Start Here: Paint a Picture of Today's Control Room

• Who are you and what role do you play in decisions about control platforms, spare parts, or cyber/OT strategy? Options: Controls Engineer, Automation Manager, Plant Engineering Director, Maintenance Lead, IT/OT Security Lead, Procurement/Capital Planner, System Integrator, Other
• Tell me briefly about the site or machine this conversation is about (location, process type, single line description).
• Which controller families and HMI/SCADA products are currently running here? Options: Legacy PLC (brand/name), Modular PLC, Compact PLC, Process DCS, OEM embedded controller, On-machine IP67 I/O, Third-party HMI/SCADA, Other
• How would you classify the criticality of this asset to your operation? Options: Mission-critical (production loss unacceptable), High (major impact if down), Moderate (manageable downtime), Low (non-critical or testbed)
• Roughly how long have your current controllers and HMI/SCADA been in service? Options: <3 years, 3–7 years, 8–12 years, 13–20 years, >20 years, Mixed ages across site
• What’s one thing about your current setup that you wish someone understood before talking solutions?

If You Could Snap Your Fingers, What Would Break First?

• When you think about failure, what single failure mode worries you most right now—and why? Options: Controller failure, I/O module failure, Network outage, HMI/SCADA crash, Cyber incident, Spare parts unavailability, Other
• How often are you experiencing unplanned outages, PLC faults, or repeat failure patterns today? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely, No recent failures
• Tell me about the last meaningful failure—what happened, how long to recover, and what follow-up work did it trigger?
• What spare-parts strategy do you currently rely on? Options: On-site spares for all critical modules, Local stock for common parts only, Vendor-managed spares, Regional warehouse backup, No formal spares strategy
• How long would a critical controller or I/O replacement typically take from order to installation at your site? Options: <48 hours, 3–7 days, 1–4 weeks, 1–3 months, >3 months, Varies widely
• When failures occur, how does it feel for your team—panic, resigned, empowered to fix, or stuck waiting for parts or expertise?

How Much Are You Having to Compromise?

• Is the way you currently select and maintain controllers driven by engineering best-practices or by what’s cheapest/easiest to support today? Options: Engineering best-practices, Cost/availability driven, Integrator/vendor recommendations, Historically inherited choices, A mix of the above
• Where do you feel most under-resourced: programming productivity, documentation, networking, cyber hardening, or spare-part planning? Options: Programming productivity, Documentation & handover, Network architecture, Cybersecurity controls, Spare-part planning, Training & skills
• Which programming environments and languages are your team using most (pick all that apply)? Options: Ladder Diagram, Function Block, Structured Text, Sequential Function Chart, Vendor-proprietary tool, IEC 61131-3 multi-language
• How much of your engineering time goes into maintaining existing ladder/logic vs. developing new capabilities? Options: Mostly maintenance (>70%), About half maintenance/half new, Mostly new development (>70%), Not sure
• What impact do these compromises have on your team’s morale, retention, or confidence in taking on upgrades?
• If you had one inefficiency you could remove from your controls lifecycle, what would it be and why?

Is Your Network a Friend or a Time Bomb?

• If someone asked whether your OT network is designed to stop an attacker or merely detect one, which would you choose? Options: Designed to stop (segmented & hardened), Primarily detect & alert, Mixed maturity across sites, Not designed for either
• Describe your current network segmentation and remote access approach (e.g., dedicated OT VLANs, VPN with jump host, direct IT-OT integration). Options: OT VLANs + firewalls, VPN with jump host, Direct IT-OT integration, Air-gapped / no remote access, Managed by third-party MSP
• Have you experienced a cybersecurity event that impacted controls in the past 3 years? If yes, what changed afterwards? Options: Yes—major impact, big changes, Yes—minor impact, some changes, No incidents, Unknown/undisclosed
• What compliance or regulatory constraints does your operation need to satisfy (e.g., NERC CIP, ISA/IEC 62443, local water/health regs)? Options: ISA/IEC 62443, NERC CIP, Local utilities/regulatory, No specific compliance, Other
• Which cyber controls would give you the greatest peace of mind: segmentation, device authentication, managed patching, deep visibility, or vendor-managed appliances? Options: Segmentation, Device authentication/PKI, Managed patching, Deep network visibility/IDS, Vendor-managed security appliances, Other
• How does the idea of exposing OT to enterprise IT make your team feel—excited about integration, anxious about risk, or pragmatic about trade-offs? Options: Excited, Anxious, Pragmatic, Avoidant

What Would Success Actually Look Like in 12–24 Months?

