Industrial companies have been on the road to information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) convergence for the past decade. But the journey has proven arduous, with IT/OT integration still a work in progress for 70% of companies.

Despite challenges, bringing together IT and OT is a worthwhile goal. IT (computing, networking, data management) and OT (the hardware and software systems used to monitor, control and automate industrial processes) have a natural connection, and organizations that arrive at their final convergence destination land on new ways to drive efficiency, reduce costs and innovate technologically.

Holistic management of both physical processes and digital technologies moves companies toward their long-term goals for operational excellence and Industry 4.0—and away from outdated technologies and siloed operations. Meanwhile, advancements in data infrastructure enable organizations to aggregate and store large volumes of data from multiple sources for real-time monitoring and advanced analytics.

So, why have certain companies successfully merged IT/OT while others fall further behind? The difference often comes down to the presence of a strategy that prioritizes organization-wide collaboration and buy-in versus an approach focused solely on technology integration.

Common Roadblocks To IT/OT Convergence

The road to IT/OT integration comes with its fair share of diversions. Historically, technology limitations have posed the main challenges with complex toolchains, systems and infrastructures lacking true interoperability, which has prevented seamless data exchanges between IT and OT environments.

However, today’s technological infrastructure and data management platforms have revolutionized IT/OT convergence abilities, providing necessary tools for seamless, reliable integration and a strong foundation to unify and provide context to IT and OT data. Still, that’s easier said than done. While technology solutions like IoT devices and advanced data analytics are readily available, technical expertise lags behind.

IT and OT both involve a high level of technical know-how and domain-specific knowledge, demanding a skilled workforce capable of navigating both practice areas. Unfortunately, there’s a significant talent shortage across these spaces. Most organizations struggle to fill IT- or OT-specific roles, let alone find experts who can integrate them.

Without leaders able to bridge these two domains, IT and OT teams may clash, compete for talent and resources, and push their organizations in different directions. How can talent catch up to technology?

Organizational Approaches to Set a Clear Roadmap

From improved efficiency and functionality to reduced costs and lower barriers to entry for innovation, successful IT/OT convergence enables industrial organizations of all sizes to scale operations, adapt to changing business needs and integrate technologies with newfound value. But that’s difficult to achieve without the right team and technologies in place.

The following three considerations can help put IT/OT convergence on the fast track as companies reassess their digital roadmap.

1. Turn cultural barriers into collaborative efforts.

A collaborative culture is vital for IT/OT convergence, but some cultural barriers between IT and OT teams can get in the way. Breaking down these silos and promoting cross-functional collaboration, knowledge sharing and mutual understanding is crucial to eliminating departmental walls and building trust between IT and OT teams.

Digital tools can help bridge the gap. For example, most organizations take an IT-centric approach to digital transformation, relying on IT toolchains, languages and processes that don’t match OT environments. But these two groups need standardized tools and approaches that meet both their requirements, such as a centralized data management platform that provides a single, scalable solution for data connectivity, storage and contextualization. Such solutions enable OT use cases while being designed for IT’s needs for infrastructure, security and performance.

By valuing the strengths and expertise of both domains—and providing the technology tools for teams to easily and consistently collaborate—organizations can create a culture that empowers employees to work together toward shared goals.

2. Maintain operating and security standards.

While IT and OT share common goals, they often operate under different security requirements. OT faces heightened threats from cyber attacks, malware infections, ransomware incidents and insider threats. Likewise, OT follows more stringent security standards, including the prevention of bidirectional communication, functional safety standards that constrain the use of certain technologies and other measures to ensure mission-critical infrastructure remains safe.

That’s why it’s important to establish standardized operating and security practices that not only apply to IT but are also specifically tailored to OT use cases. Security measures should address critical areas across departments, such as cybersecurity, data governance and compliance, especially as separate teams and departments begin using shared, centralized data management systems to remove silos. This enables organizations to leverage digital technologies while still safeguarding mission-critical systems.

By defining and implementing standardized practices fit for all, companies can align processes, minimize risks and enhance operational reliability and reliance.

3. Let leaders lead.

The C-Suite and other leadership roles play a critical part in IT/OT convergence. For these efforts to be successful, leaders must champion a culture of collaboration, facilitate knowledge sharing and integration, and ensure clear communication between OT and IT teams.

Effective leadership drives synergy between digitalization strategies and operational objectives, espousing a shared vision for transformation and a step-by-step roadmap to achieve it. In particular, leaders should work to align goals and incentives between teams, foster clear communication channels and empower employees to embrace change and drive innovation.

By providing this type of strategic guidance, support and enthusiasm, leaders can foster an environment in which IT and OT teams feel motivated to work together and have a clear understanding of how collective strengths ensure organizational success.

In Conclusion

As companies take another look at their IT/OT roadmap, it’s worth checking what direction they’re heading—and whether their current plan puts them on the right path. While there may be a few bumps along the way, IT/OT integration not only helps lower barriers to entry that prevent companies from keeping up with competitors but also accelerates innovations that enable organizations to race past them in the long run.

No matter where organizations are in their IT/OT journey, it’s never too late to change direction. The road ahead is full of opportunity, but getting there requires a shared vision for success, cross-team collaboration and strong leadership to pave the way.

This article originally appeared on Forbes.com.