Globalization and operations excellence require increased connectivity between industrial automation/control systems and business systems to enable real-time information visibility and effective collaboration. Connectivity ensures consistent quality and performance across global operations, allowing firms to balance manufacturing with demand to optimize material and asset utilization, implement agile operations, and meet regulatory compliance. This report guides leaders looking to meet the demands of smart manufacturing in applying the principles of Forrester’s business-optimized network (BON) to design a manufacturing-optimized network.