• If we measured success a year from now, which single metric would tell you the project delivered real value? Options: % reduction in unplanned downtime, MTBF improvement, Engineering hours saved, Faster change deployment, Reduced spare-part cost/stock, Improved cyber posture
• What MTBF or reliability target would feel like a meaningful improvement over today? Options: +10%–20%, +20%–50%, >50%, Specific hours or cycles (we'll specify), Unsure / need guidance
• Describe the operating day-in-the-life you’d like after migration (how do engineers respond to alarms, deploy changes, manage spares)?
• Which scope items are must-haves versus nice-to-haves: controller redundancy, hot-swappable I/O, integrated HMI, historian, managed switches, or vendor training? Options: Controller redundancy, Hot-swappable I/O, Integrated HMI/SCADA, Historian & analytics, Managed industrial switches, Vendor training & certifications, Other
• What acceptance criteria would make you confident to sign off on a migration or new installation (e.g., FAT/SAT results, MTBF validation, cybersecurity testing)? Options: FAT/SAT pass, MTBF/proof-of-performance, Cybersecurity penetration test pass, Program handover & documentation, Operator training & demo, All of the above
• If training is included, what does success for your team look like—certified capability, train-the-trainer, or occasional refreshers? Options: Certified capability for in-house team, Train-the-trainer model, Periodic refresher courses, Ad-hoc help from integrator/vendor

What's Standing Between Today and That Future?

• What single internal constraint would derail this kind of project if left unaddressed (budget, approvals, outage window, or staff availability)? Options: Budget/capital approval, Executive alignment, Outage/production window, Skilled labor availability, Spare parts lead times, Integrator capacity
• Tell me about your budget timing and thresholds—are upgrades part of this year’s CAPEX, next year, or opportunistic? Options: This year CAPEX, Next fiscal year, Opportunistic/operational spend, Vendor-financed options needed, Unsure
• How comfortable is your executive team with a staged migration versus a big-bang cutover? Options: Prefer staged migration, Prefer big-bang cutover, Open to either with right mitigations, No preference/undecided
• What are your biggest unknowns about migration risk (program conversion fidelity, downtime, staff ramp-up, or cybersecurity during cutover)? Options: Program conversion fidelity, Downtime duration, Staff ramp-up/training, Cybersecurity risk during cutover, Spare parts/lead time
• If we identified a quick pilot that de-risks the approach, what would it need to prove to get internal approval? Options: Zero unplanned downtime during pilot, Repeatable migration process, Clear program conversion accuracy, Manageable outage window, Cost transparency
• How does your team usually respond to external partners taking technical ownership—relief, skepticism, or eager collaboration? Options: Relief, Healthy skepticism, Eager collaboration, Mixed reactions

If We Partnered, How Would You Want Us to Show Up?

• Would you prefer a vendor-led approach, integrator-led with vendor support, or a co-delivery model where responsibilities are split? Options: Vendor-led, Integrator-led with vendor support, Co-delivery/shared responsibilities, Unsure—want to discuss options
• Which commercial terms give you confidence up front: fixed-price pilot, time-and-materials with capped risk, phased milestone payments, or subscription/lifecycle pricing? Options: Fixed-price pilot, T&M with cap, Phased milestones, Subscription/lifecycle, Other
• What SLAs and lifecycle commitments matter most—response times, spare-part guarantees, firmware/patch support, or long-term BOM stability? Options: Response time SLA, Spare-part availability guarantee, Firmware/patch support, Long-term BOM stability, On-site spares stocking
• How do you want knowledge handed over: full program source code with libraries, version-controlled repository, classroom training, or shadowing during cutover? Options: Full source & libraries, Version-controlled repo + docs, Classroom training, Shadowing during cutover, All of the above
• What cadence of communication and governance would make you comfortable: weekly tactical calls, monthly steering, or milestone-only updates? Options: Weekly tactical calls, Bi-weekly status, Monthly steering, Milestone-only updates, Ad-hoc as needed
• What would make you say ‘yes’ to a pilot engagement within the next 60–90 days? Options: Clear ROI case, Low-risk pilot scope, Short outage window, Executive sponsorship, Qualified integrator assigned

Deciding Moment: When Would You Say Yes?

