Manufacturing Automation Consulting
From strategy to execution
Concept Systems provides automation consulting services that help plant managers, engineering leaders, and operations teams turn automation ideas into well-scoped, financially justified, low-risk projects. We develop practical automation roadmaps, engineered concept studies, and executive-ready justification packages—so you can invest in projects that will perform in the real world.
How Our Automation Consulting Services Work
We start by understanding how your operation runs today—your constraints, pain points, and what “better” actually means (throughput, labor stability, uptime, safety, quality, or standardization). From there, we use structured assessments, simulation where appropriate, ROI/TCO modeling, and risk analysis to recommend whether, when, and how to automate.
This upfront work reduces the most common reasons automation projects stall or underperform:
- Unclear scope and success criteria
- Misaligned expectations across operations, engineering, and leadership
- Choosing technology that doesn’t fit the process (or the maintainers)
- Underestimating integration complexity (controls, safety, networking, data)
- Incomplete requirements that lead to change orders and delays
Key Benefits You Gain From Our Consulting
- Avoid costly missteps by validating concepts before capital is committed
- Get faster budget approval with clear ROI/TCO models and executive-ready visuals
- Reduce rework by specifying requirements early (URS/FRS), before vendors quote
- Receive practical recommendations matched to your floor, staff, and standards
- Identify the highest-impact opportunities for throughput, quality, and labor stability
- Build scalable architectures and standards—not one-off islands of automation
- Get an independent, engineering-led second opinion on OEM or internal proposals
- Walk away with a roadmap your team can actually execute
What Concept Systems Delivers in Every Automation Consulting Engagement
Discovery & Opportunity Assessment
- On-site or remote current-state assessment
- Interviews with operations, maintenance, engineering, and safety stakeholders
- Review of constraints: footprint, cycle time, changeover, uptime, staffing, quality, and safety
- Identification of bottlenecks, repetitive tasks, quality risks, and failure points
Strategy & Automation Roadmap Development
- Multi-phase roadmap tied to your business goals and operating constraints
- Budget ranges, sequencing recommendations, and dependency mapping
- User Requirement Specifications (URS) and Functional Requirement Specifications (FRS)
- Platform and architecture recommendations aligned to your standards (or future standards)
- Clear “go / no-go” decision points to prevent sunk-cost momentum
Technical & Financial Analysis
- Concept options and feasibility trade studies
- Simulation / digital-twin modeling when it materially reduces risk
- Detailed ROI, payback, and total cost of ownership (TCO) modeling
- Integration risk assessment (controls, safety, data, networks) with mitigation plans
Deliverables & Knowledge Transfer
- Executive summary + presentation deck for internal alignment
- Capital justification package (financial model + assumptions)
- Functional diagrams, architecture visuals, and scope definition
- Optional workshops for internal teams (operations, maintenance, engineering)
Industries We Regularly Serve With Automation Consulting
- Aerospace
- Food & Beverage
- Warehousing & Logistics
- Building Materials
- Mining & Metals
- General Discrete and Process Manufacturing
Common Automation Projects We Help Clients Scope and Justify
- Controls upgrades and modernization
- Robotic automation and workcells
- Process and batch improvements
- Production and efficiency improvements
- Safety risk assessments and upgrades
- Equipment and system replacements
- Plant-wide automation planning
Why Manufacturers Choose Concept Systems as Their Automation Consulting Partner
Concept Systems has spent 25+ years delivering controls engineering and industrial automation—especially in high-expectation environments like aerospace manufacturing. Our depth is a practical advantage: a significant portion of our team are long-tenured principal engineers, and our approach is built around a consistent, transparent project methodology that reduces surprises.
Unlike “strategy-only” consultants, we can stay with you through design, panel build, commissioning, and long-term support—so the roadmap doesn’t fall apart at handoff. With an in-house UL-508A panel shop, electrical and mechanical design capabilities, and simulation resources, we produce roadmaps that are grounded in implementation realities.
Automation Consulting
Looking to learn a little more?
Read how we helped one of the world’s leading frozen potato suppliers create a new process control standard and streamline it across more than a dozen locations.
Get Started With Automation Consulting Services
Ready to replace uncertainty with a clear, defensible automation roadmap?
Contact Concept Systems to start with an initial strategy call and a tailored consulting proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions About Automation Consulting
What is automation consulting?
Automation consulting helps manufacturers identify, evaluate, and plan automation improvements before moving into implementation.
At Concept Systems, this often takes the form of an Automation Roadmap, where we assess current systems, identify opportunities, prioritize projects, and develop a practical path forward.
Safety Risk Assessments are also consultative in nature, evaluating equipment and processes to identify risks and define specific improvements that can move into engineering and implementation.
How long does a typical automation roadmap take?
Most roadmaps and feasibility studies are completed in 4–6 weeks, depending on site access, complexity, and whether simulation is required.
Are you locked into Rockwell technology?
No. We can recommend platforms and architectures that fit your environment and standards, including Rockwell, Siemens, Ignition, Beckhoff, and others.
Can you execute the project after the consulting phase?
Yes. Many clients continue with Concept Systems for detailed design, panel build, commissioning, and ongoing support—often with the same team for continuity.
Do you only work in the Pacific Northwest?
We’re headquartered in Oregon and Washington and support projects beyond the Pacific Northwest, including multi-site and out-of-region engagements.
What if we already have an internal automation team?
We frequently augment internal teams—providing independent reviews, requirements definition, and acceleration support without replacing your staff.
Is the initial consultation free?
Yes—your first strategy call and proposal discussion are complimentary and carry no obligation.