Hey there! That's a really practical question that many manufacturers are grappling with right now. Let me break down what I've found about transitioning from ladder logic to structured text.

For small-to-medium manufacturers, the transition timeline typically ranges from 6 to 18 months, depending on your team's background. If your technicians have some programming experience, you might be on the shorter end. For teams coming purely from electrical backgrounds, expect closer to a year or more for comfortable adoption.

The learning curve is definitely steep - structured text is a text-based language that feels very different from the visual, electrical-circuit style of ladder logic. Electricians who are used to 'seeing' the logic flow can find this transition particularly challenging. However, programmers with software backgrounds often pick it up much faster.

The productivity gains are real though! Structured text excels at complex algorithms, mathematical operations, and data handling - things that are cumbersome in ladder logic. You'll see significant time savings on projects involving calculations, data structures, or complex logic. Maintenance and troubleshooting can be trickier initially since field technicians need to read code instead of visual diagrams.

Many companies take a hybrid approach - using structured text for complex algorithms while keeping ladder logic for basic control logic. This lets you leverage the strengths of both while gradually building your team's skills. The key is proper training and starting with smaller, non-critical projects to build confidence.

What's your team's background like? That would help me give you more specific advice about your particular situation!