• If you had all risks mitigated and funding approved, what's the soonest realistic start date for a migration or upgrade project at this site? Options: Immediately, Within 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, Beyond 12 months
• Who are the decision-makers that must sign off for this to proceed, and what does each care about most?
• What internal proof points (FAT results, pilot ROI, reference site visits) would accelerate executive approval? Options: FAT success, Pilot ROI, Reference site visit, TCO analysis, Cybersecurity certification
• Assuming we prepared a one-page executive brief, what are the three bullets you would want highlighted to get buy-in?
• Are there stakeholders outside of controls (e.g., IT security, operations, finance, safety) we should bring into the next conversation? Options: IT/Security, Operations/Production, Finance/Capital, Safety/Compliance, Supply Chain, All of the above, Other
• What would you like our next step to be after this discovery (technical deep-dive, pilot design, budgetary quote, or executive briefing)? Options: Technical deep-dive, Pilot design & scope, Budgetary quote, Executive briefing, Other

Let’s Walk Your Control Floor Together

• To start simply: which controller families and vendors are running your lines or plants today? Options: Allen‑Bradley (ControlLogix/CompactLogix), Siemens (S7/TIA), Schneider (Modicon), Mitsubishi, Omron, Rockwell Micro/Compact PLCs, Proprietary OEM controllers, Our own custom controllers, Other
• How many discrete controller installations (panels, racks, on‑machine controllers) do you manage across the site or scope we’re discussing? Options: 1–5, 6–25, 26–100, 100+
• Which environments are these controllers supporting? (pick all that apply) Options: Continuous process (chemical/oil/gas), Batch processing, Discrete manufacturing (assembly), Water/wastewater, Utilities/power generation, OEM machine control, Packaging/format lines, Other
• Roughly how old are the controllers in your fleet (give ranges if heterogeneous)? Options: <5 years, 5–10 years, 10–15 years, 15–20 years, 20+ years
• Who on your team is the day‑to‑day owner for control hardware and program repositories? Options: Controls engineering, Maintenance, Plant engineering, IT/OT operations, Third‑party integrator, Shared/rotating team, Other

Are We Just Living With It? — Questioning the ‘Good Enough’ Assumption

• If someone asked why you haven't modernized these controllers yet, what's the honest reason you'd give? Options: Budget constraints, Risk of downtime, Lack of internal expertise, Belief current systems still work, Vendor lock‑in concerns, Other
• Where do you feel most exposed: reliability, parts availability, cybersecurity, or engineering productivity? Tell me which and why. Options: Reliability/MTBF, Spare parts availability, Cybersecurity posture, Programming/productivity, Vendor support ecosystem, Other
• How often do control‑related incidents cause unplanned production loss, and what does that typically cost you (time or dollars)? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annually, Rarely/Never
• When a recurring control problem happens, what do you usually do first—and why does that fix (or not fix) the root cause?
• Who on the team loses sleep over these issues, and which outcomes would make them sleep better?

Where Do Spare Parts and Lifecycles Hide Their Risks?

• If your primary controller supplier stopped selling a critical module tomorrow, how long could you run before operations were at risk? Options: <1 month, 1–3 months, 3–12 months, 12+ months, We’d be fine indefinitely
• What critical spare parts do you actively stock today (CPU, I/O modules, power supplies, specialty analog modules, communication cards)? List the top 5 and why each is critical.
• How do you track spare‑part health—serials, firmware revs, shelf life, supplier obsolescence notices? Options: ERP/MRO system, Excel or shared spreadsheet, Paper records, Integrator/vendor manages, No formal tracking
• Have you had to cannibalize equipment or pay expedited premiums because a part was EOL? Walk me through the last time that happened.
• When you think about a 20‑year lifecycle, what’s your biggest fear about parts and support—and how would you prefer that risk be managed?

How Fragile Is Your Network—and Who’s Actually In Charge?

