Following on the heels of a great community discussion, I have Joanne Friedmann and Khris Kammer discuss the elevation of data to the forefront of IT/OT architecture. Embedded in that is a thinking about the value of data and how it be measured, your Return on Data. Smart manufacturing and the MESA model place data at the foundation of any effective architecture. There is a significant shift in IT/OT where data is becoming the core driver of architecture decisions, rather than just an afterthought. Traditional IT/OT architectures were built around applications, with data being managed as a byproduct. Now, data-first architectures ensure that storage, processing, and movement of data are optimized for real-time decision-making, analytics, and AI-driven automation. AI and machine learning models thrive on high-quality, well-structured data. Data must be easily accessible across different systems (ERP, MES, SCADA, etc.). Organizations are implementing unified data governance frameworks to ensure consistency, security, and compliance. Modern architectures use event-driven models to react in real-time, which is critical for smart manufacturing and predictive maintenance. Manufacturing execution system (MES) platforms will evolve to be data-first, prioritizing real-time analytics. AI-driven decision-making will require IT systems to be built around data streams, not just applications. Data interoperability between legacy and modern systems will be crucial.