Don’t Play the Waiting Game: A Timeline to Reduce Unplanned Downtime

Overhead view of two people standing between conveyor lines in a warehouse while reviewing production data on a laptop next to a blue parts bin.
When production stops, fast access to data and clear next steps can help teams respond sooner and reduce unplanned downtime before delays stack up.

When production stops, the clock starts ticking. Downtime isn’t just the moment something breaks. Its impact will depend on how long it takes to respond.

Delays stack up fast when teams are forced to troubleshoot without answers, wait for support or scramble for parts.

Don’t play the waiting game until unplanned downtime hurts your production. Establish a plan to respond quickly at every stage and reduce unplanned downtime before delays stack up.

Unplanned Downtime Response Assessment

Evaluate where delays are costing you the most when equipment goes down. Score each area from 1 (low delay risk) to 5 (major delay risk), then review where your response plan may be breaking down.

How scoring works

  • 1–2: Strong response readiness with minimal delay risk
  • 3: Some gaps or inconsistencies that can slow recovery
  • 4–5: High delay risk with likely impact on uptime, cost and production continuity
Low Delay Risk Moderate Delay Risk High Delay Risk
Category
What to Evaluate
Score
Diagnosis Speed

Assess how quickly your team can identify the cause of unplanned downtime.

  • Clear troubleshooting steps
  • Current system documentation
  • Properly commissioned equipment
  • Familiarity with controls and configuration issues
Access to Support

Review how quickly your team can get expert help when internal troubleshooting reaches a limit.

  • Availability of remote support services
  • Access to 24/7 technical support
  • Speed of callback or connection to an expert
  • Ability to resolve issues without waiting for an onsite visit
Parts Readiness

Evaluate whether critical parts are available when equipment failure occurs.

  • Stock of critical spares
  • Accuracy of current parts inventory
  • Access to repair or reman options
  • Alignment between maintenance needs and parts availability
Maintenance Readiness

Review how proactively your team maintains critical assets to prevent avoidable downtime.

  • Preventative maintenance contracts on key equipment
  • Routine maintenance planning
  • Clear ownership for critical asset care
  • Maintenance support for hard-to-service systems
Long-Term Prevention

Assess how effectively recurring downtime risks are identified and reduced over time.

  • Network and vulnerability assessments
  • Safety assessments
  • Modernization planning
  • System and infrastructure design updates
Total Score
5
Downtime Delay Risk
Low Downtime Delay Risk
Your response plan is in a strong position. Focus on continuous improvement and long-term resilience.

UNPLANNED DOWNTIME TIMELINE

0-15 minutes
0-15 minutes

Diagnose the Problem Before Unplanned Downtime Spreads

Confusion is usually the first delay when equipment goes down. Without clear system guidelines, documentation and properly configured equipment, teams are stuck guessing the root cause of equipment failure. Is it a controls issue? A configuration error?

That’s where proper commissioning makes a difference. Utilizing commissioning and implementation services from an authorized service provider ensures systems are set up and validated correctly.

This makes performance expectations clear, issues easier to isolate and troubleshooting steps easier to follow. If teams cannot quickly identify the problem, unplanned downtime starts getting more expensive immediately.

15-60 minutes
15-60 minutes

Use Remote Support Services to Fix Issues Faster

Once the cause of downtime is clear, the next delay is figuring out how to fix it. Maintenance teams without the in-house expertise to resolve the downtime issue are stuck waiting for callbacks, scheduling service calls and digging through manuals.

Remote support services bridge the knowledge gap.

With the right support structure in place, you get access to:

  • 24/7 technical support (with a Rockwell Automation TechConnect agreement) for immediate troubleshooting help
  • Remote access tools that allow experts to securely connect to your systems and resolve issues without needing to be on site
  • Application support from a team of Rockwell Automation or Van Meter engineers who can assist with continuous monitoring and troubleshooting

When something breaks, response time matters. Instead of waiting hours for a callback or an onsite visit, remote support services help teams start resolving the issue in minutes.

Same Day
same day

Prevent Longer Delays With Parts and Preventative Maintenance Contracts

Even when you know what’s wrong and how to fix it, you can’t resolve the issue without the parts you need. Downtime can grow from minutes into hours or days when critical spares aren’t stocked, inventory is outdated or lead times cause delays.

Strategic maintenance services remove that bottleneck by aligning maintenance practices with parts availability. Preventative maintenance contracts help keep critical assets functioning reliably while parts programs improve access to the spares needed for faster recovery.

Repair and remanufacturing services are another option when parts aren’t readily available. Remanufactured Allen-Bradley parts can often be shipped overnight as part of an exchange program.

Long Term
long term

Reduce Unplanned Downtime Before It Happens Again

Fixing the issue gets you running again. Preventing the next one keeps you running.

Recurring downtime often traces back to gaps like aging equipment, evolving production demands, network vulnerabilities or safety risks that haven’t been fully addressed. These issues often go unnoticed until a failure or slowdown disrupts operations.

Long-term stability comes from identifying and acting on those root causes. For example:

  • Network and vulnerability assessments uncover weaknesses in infrastructure and cybersecurity posture before they create issues.
  • Safety assessments help identify risks to people and processes that may also contribute to unplanned downtime.
  • Modernization consultations evaluate aging equipment and systems, aligning them to current performance, reliability and efficiency needs.
  • System and infrastructure design updates ensure your operation can scale and adapt as demands evolve.

If the root issue stays in place, the downtime comes back.

Taking a broader view across networks, equipment and operations creates a more resilient foundation that reduces risk and supports future growth.

Three people in a manufacturing facility review a handwritten action list on a flip chart beside industrial equipment and a notebook.
Reviewing system priorities and action items to identify root causes, reduce recurring downtime and strengthen long-term operational resilience.

STOP WAITING. START WORKING TO REDUCE UNPLANNED DOWNTIME NOW.

Each stage of downtime leads to waiting. Waiting to identify the problem. Waiting for support. Waiting for parts. Waiting for the next failure.

The longer you wait, the more downtime costs you.

Stop waiting and start identifying where downtime is slowing you down.

Protect your operation with the right mix of industrial automation services to reduce unplanned downtime, fix issues faster and avoid repeat failures.

EXPLORE ALL INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATION SERVICES