• If an attacker gained access to one controller, how easily could they move laterally across your OT network? Options: Easily, With effort, Difficult, Impossible/segmented, Unsure
• Describe your network topology for control systems: flat plant LAN, zoned with VLANs, air‑gapped, or cloud‑connected? Please note key segments (controllers, HMIs, historians, engineering stations). Options: Flat LAN, VLAN/zoned, Air‑gapped, Cloud connected/IIoT gateways, Hybrid
• Who owns firewall rules, remote access, and patch windows—IT or OT? How do handoffs happen when changes are needed? Options: IT, OT, Shared governance, Third‑party managed, Unclear
• When was the last time you ran a segmentation test, vulnerability scan, or tabletop incident response that included controllers? What surfaced?
• How confident are you in restoring control communications after a network outage—can you recover without vendor support? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Not confident, Unsure

When Controllers Fail, Who’s the Hero—and How Long Do They Fight?

• Think about the last controller failure that cost you hours of production—what exactly failed and why do you think it happened?
• Which failure modes recur most often (power supply, CPU, I/O channel drift, firmware incompatibility, communication errors, environmental)? Options: Power supply, CPU/processor, I/O module failure, Firmware/compatibility, Comms/cabling, Environmental (heat, vibration), Other
• What are your mean time to detect, mean time to repair, and mean time between failures targets today—and how do the actuals compare?
• Tell me about your backup and rollback practices: where are program images stored, who can access them, and how quickly have you completed a rollback in the past? Options: Local controller backup, Centralized repo (on‑site), Cloud/archive, Integrator holds backups, No consistent backups
• If we could shave repair time by 50%, what impact would that have on your team, schedule, and costs?

What Would a Low‑Risk Migration Actually Look Like?

• If you told me you’d never migrate because the risk is too high—what specifically are you most afraid will go wrong? Options: Extended downtime, Loss of proprietary code, HMI/SCADA incompatibility, Hidden integration issues, Training/time to competency, Cost overruns
• Which elements must remain unchanged during migration (I/O mapping, HMI screens, safety interlocks, historical data), and which are negotiable? Options: I/O mappings must remain, HMI/SCADA can be modernized, Safety logic must be preserved exactly, Historian/data continuity critical, Other
• How do your programmers prefer to work today (ladder, function block, structured text, vendor‑specific IEC tools), and how would you like that to change? Options: Ladder Logic, Function Block Diagram, Structured Text, Sequential Function Chart, Vendor GUI/blocks, Open/standard IEC toolchain
• What timeline windows are realistic for outages or cutovers—overnight, weekend, scheduled shutdown—and what constraints (production, regulatory, safety) govern them? Options: Overnight/shift change, Weekend, Planned maintenance shutdown only, 24/7 continuous—no outage allowed, Flexible with approval
• What acceptance criteria will make your operations team sign off on a migration (MTBF target, failover test, HMI parity, cybersecurity proof), and who must approve it?

Who Decides, Who Fixes, and What Success Actually Looks Like

• Who are the decision‑makers and influencers for control hardware and lifecycle spend (names/titles/functions)? Options: Controls Engineer, Maintenance Manager, Plant/Operations Director, IT/Security Lead, Procurement/Capital Projects, CFO/Finance, Third‑party integrator
• What KPIs or success signals will make this project feel worth it—reduced downtime, fewer service calls, consolidated spares, faster programming, improved cybersecurity? Options: Reduced downtime, Lower spare inventory costs, Faster engineering deployments, Improved MTBF, Pass cybersecurity audit, Better integrator support
• How does budget get allocated for controller refresh—capex project, operating expense, or charged to maintenance—and what's the typical approval lead time? Options: CapEx with long approval (months), CapEx with fast approval, OpEx/maintenance budget, Emergency/contingency only, Varies by site
• If we proposed a phased approach that left critical legacy controllers in place while modernizing others, how comfortable would you be with that trade‑off between risk and speed? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Unsure, Prefer full rip‑and‑replace
• What would a successful handoff look like after deployment—who needs what documentation, training, and support to be confident long term? Options: As‑built programs & I/O mapping, HMI screen parity and training, Spare parts list & lifecycle plan, Network diagrams & segmentation guide, Ongoing support SLA

Getting Comfortable Before We Visit

• Who will be our primary onsite point of contact for deployment and commissioning? Options: Controls Engineer, Maintenance Manager, Operations Lead, IT/OT Security Lead, Plant Manager, System Integrator, Other
• What are your preferred windows for onsite work (select all that apply)? Options: Regular business hours (Mon–Fri), Night shift, Weekends, Planned maintenance window, End-of-line/batch windows, Flexible / negotiable
• How many onsite staff typically support visiting vendor teams during a cutover? Options: 1, 2–3, 4–6, 7–10, 10+
• Are there mandatory site requirements (badging, PPE, contractor orientation, background checks) we should arrange ahead of time? Options: Badging / escort required, PPE required, Contractor safety orientation, Background checks / clearances, Confined space permit requirements, No special requirements
• Please describe any site security, escort, or access policies that will affect our visit (free response)

What Could Go Wrong on Day One?

