I hear it all the time from owners of small and mid-sized manufacturing shops:

“We’re not big enough for that.” “We just need someone to keep things running.” “We’re not some giant Tier 1 plant with a full IT staff.”

And I get it. You’re lean. You wear eight hats. You don’t have time (or budget) for fluff. But here’s the truth:

You don’t need to be big to need a real IT strategy. You just need to be serious about uptime, security, and growth.

Size Doesn’t Protect You Anymore

Ransomware doesn’t check your revenue before it locks your files. Compliance audits don’t care how many people you’ve got in the office. Customers expect traceability and turnaround—no matter your headcount.

In fact, smaller manufacturers are often more vulnerable: – Fewer resources to bounce back from downtime – No internal IT bench when things break – Limited visibility into risks and inefficiencies – Often still relying on tribal knowledge or one go-to person who “knows the system”

One shop we visited was running production data from a single spreadsheet on one PC—no backup, no failover. It worked great… until the hard drive died. Took them three days to rebuild.

You might feel nimble—but the right cyberattack or system failure can knock you flat.

What “Strategy” Looks Like for a Smaller Shop

We’re not talking about a 100-page PowerPoint or a six-figure overhaul. Strategy, for you, might look like:

• Replacing that 2012 server before it dies—and takes your data with it
• Creating a backup that actually works (and testing it monthly, not just “assuming” it’s fine)
• Mapping your most critical systems—SCADA, ERP, printers, databases—and making sure they talk to each other without breaking
• Putting a real incident response plan in place if someone clicks a phishing email or a server goes down
• Making sure production doesn’t grind to a halt if the one IT guy is out sick, on vacation, or just overwhelmed

This isn’t overhead—it’s insurance for your margins.

A True Story

We worked with a 40-person fabrication shop that had “good enough” IT. One server. One IT guy. Everything mostly ran—until a power outage corrupted their server and wiped out a week’s worth of production data.

No backups. No plan. No way to recreate the records. They almost lost their biggest customer over it. That customer had been burned before—and wasn’t in the mood for excuses.

We helped them rebuild—not just the data, but the confidence. Now? – They’ve got nightly offsite backups – Real-time monitoring that alerts them before things break – A tested disaster recovery plan that’s been used in drills – A responsive MSP on call for true 24/7 support

And no, they didn’t break the bank to get there. They just stopped rolling the dice.

What to Do Next

If this hits close to home, here’s where to start: – Inventory your risk. What systems can’t you afford to lose? – Review your backups. Are they working? Tested? Offsite? – Create a basic response plan. Who do you call when something breaks? – Get a second set of eyes. A quick IT assessment from a trusted MSP can uncover blind spots fast.

Final Thought

Being small isn’t the problem. Being unprepared is.

You don’t need an enterprise-sized solution. But you do need something better than hope and duct tape.

Smart IT isn’t just for the big guys anymore. It’s for any manufacturer that’s tired of holding its breath every time the power flickers or an email looks suspicious.

Your size doesn’t define your risk. But your strategy defines your survival.

So let’s stop saying “we’re too small.” Let’s start saying “we’re ready.”