Why Automation Projects Fail (and How to Fix Them)
Why Automation Projects Fail (and How to Fix Them)
Industrial automation projects fail more often than they should. After observing dozens of projects in pharmaceutical, manufacturing, and regulated environments, we identify recurring patterns and concrete solutions.
The Problem: Predictable Failures
Most automation projects don't stop abruptly. They stall. Deadlines extend, budgets explode, and confidence erodes. When analyzing causes, they're rarely technical. They're organizational, structural, and execution-related.
Organizational Causes of Failure
1. Lack of Clear Responsibility
The Problem: No one truly owns the project. Automation is "shared" between multiple teams: automation, IT, engineering, operations. When a problem arises, responsibility becomes blurred.
The Impact: Delayed decisions, unresolved problems, accumulating technical debt.
The Solution: A senior consultant who takes end-to-end responsibility, from design to operational delivery. Not just recommendations, but execution.
2. Disconnect Between Design and Operational Reality
The Problem: Engineering offices design theoretical systems. Integrators implement according to specifications. Operational teams discover it doesn't work in real life.
The Impact: Systems that work in theory but not in production. Constant modifications, rework, frustration.
The Solution: A technical and operational bridge between design, integration, and operations. Someone who understands all three worlds and translates real needs into executable solutions.
3. Lack of Documentation and Knowledge Transfer
The Problem: The system works, but no one really knows how it works. Documentation is incomplete or obsolete. Knowledge remains in the heads of a few people.
The Impact: Critical dependency, difficult maintenance, high operational risks.
The Solution: Systematic documentation integrated into the delivery process. Team training. Structured knowledge transfer.
Technical Causes of Failure
4. Legacy Systems Not Accounted For
The Problem: New systems are designed as if they'll operate in a clean environment. Reality: integration with equipment from different generations, obsolete protocols, undocumented constraints.
The Impact: Complex integrations, delays, fragile systems.
The Solution: Pragmatic approach that considers legacy systems as constraints to integrate, not obstacles to bypass. Expertise in integrating heterogeneous systems.
5. Underestimation of Regulatory Complexity
The Problem: In pharmaceutical or regulated environments, compliance is not optional. GMP requirements, validation, documentation are often underestimated or treated last.
The Impact: Validation delays, non-compliance, regulatory risks.
The Solution: Compliance integrated from design. Expertise in CQV, validation, regulatory documentation.
6. Absence of Global System Vision
The Problem: Focus on one equipment or line, without considering integration with IT, MES, ERP, supervision systems. Systems work in silos, but not together.
The Impact: Bottlenecks, inefficiencies, unexploitable data.
The Solution: System vision that integrates automation, IT, data, and decision. Architecture designed for integration, not added afterward.
The Role of a Senior Consultant in Correction
When an automation project stalls, a senior consultant can intervene at several levels:
Quick and Objective Diagnosis
An external consultant brings a fresh and objective perspective. They quickly identify real problems, not symptoms. They distinguish technical problems from organizational ones.
Operational Responsibility Taking
A senior consultant doesn't just advise. They take responsibility for delivery. They program, troubleshoot, commission. They're on-site when necessary.
Bridge Between Worlds
Automation, engineering, IT, operations, a senior consultant understands these different worlds and connects them. They translate operational needs into technical solutions, and technical constraints into operational realities.
Stabilization and Execution
When a project is in difficulty, you need to stabilize before optimizing. A senior consultant intervenes to:
- Identify and correct critical problems
- Document what exists
- Stabilize fragile systems
- Deliver operational results
How to Avoid Failure from the Start
1. Clear Responsibility from the Beginning
Define who owns what. A senior consultant can take responsibility for execution, even if other teams are involved.
2. Integration with Operational Reality
Involve operational teams from design. Test in real conditions, not just in theory.
3. Continuous Documentation
Document as you go, not at the end. Integrate documentation into the development process.
4. System Vision from the Start
Think integration with IT, data, decision from design. Not as a layer added afterward.
5. Integrated Regulatory Expertise
If you're in a regulated environment, integrate compliance from the start. Don't treat it as an external constraint.
Conclusion: Execution, Not Just Advice
Automation projects rarely fail for pure technical reasons. They fail for execution, responsibility, and integration reasons.
A senior consultant doesn't solve these problems by making slides or recommendations. They solve them by taking responsibility for execution, being on-site, programming, troubleshooting, delivering systems that work.
At Vanguard Systems, we intervene on automation projects in difficulty, or from the start to avoid difficulties. We take responsibility for execution, not just advice.
[Learn more about our hands-on execution approach →](/execution)