WHY C-LEVELS MUST DOUBLE DOWN ON INTEROPERABILITY FOR OPERATIONAL RESILIENCE IN 2026
- Jan 7
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 8
By Rich Frogge, President, Radix North America
2026 is shaping up to be a year like no other. Operational risks are no longer isolated incidents. Supply chain instability, climate-related disruptions, geopolitical uncertainty and cyber threats now define day-to-day operations. At the same time, net-zero is no longer a sustainability slogan. It is a business mandate. Boards, investors, and customers expect measurable progress backed by defensible data.
The leaders who succeed will not be the ones making small efficiency gains. They will be the ones whose organizations operate as unified and interoperable systems where data moves freely across IT, OT, and engineering. This enables real-time decisions that drive resilience, profitability and sustainability.
No longer just operational tools, APM and industrial data platforms are central to shaping strategy and delivering measurable outcomes.
TOP 3 TAKEAWAYS FOR LEADERS
Resilience requires real-time visibility across the organization. You cannot manage what you cannot see. Fragmented operational, engineering, and IT data slows response time and increases exposure to risk. Unified data gives teams clarity and confidence to act quickly.
Interoperability creates strategic advantage & stronger opportunities. Bringing systems together and contextualizing data supports faster decisions, reliable ESG reporting, and the ability to scale best practices across the enterprise.
A unified platform is insurance for the business. A single outage or failed integration can cost far more than a platform investment. Prioritizing interoperability protects revenue, reputation, and operational continuity.
Why Sustainability and Resilience Now Converge in the C-Suite
Many executives have ambitious ESG and net-zero targets yet the data needed to track progress often sits in disconnected silos. APM closes this gap. It transforms asset-level insights on energy use, downtime, and carbon output into board-ready sustainability metrics.
A machine running at optimal performance can consume up to 20% less energy and emit 15% less CO₂ than an underperforming asset. These are measurable outcomes delivered by APM and industrial data platforms.
APM has evolved into a strategic tool. It turns operational complexity into business value, risk reduction and credible sustainability reporting.
WHY FRAGMENTED DATA FAILS LEADERS
Siloed data creates risk at every level:
Operations may see asset status
IT may see network conditions
Engineering may see design intent
Finance may see cost impacts If these systems do not speak to each other decision-making slows and blind spots grow.
Resilience is measured in minutes. During disruption fragmented data adds hours or days to recovery time. Unified and contextualized data shortens it dramatically.
Regulators and investors now expect auditable and traceable data for ESG, emissions, and safety compliance. Without interoperability proving resilience becomes inconsistent and costly.
INTEROPERABILITY AS THE ENGINE OF RESILIENCE AND NET-ZERO
Interoperability is more than integration. It is the foundation of organizational speed and adaptability.
DEFENSIVE BENEFITS
Reduced downtime through contextualized asset insight
Faster detection and prevention of failures
Strengthened cyber and operational resilience
STRATEGIC BENEFITS
Ability to scale local wins across global operations
Faster integration during mergers and acquisitions
Readiness for AI, ML and prescriptive analytics
Capability to simulate sustainability outcomes before committing resources
This unified view of IT, OT and engineering design data gives teams clarity, context, and confidence.
APM: FROM MAINTENANCE TOOL TO BOARDROOM STRATEGY
APM is now a board-level investment with clear financial and sustainability outcomes.
FINANCIAL
Reduced downtime
Optimized asset life
Lower energy use
Lower operating costs
SUSTAINABILITY
Transparent emissions data
More accurate ESG reporting
Real-time carbon reduction insight
Evidence-backed progress toward net-zero
APM provides defensible real-time performance data that aligns sustainability strategy with on-the-ground operations.
THE EXECUTIVE MANDATE FOR 2026: PLATFORM NOT PROJECTS
Isolated dashboards and one-off pilots cannot support resilience in an era of systemic disruption. Executives must champion platform-level transformation.
What this requires:
A unified industrial data platform
Enterprise-wide interoperability
Embedded predictive and prescriptive analytics
Real-time ESG-linked insight
From a CFO point of view this is operational insurance. One major outage or failed integration can exceed the cost of a scalable platform many times over.
PRACTICAL STEPS FOR EXECUTIVES AND CSOS
Gartner reports that only 38% of leaders have embedded environmental sustainability into decision-making. To move from ambition to measurable results:
Audit your data and identify gaps in visibility
Integrate systems across APM, ESG reporting, IT, OT, and engineering
Adopt predictive and prescriptive analytics to shift from reaction to prevention
Measure and communicate progress in a clear and defensible way
HOW RADIX POWERS THE INTEROPERABLE NET-ZERO FUTURE
Radix helps organizations turn data into aligned and actionable intelligence.
LEAFCUTTER
Streams more than 70 million data points per day and supports 250 000 PI tags. Delivers a 25% reduction in decision cycles through real-time contextualized insight.
RADIX APM PLATFORM
Unifies operational, financial and sustainability data to support:
Board-ready ESG reporting
Predictive and prescriptive guidance
Asset-level and portfolio optimization
These tools align finance, sustainability, and operations around the same reliable data and unlock uptime, efficiency and measurable progress toward net-zero.
EXECUTIVE OUTCOMES
Real-time ESG insight tied directly to operations
Stronger governance and board reporting
Increased uptime and operational excellence
A measurable path to sustainable growth
A competitive edge built on speed, resilience, and interoperability
If sustainability sets the goal, operational excellence sets the pace, and interoperability keeps every part of the business aligned.
About Radix
Founded in 2010, Radix is a privately held technology solutions and services company operating globally, empowering customers with consulting, engineering, operations technology, and digital solutions. Radix combines key capabilities and practices to enable our worldwide customers to thrive in their technology journey. With North American headquarters in Houston, TX, and headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, including offices in São Paulo and Belo Horizonte, Radix provides technology-based, data-driven solutions to asset-intensive industries. Radix's robust capabilities extend to more than 30 countries worldwide. Learn more: www.radixeng.com
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