Manufacturers increasingly falling into the capacity trap

MACHINE BUILDERS and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS) are falling into ‘the capacity trap’ according to a leading strategic outsourcing specialist.

PP Control and Automation’s director/general manager Andy Whittaker issued the stark warning, pointing out that the outdated ‘in-house’ approach is actually holding companies back and curtailing growth.

Spotting the signs of capacity strain

The director believes that management teams are missing telltale signs that internal production is stretched, such as delayed shipments, extra overtime and an increase in lead times.

He is now challenging machinery builders and OEMs to explore the possibility of outsourcing non-core manufacturing operations, freeing them up to focus on value added activities, new product development and building customer relationships.

"We are seeing a growing number of new clients turning to us after being caught in 'the capacity trap' - a point where internal production can no longer support the ambitions of the business, yet nobody wants to admit it," stated Whittaker. 

Demand is growing, whilst the ability to fulfil it is shrinking. The shopfloor is full; the labour pool is tight, and adding more of either feels unfeasible. Teams continue to firefight the symptoms, as the underlying issue persists. Put simply, the business has outgrown its in-house capability."

Strategic outsourcing strengthens manufacturing resilience

"Outsourcing isn’t about giving up control - it’s about regaining it in the areas that matter most. By partnering with a specialist manufacturing provider, OEMs can offload repeatable, resource-intensive tasks whilst retaining full ownership of engineering and IP," he continued. 

"It allows businesses to create space. And not just physical space on the shopfloor, but strategic space to focus on what moves the needle."

PP Control and Automation, which employs over 200 people at its state-of-the-art facility in the West Midlands, helps build machines that robotically milk cows, provide everyday packaging solutions, protects phones from water damage and cuts parts that are used in F1 cars and the world’s airlines.

A combination of investment in automation and people has seen it take on work for over twenty of the globe’s biggest machinery builders, with new emerging technology specialists also choosing to team up with PP C&A to bring their innovations to market quickly.

Partnering for scalability and continuity

"A good outsourcing partner doesn’t just build parts, assemblies and machines - they build continuity. We bring structured processes, embedded quality systems, and scalable capacity that flexes with your business,” Whittaker explained.

"They allow you to clear backlogs, shorten lead times, and deliver more consistently, without investing in extra headcount or floor space. And in doing so, they unlock the opportunity that’s been waiting behind the bottlenecks."

"Critically, this isn’t about replacing internal teams either. In fact, it’s about enabling them. When production pressure lifts, engineering can return to solving problems instead of managing workloads. Operations can plan proactively rather than reactively. Leadership can look forward, instead of down. 

"That’s what growth-ready manufacturing looks like, and it rarely happens smoothly when everything is kept in-house," he concluded.

For more information: 

www.ppcanda.com 

Tel: +44 (0)1922 419109