• If our first deployment visit triggered an unplanned outage, what single cause would you put at the top of the list? Options: Incorrect network configuration, Missing spare parts, Incompatible I/O or wiring, Insufficient test environment, Lack of necessary permissions, Other
• How often have deployments or upgrades at this site required an unplanned rollback in the last 24 months? Options: Never, Once, 2–3 times, 4+ times, Don't know / not tracked
• Tell us about the most recent deployment failure or near-miss and what you learned from it.
• What contingency capabilities do you currently have for rapid recovery (select all that apply)? Options: Hot spare controllers, Image backups / snapshots, Manual bypass / local control procedures, Spare I/O modules onsite, Redundant controllers / HA, No documented contingency
• What is the expected maximum time to restore a failed controller or control loop and return to production? Options: <1 hour, 1–4 hours, 4–12 hours, 12–24 hours, >24 hours

How Protected Is Your Network, Really?

• When a vendor needs commissioning access, what is the single biggest cybersecurity hurdle they'd encounter? Options: No isolated commissioning VLAN, Strict firewall rules and lengthy approvals, Require IT approval each time, No remote access allowed, Limited physical port access, Other
• How is your OT network segmented today? Options: Dedicated OT VLAN with strict ACLs, OT VLAN with limited IT access, OT and IT mixed on same network, Air-gapped / physically separate, Unknown
• Do you permit remote vendor access for commissioning or diagnostics, and if so how is it provisioned? Options: VPN with MFA, Jump server / bastion host, Temporary IT accounts, Remote hands via plant staff, No remote access allowed, Other
• Do you maintain an inventory of required firewall exceptions, open ports, and approved protocols for commissioning activities? Options: Yes, documented and maintained, Partially documented, Informal / ad-hoc, No inventory available
• Which cybersecurity standards or baselines must deployments comply with here? Options: IEC 62443, NIST CSF, Corporate OT security baseline, ISO 27001 (IT-led), No specific baseline, Other
• If we need to present network diagrams or request firewall exceptions, who is our contact and typical turnaround time?

Do You Have a Safe Test Bed?

• Would you allow a full failover or performance test on production as part of cutover if we had an agreed rollback plan? Options: Yes, within a controlled window, Only in a mirrored staging environment, Not without executive sign-off, Never allowed on production
• Do you maintain a staging/test environment that mirrors production controllers, I/O topology, HMI, and network? Options: Full mirror of production, Partial mirror (core controllers only), We use vendor emulators or virtual PLCs, No staging environment available
• How are production backups and controller images managed (frequency and storage location)? Options: Automated daily snapshots offsite, Backups before/after maintenance only, Ad-hoc manual backups, No consistent backup process
• If we assemble a temporary test bench onsite, what physical or procedural constraints must we respect (space, power, approvals)?
• Who is authorized to approve execution of tests in non-production environments? Options: Controls Engineer, Plant Manager, IT/OT Security Lead, Maintenance Supervisor, Quality/Process Engineering, Other

Can You Afford Downtime — and Who Owns It?

• Would you prefer a longer, fully validated outage with high confidence of success, or a shorter riskier window with potential rollback? Options: Long, validated outage, Short, riskier window, Depends on the process, Undecided
• What is the maximum acceptable outage duration for this system during cutover? Options: <30 minutes, 30–60 minutes, 1–4 hours, 4–8 hours, >8 hours
• Which production windows are strictly off-limits for any changes (select all that apply)? Options: Day-shift production, Night-shift production, Weekends, End-of-month / quarter runs, Specific batch windows, No hard restrictions
• Who has authority to approve an outage and who can declare a rollback if necessary? Options: Plant Manager, Operations Lead, Maintenance Manager, Controls Lead, IT/OT Security Lead, Other
• Describe the decision triggers that would cause your team to call a rollback during cutover (metrics, alarms, operator feedback).

