Machine build time affects everything from labor utilization and manufacturing lead times to customer satisfaction and profitability. For OEMs facing increasing customization demands and workforce constraints, reducing machine build time has become a key competitive advantage.
Industrial OEMs are in quite the pickle. Customers want machines delivered faster, with more customization, cleaner data, easier integration and better performance from day one. At the same time, machine builders are stretched thin and skilled labor is harder to find. The result? Machine build time is under pressure from every direction. Sound familiar?
Take a deep breath.
Reducing machine build time doesn't require adding headcount or sacrificing quality. The biggest opportunities often come from identifying the bottlenecks that quietly slow design, assembly and commissioning.
Machine Build Time Assessment
What's Slowing Your Machine Builds?
Machine build time is affected by more than labor availability. Repetitive assembly work, custom machine variations, late-stage integration issues and reliability concerns can quietly slow every project. Answer the questions below to see where your team may have the greatest opportunity to improve.
Answer 12 quick questions to identify the bottleneck having the greatest impact on your machine build time.
Answer the questions below to see your machine build time score.
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Your score will help identify where machine build time may be slowing your team down.
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Machine Build Time Bottleneck #1:
Repetitive Assembly Work Consumes Skilled Labor
Engineering, production and procurement teams are stretched thin. The challenge isn’t just finding people. It’s using your existing team where they add the most value.
Highly skilled employees often spend valuable time building control panels from scratch, sorting wiring components and managing individual part purchases. These repetitive activities can significantly increase machine build time across every project.
Where OEMs Gain Time Back:
Faster builds come from building machines right the first time. That might look like:
- Selecting components that support long-term reliability
- Designing systems with maintainability in mind
- Providing ongoing support beyond commissioning and implementation
Bottom line: Fixing problems in the field will always take longer than preventing them upfront.
Machine Build Time Bottleneck #2:
Customization Increases Build Complexity
Customization creates value for end users, but it can also increase machine build time. Each variation introduces new components, wiring layouts and programming requirements that add engineering and assembly effort.
Where OEMs Get Time Back:
Instead of reinventing the wheel each time, OEMs save time when they design for flexibility from the start. That might look like:
- Modular designs that support repeatable structures
- Flexible, scalable automation systems that adapt without major design
- Robotics and motion strategies that handle variation without adding manual work
Bottom line: The goal isn’t less customization. It’s flexible solutions that don’t increase build time.
Machine Build Time Bottleneck #3:
Late-Stage Integration Delays Delivery
Many delays don’t show up until the end of the project. Controls, motion and networking all need to work together seamlessly. When they don’t, integration issues can delay delivery and stall commissioning and implementation. By that point, it’s lost time.
Where OEMs Gain Time Back:
Thinking about integration earlier in the design process reduces surprises later. That might look like:
- Aligning controls and motion strategies during initial design
- Validating component compatibility before procurement
- Leaning on automation expertise to troubleshoot before issues escalate
Bottom line: When integration is planned upfront, commissioning becomes a checkpoint, not a surprise.
Machine Build Time Bottleneck #4:
Reliability Issues Create Costly Rework
End users don’t just care how soon OEMs can deliver and commission machines. It has to perform once it’s installed.
OEM reputations are directly tied to machine reliability and uptime, which puts pressure on component selection, system design and supportability. Rushing a build that creates issues later doesn’t save time. It just shifts the delay downstream.
Where OEMs Gain Time Back:
Faster builds come from building machines right the first time. That might look like:
- Selecting components that support long-term reliability
- Designing systems with maintainability in mind
- Providing ongoing support beyond commissioning and implementation
Bottom line: Fixing problems in the field will always take longer than preventing them upfront.
How to Reduce Machine Build Time Without Increasing Headcount
Labor constraints aren’t going away any time soon. Neither is the demand for faster, more capable machines. OEMs that successfully reduce machine build time aren't necessarily adding more people. They're removing repetitive work, improving design efficiency and addressing bottlenecks earlier in the process.
Ask yourself this: : Where are we losing time in our build process, and are we able to eliminate it?
Then, let us know how you answered, so we can help you work through the bottlenecks and find smarter ways to keep your builds moving.