IT cost reduction for manufacturers and multi-location production operations.
Manufacturing technology spend is structurally different from corporate technology spend. Plant connectivity carries operational risk that corporate networks don’t. ERP and MES systems carry decade-long vendor relationships. The boundary between IT and operational technology (OT) creates governance gaps where neither side has full ownership of cost. Multi-location and multi-entity manufacturing operations accumulate vendor sprawl that consolidates slowly. Unravyl’s manufacturing work focuses on the cost categories where vendor-neutral analysis produces results without disrupting production.
The cost categories that matter most.
Plant connectivity and telecom
Internet circuits, voice services, and network connectivity across production facilities, warehouses, and distribution centers. Multi-location manufacturers frequently have circuits at every site, often at uniform pricing that doesn’t reflect actual operational needs at smaller or older facilities.
ERP and MES contract optimization
Enterprise resource planning systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor) and manufacturing execution systems carry long-term vendor relationships with module licensing, user counts, and add-on costs that benefit from periodic review.
Mobile programs for distributed workforce
Manufacturing workforces include warehouse staff, field service, and remote production teams with mobile needs that differ from corporate mobile programs. Device sharing, ruggedized hardware, and specialized application requirements all affect program structure.
Cloud and SaaS for back-office and supply chain
Standard SaaS — finance, HR, supply chain planning, EDI services — runs similarly to any industry. Supply chain and procurement software often has line-of-business procurement patterns that produce SaaS sprawl.
IT asset management across plants and offices
Multi-location IT asset management with the additional complexity of production environments — workstations on production floors, ruggedized devices, specialized peripherals for production roles.
Operational vendor contracts
Beyond technology, manufacturing operations carry significant operational vendor relationships — shipping, freight, packaging, MRO supplies, waste management. We focus on the technology and recurring operational categories where vendor-neutral negotiation produces results.
Patterns we see across manufacturing environments.
Uniform telecom pricing across non-uniform facilities — Plant connectivity at all locations priced at the highest-availability tier, regardless of operational role. Smaller or back-up facilities often don’t need the same service tier as primary production sites.
ERP module licensing that doesn’t match operational use — ERP module licensing structured years ago, when business mix and operational structure were different. Per-user pricing, named-user vs. concurrent-user counts, and add-on module costs often benefit from review.
Mobile programs uniform across very different roles — Production supervisors, warehouse staff, field service, and corporate users frequently issued the same mobile plan structure despite very different usage patterns.
Vendor sprawl from acquisition and growth — Manufacturers that grew by acquisition or expansion frequently inherited each acquired facility’s vendor relationships — multiple ISPs, multiple voice providers, multiple specialized software subscriptions — without centralized consolidation.
Supply chain software overlap — Multiple tools covering supply chain planning, procurement, EDI, and logistics. Each procured by a different function, each renewing independently.
Shipping and freight contracts at default terms — Multi-carrier shipping relationships at carrier list pricing rather than negotiated terms. Significant savings opportunity for high-volume shippers.
OT and IT cost overlap with unclear ownership — Spending that touches both IT and operational technology — security tooling, network infrastructure, certain SaaS tools — with unclear ownership and inconsistent budget allocation.
What’s different about working in manufacturing.
Production environment protection
Cost reduction recommendations are evaluated against production impact. We don’t recommend changes that disrupt production to capture financial savings. When tradeoffs exist between cost and operational reliability, we surface the tradeoff clearly.
OT/IT boundary awareness
The boundary between IT and operational technology requires care. Our cost reduction work focuses on the IT side and the connectivity layer; OT systems and control networks are typically outside our scope. We coordinate with internal OT teams when the boundary is unclear.
Multi-entity and multi-location complexity
Healthcare organizations often have complex entity structures — hospital systems with multiple affiliated practices, medical groups with affiliated specialty clinics, behavioral health networks with multiple legal entities. Our engagement structure accommodates this complexity, with cost analysis at both the entity and consolidated levels.
Vendor coordination across the supply chain
Manufacturing operations depend on supply chain vendor relationships that aren’t strictly technology. We focus on the cost categories where our methodology applies; we coordinate with internal procurement on related areas without overstepping.
Where we have engagement experience.
Discrete manufacturing — single-state and multi-state community banks
Process manufacturing — food and beverage, chemicals, materials
Contract manufacturing and CDMOs — outsourced production operations
Distribution and 3PL — warehouse and logistics operations adjacent to manufacturing
Industrial services — equipment service, MRO, industrial cleaning
The methodology is consistent across segments; the cost patterns and operational constraints differ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the work disrupt production?
No. Cost reduction work happens behind the scenes — invoice review, contract analysis, vendor negotiation — without touching production systems or operational technology. When recommendations would affect production-relevant systems, we surface them as decisions for operational leadership rather than acting on them unilaterally.
Do you work on operational vendors beyond technology — shipping, freight, packaging?
Yes, when those create meaningful savings opportunities. See Operational Expenses for detail. Shipping and freight contract negotiation, in particular, is a category where vendor-neutral negotiation expertise frequently produces material savings for high-volume shippers.
Can you negotiate ERP contracts?
Yes, including major ERP vendors (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, Infor). ERP contracts are among the more complex negotiation engagements — long-term, multi-module, with audit and true-up dynamics. We have engagement experience in this area.
What about OT systems and industrial control networks?
OT and ICS systems are typically outside our scope. The work that intersects with OT — connectivity to plant floor systems, certain types of network infrastructure — requires coordination with internal OT teams. We can support the IT side and the boundary; we don’t operate in the OT environment directly.
How do you handle multi-location and multi-entity engagements?
The data collection and analysis phases scale with location count. Multi-location engagements typically take longer than single-site engagements but follow the same methodology. We can structure engagement deliverables at both the entity and consolidated levels.
Do you have experience with industrial IoT and connected device cost optimization?
Some, but it’s not our deepest area. The contract and vendor negotiation aspects of industrial IoT carry the same methodology as other categories. The deeper technical analysis of IoT data platforms typically requires specialist coordination.