Spare Parts and Long-Term Support: Are You Covered?

• If a controller module failed tomorrow, how long would you expect a replacement to be available onsite? Options: Same day (local spares), 1–3 days, 4–7 days, >7 days, Unknown
• Where are your critical spares held today? Options: Onsite inventory, Regional warehouse, Vendor-managed spares, No critical spares stocked, Other
• Which components do you consider critical to have onsite for a 24/7 process (select all that apply)? Options: CPU / controller modules, Power supplies, I/O modules, Network switches, HMI panels, Cables and connectors, Other
• Are there any obsolescence, sourcing, or long-lead items we must plan for now?
• Would you be open to a vendor-managed spare pool, kitted spares for cutover, or consignment options? Options: Yes — vendor-managed pool, Yes — kitted spares for cutover, Maybe — need details, No

People, Permissions, and Skill Gaps

• Who will be in the room during cutover and who is authorized to make changes (select all that apply)? Options: Controls Engineer(s), Maintenance Tech(s), Operations/Process Lead, IT/OT Security Representative, System Integrator Team, Vendor Commissioning Engineer, Other
• What level of experience does your onsite staff have with our control platform? Options: Extensive hands-on experience, Familiar but limited experience, No experience — will need coaching, Unknown
• Are there certifications or clearances technicians must hold before touching systems (LOTO, IT clearance, union credentials)? Options: LOTO certified, IT security clearance, Union/collective agreement requirements, Plant contractor badge, No special certifications, Other
• Who should be our escalation contact for technical decisions between integrator, vendor, and plant?
• How do you prefer training and handover to be delivered at cutover—on-site live, remote live sessions, recorded modules, or documentation only? Options: On-site live training, Remote live sessions, Recorded training modules, Comprehensive documentation only, Blended approach

What Does Acceptance Look Like?

• If the system meets all technical specifications but operators find workflows harder, would you consider that an acceptable outcome? Options: No — operator usability matters, Yes — technical spec is primary, Depends on impact level, Undecided
• What measurable acceptance criteria must we meet for final sign-off (cycle time, alarm latency, MTTR targets, throughput)?
• Which evidence formats do you require for FAT/SAT and acceptance (select all that apply)? Options: Signed test scripts / checklists, Recorded video of tests, Automated test logs / telemetry, Live witness testing, Quality assurance report, Other
• Who will provide final sign-off and what is the preferred format (email approval, signed form, ERP/CMMS change order)? Options: Email approval, Signed QA form, ERP/CMMS change order, Formal meeting sign-off, Other
• What warranty, post-acceptance support period, and SLA response times do you expect? Options: 30 days, 90 days, 1 year, Multi-year SLA, Custom agreement

Hidden Costs, Approvals, and Procurement Gates

• Have internal approval gates, procurement delays, or financing steps derailed deployments here before? Options: Yes — multiple gates, Yes — single gate, No, Not sure
• What budget codes, PO lead times, or procurement windows should we factor into scheduling?
• Do third-party approvals (safety committee, union rep, environmental) need to be scheduled as part of deployment? Options: Safety committee, Union representative, Environmental review, No third-party approvals, Other
• What commercial change-order structure do you prefer if scope or schedule shifts during deployment? Options: Time & materials, Fixed price for cutover, Milestone-based payments, Open to discussion
• Who is authorized to approve additional costs or schedule changes in the field? Options: Plant Manager, Procurement / Purchasing, Operations Lead, Controls Manager, System Integrator PM, Other

Next Steps: Making Deployment a Non-Event

• If you could eliminate one deployment headache forever, what would it be?
• Which readiness items should we prioritize in the next 30 days to de-risk cutover (select up to three)? Options: Site access & badging, Network segmentation & firewall rules, Provisioning a mirrored test environment, Spare parts kitting, Staff training & shadowing, Acceptance criteria & test scripts, Commercial approvals
• How soon can we schedule a site readiness call to finalize these items? Options: This week, Next week, Within 30 days, Later than 30 days, Unsure
• Who else from your organization should be invited to that readiness call (names / roles)?
• Anything else—risks, politics, or constraints—we should know before we arrive?

