the 110 required practices
- Implement technical controls including multi-factor authentication, access control, audit logging, and incident response procedures
- Document a System Security Plan (SSP) and Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M) that auditors and primes expect to see
- Maintain ongoing compliance as your environment evolves
CMMC compliance isn’t a one-time checklist—it requires continuous management of your IT environment against defined controls. That’s work a managed services provider can carry continuously, rather than work you revisit only when a contract renewal forces the question.
Business Continuity: Recovery Targets Measured in Hours
For a manufacturer or distributor, downtime has an immediate, quantifiable cost. Industry benchmarks suggest SMB-scale plants in the 50–200 employee range experience $5,000 to $25,000 per day in direct and indirect losses when production halts—lost throughput, idle labor, delayed deliveries, and customer relationship damage.
That calculus shapes how Century designs backup and recovery for manufacturing clients. We work backward from a tolerable downtime window—often four to eight hours for critical systems—and build infrastructure and procedures to meet it:
- Automated, tested backups of ERP databases, job files, and system configurations
- Recovery time objectives (RTOs) documented and validated through regular restore testing—not just assumed
- Documented runbooks so recovery procedures can be executed under pressure without guesswork
- Failover paths for internet connectivity and critical applications
A business continuity plan that exists only as a document is not a plan. Century tests recovery procedures on a scheduled basis so you know the actual recovery time—not the projected one.
What a Century Engagement Looks Like for an Atlanta Plant
A typical engagement with a 75-person manufacturing or distribution operation in metro Atlanta starts with an OT/IT assessment—a structured review of your current network topology, equipment inventory, backup posture, and any compliance obligations.
From there, we build a roadmap that addresses the highest-priority gaps first (typically segmentation and backup), then moves to continuous managed services: 24/7 monitoring, helpdesk support for your office and shop-floor staff, patch management, and ongoing compliance maintenance.
You get a team that understands both your business workstations and your shop-floor infrastructure—without having to explain the difference between your ERP server and your CNC controller every time you call.
Ready to Assess Your OT/IT Environment?
If you’re a manufacturer or distributor in the Atlanta metro area, Century Solutions Group offers a focused OT/IT assessment that maps your current environment, identifies your highest-risk gaps, and gives you a clear picture of what a well-managed infrastructure looks like for your operation.
[Request your OT/IT assessment →]
Century Solutions Group is an Atlanta-based managed IT services provider serving manufacturers, distributors, professional services firms, and other businesses throughout metro Georgia.