Opening: Tell Us About the Project

• Which of these best describes the initiative you're exploring? Options: New installation, Controller migration/upgrade, Standardization across sites, Expansion or retrofit, Proof-of-concept / pilot, Other
• In a sentence, what is the single most important business outcome this project must deliver?
• What is your target go-live or decision date? Options: Within 1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, Undecided
• Who will be the primary decision-makers and technical approvers for this project? (select all that apply) Options: Controls Engineer / Automation Lead, Plant Engineering Director, Maintenance Manager, IT/OT Security Lead, Operations/Production Manager, Procurement / Finance
• How have similar projects been funded and approved in the past at your organization? Options: Capital spend (CapEx), Operational budget (OpEx), Project-specific budget, Distributed across departments, Not sure / varies
• Who else should we include in early conversations to avoid surprises later?

Are You Quietly Tolerating Downtime?

• How often do unexpected controller or I/O failures interrupt production? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly, Rarely/never, Unknown
• When disruption happens, which root causes show up most frequently? (pick up to 4) Options: Aging/obsolete controllers, I/O card failures, Network outages, Software bugs/programming errors, Human error during maintenance, Cybersecurity incident, Power or environment issues, Other
• Describe the most recent incident that cost you significant uptime—what failed, how long did it take to recover, and how did it feel for the team?
• What’s your current estimate of average MTBF for critical controllers or nodes you rely on? Options: <1 year, 1–3 years, 3–5 years, 5–10 years, 10+ years, Don't track MTBF
• How confident are you that spare parts and replacement modules will be available if a key component fails? Options: Highly confident, Somewhat confident, Tight/limited availability, Not confident / no inventory
• How does downtime show up in KPIs you report to operations or leadership (e.g., lost throughput, quality impacts, safety risk)?

Who Truly Owns Risk Here?

• If a controller migration increased production risk for two weeks, who in your organization would push back hardest—and why?
• Which groups have competing priorities that could slow decision-making for this project? (select all that apply) Options: Operations (throughput), Maintenance (stability), IT/Security (segmentation & compliance), Finance/Procurement, Safety/Compliance, Engineering/Design
• How are acceptance criteria and sign-off normally assigned between production, engineering, and IT? Options: Production owns sign-off, Engineering owns sign-off, IT signs security/segmentation, Cross-functional sign-off required, Not defined yet
• Tell us about a time stakeholders disagreed on a controls decision—what derailed progress and how was it resolved?
• Is there a formal change control or outage approval process we need to align with before proposing cutover windows? Options: Yes, documented process, Informal but known process, Not sure / varies by site, No formal process

Show Me Your Control Landscape

• Which controller families and firmware versions are currently installed across the scope? (list models, counts, firmware)
• What is your I/O topology and typical module mix (digital, analog, special modules, remote I/O)?
• How is your control network structured today? (select the diagram that best matches) Options: Flat plant LAN with corporate firewall, Plant VLANs with OT/IT separation, Redundant control network with ring/HSR, Cell-based network with gateways, Other / custom
• Which programming environments and languages do your engineers most commonly use? Options: Ladder Logic, Structured Text, Function Block Diagram, Sequential Function Chart, Vendor-specific graphical tools, Multiple / hybrid
• Where do you have known obsolescence or end-of-support risks today (controllers, HMI, switches, proprietary modules)?
• How do you currently back up controller logic, HMI screens, and network configs—and how often? Options: Automated daily backups, Manual periodic backups, Backups stored offsite, No consistent backup process, Unknown

If We Could Remove One Operational Headache…

• Imagine the control platform problem you hate most disappears overnight—what measurable difference would you see in week one?
• What target MTBF or uptime figure would change how you feel about your platform choices? Options: >99.9% uptime, 99.5–99.9%, 99.0–99.5%, Improvement vs today is enough, Not sure / need help defining
• How much faster would engineering need to be (e.g., % reduction in programming or commissioning time) to consider a platform change worthwhile? Options: >50% faster, 25–50% faster, 10–25% faster, Small gains acceptable, Speed not primary driver
• Describe the cybersecurity posture you’d be proud to show enterprise IT—what controls, audits, or certifications matter most? Options: Network segmentation & VLANs, Managed switches & ACLs, Device authentication & signed firmware, Logging and SIEM integration, Regular vulnerability scans, Other
• Which operational KPIs (throughput, OEE, MTTR, safety events) should we measure to prove success? Options: Throughput, OEE, MTTR, Number of unplanned stoppages, Safety incidents, Maintenance labor hours
• What would you consider an acceptable timeline to achieve those improvements post-cutover? Options: Immediately / within 1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months

What Would Migration Look Like Without Drama?

• If you could demand one non-negotiable from a migration plan, what would it be (speed, zero lost logic, full rollback, safety-first, etc.)?
• Which migration approach would you prefer for critical lines: parallel run, phased cutovers per cell, full site cutover, or hot-swap modules? Options: Parallel run, Phased per cell/line, Single full-site cutover, Hot-swap modules with fallbacks, Undecided / need recommendation
• What maximum acceptable production window can you allocate for a cutover on a critical line? Options: <1 hour, 1–4 hours, 4–8 hours, Planned overnight shift, Full weekend outage, No planned outage allowed
• Do you currently have a validated rollback plan and tested backups specifically for controller logic and HMI? Options: Yes, documented and tested, Plan exists but not regularly tested, No rollback plan, Unknown
• Which validation activities are most important to you during cutover? (select up to 4) Options: Failover testing, Performance/load testing, Cybersecurity penetration checks, Logic-to-field verification, Operator acceptance training, Historian/data integrity checks
• How involved do you want your system integrator versus our team during migration (design, configuration, on-site commissioning)? Options: Integrator leads, vendor supports, Vendor leads, integrator supports, Joint ownership with clear roles, We have internal resources only

Money, Support, and Life After Cutover

• What level of lifecycle commitment do you expect from a platform vendor (spare parts lead times, 10+ year support, firmware security patches)? Options: 10+ year parts & support, 5–10 years with options, Short-term with migration path, Depends on cost
• Which spare-parts strategy best matches your tolerance for risk? Options: Stock critical spares onsite, Centralized spares at regional warehouse, Vendor-managed spares, Run-to-failure with rapid shipment
• What SLA tiers matter most to you after acceptance (response time, on-site support, remote troubleshooting)? Options: 24/7 rapid on-site, Business-hours on-site, Remote support with 4-hour response, Next-business-day on-site, Reactive support only
• What training format accelerates your team's ramp-up—hands-on factory training, virtual sessions, train-the-trainer, or on-site shadowing? Options: Factory training (onsite), Virtual instructor-led, Train-the-trainer, On-site shadowing during commissioning, Self-paced e-learning
• What price vs. risk trade-offs are acceptable—do you prefer a higher upfront cost for lower operating risk, or lower CapEx with higher long-term risk? Options: Pay more now for lower risk, Lower CapEx and manage risk internally, Balanced approach, Undecided / need modeling
• If parts or firmware stop being available mid-life, what remediation options would you prefer (remanufactured modules, retrofit kits, migration discounts)? Options: Remanufactured / refurbished, Retrofit/adapter kits, Discounted migration path, Third-party spares, Other

How Will We Verify Success?

• What single test or result would make you comfortable signing final acceptance?
• Which of these validation activities must be included in FAT/SAT? (select all that apply) Options: Failover and redundancy testing, Full load/performance testing, End-to-end cybersecurity testing, Operator acceptance and simulation, I/O-to-field verification, Backup/restore and rollback validation
• Who must be present to approve acceptance on site (roles, names if known)?
• What documentation and artifacts must be delivered at handover? Options: As-built PLC code and libraries, HMI/SCADA screens and tags, Network diagrams & ACLs, Test reports and runbooks, Spares list and BOM, Training materials
• How would you like post-deployment reviews to be scheduled and structured (timing and topics)? Options: 30/60/90-day reviews, Monthly then quarterly, On-demand on incidents, Annual lifecycle review
• What constitutes an actionable open-item or defect that must be resolved before project closure?

What Would Make This Easy to Start?

• If you had to name one small, low-risk pilot that would prove value quickly, what would that pilot be?
• What prerequisites do we need from you to run that pilot (site access, test assets, spare parts, credentials)? Options: Site access window, Hardware to test, Network credentials & segmentation, Local integrator availability, Operator availability
• Which contacts should we engage immediately to remove scheduling barriers (names, roles, preferred contact method)?
• What is a realistic near-term decision timeline for approving a pilot or statement of work? Options: Immediately, Within 2 weeks, 2–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, Longer / undefined
• What concerns would cause you to pause before agreeing to a pilot, and how can we mitigate them up front?