Choosing an automation integrator is one of the most consequential decisions a UK manufacturer will make. Get it right and you gain a long-term technical partner who understands your processes, reduces downtime and builds systems that grow with you. Get it wrong and you're locked into a poorly designed installation with a supplier who's difficult to reach after go-live.
The problem is that most integrators look the same on paper. Impressive websites, long lists of capabilities, recognisable brand logos. The real differences only become apparent once a project is underway — and by then, it's too late to make a change without significant cost and disruption.
This guide is designed to help engineering managers, operations directors and procurement teams ask the right questions before they sign anything.
The cheapest quote rarely reflects the full cost of the project. A poorly specified system will cost more in commissioning overruns, rework and ongoing support than the initial saving was ever worth.
1. Start With Scope, Not Price
The single biggest source of project problems is a poorly defined scope. Before approaching any integrator, your team should be clear on what the project actually involves — not just the end goal, but the constraints around it.
That means knowing your cycle time requirements, your I/O counts, your existing infrastructure (PLCs, SCADA, network architecture), your safety classifications and your site access restrictions. It also means being honest about what you don't yet know — a good integrator will help you fill those gaps. A poor one will make assumptions and price accordingly.
When you issue an enquiry, ask each integrator to document their understanding of scope back to you. If two integrators return fundamentally different interpretations, that's valuable information — it tells you the scope wasn't clear enough, and gives you an opportunity to align before prices diverge.
2. Match Capability to Your Project Type
Automation integration is not a single discipline. A company that excels at bespoke conveyor system design may have limited experience with robot programming. An integrator with a strong PLC background may have no in-house electrical design capability. Understanding what a supplier actually does well — versus what they subcontract — is essential.
Key capability areas to probe:
- PLC programming — which platforms do they work with? Siemens, Rockwell, Mitsubishi, Beckhoff? Do they have certified engineers or self-taught programmers?
- Robot programming — can they programme KUKA, FANUC, ABB, Universal Robots? Have they done palletising, pick-and-place, welding, assembly?
- Electrical design — do they produce their own schematics in EPLAN or AutoCAD Electrical, or do they rely on a third party?
- Panel build — is panel manufacture in-house or subcontracted? Who carries responsibility for quality and lead time?
- Virtual commissioning — can they simulate your system before it arrives on site, reducing physical commissioning time and risk?
Ask to see evidence of each capability — not just a bullet point on a website. Case studies, project references, personnel CVs. If they can't show you, treat that as a flag.
3. Sector Experience Matters More Than You Think
The technical requirements of a food and beverage line are fundamentally different from an automotive assembly cell. IP ratings, hygiene standards, safety classifications, traceability requirements, shift patterns — all of these shape how a system is designed and how it needs to be maintained.
An integrator who has worked extensively in your sector will already understand the constraints. They'll know that a FMCG line can't tolerate lubricants near product zones. They'll know that life sciences validation requires full documentation from day one. They'll know that automotive tier 1 suppliers expect PPAP-aligned commissioning processes.
This knowledge doesn't just make the project smoother — it prevents expensive mistakes that come from applying a generic approach to a highly specific environment.
Questions to ask about sector experience: Which industries do you work in most frequently? Can you provide a reference from a project in our sector in the last 18 months? What safety standards are you familiar with — BS EN ISO 13849, BS EN 62061, PSSR? Have you worked on sites with our type of shift pattern and maintenance structure?
4. Find Out Who's Actually Doing the Work
Many automation businesses are effectively project management companies. They win the work, then subcontract the engineering to a network of freelancers or smaller suppliers. That's not inherently wrong — but it does affect accountability, consistency and your ability to get support after go-live.
Ask directly: who will be on site? Are they employed by you, or subcontracted? What's the continuity plan if the lead engineer moves on during the project? If a fault develops six months after commissioning, who picks up the phone?
A business with employed engineers who have worked together on multiple projects will generally deliver a more coherent, better-documented system than one assembled from rotating contractors — even if individual technical skill levels are comparable.
5. How They Approach Commissioning Tells You Everything
Commissioning is where automation projects succeed or fail. It's also the phase most commonly underestimated in cost and time. Ask every potential integrator to walk you through their commissioning methodology — specifically how they handle the transition from FAT (factory acceptance testing) to SAT (site acceptance testing) and what their definition of project completion looks like.
Red flags at this stage include: no formal FAT process, commissioning plans that assume everything goes to plan, handover documentation that consists of a single PDF, and an attitude that positions snagging as a post-project commercial negotiation rather than a pre-agreed process.
Watch out for: integrators who price commissioning as a fixed lump sum without reference to your site conditions. Commissioning costs are highly variable — they depend on line access, shift working, site inductions, interface dependencies and how clean the build is when it arrives. A responsible integrator will estimate commissioning honestly, not optimistically.
6. Think Beyond Go-Live
The commercial relationship with your integrator doesn't end at handover — or it shouldn't. Automation systems need ongoing support: software updates, fault diagnosis, modifications as your production requirements change. An integrator who disappears after final payment is a short-term gain that becomes a long-term liability.
Ask about their support model. Do they offer a support contract? What's their typical response time to a critical fault? Are their engineers available out of hours? Do they retain programme backups and documentation, and will you have access to it?
7. The Questions That Separate Good From Great
Beyond the standard capability and reference checks, there are a handful of questions that reveal a lot about how an integrator actually thinks and operates:
- "What's the last project you walked away from, and why?" A good integrator will have turned down projects they weren't suited for. One who claims to do everything is telling you something.
- "What would you do differently on your last project?" Honest reflection on lessons learned suggests a mature, improving organisation. Defensiveness suggests the opposite.
- "How do you handle scope changes?" Change is inevitable on any complex project. How they manage it — commercially and technically — matters enormously.
- "Can we speak to a customer whose project didn't go perfectly?" Every project has challenges. A supplier who can direct you to a customer who experienced problems and remained satisfied is demonstrating something valuable about how they handle adversity.
Making the Decision
Price will always be a factor, but it shouldn't be the primary filter at shortlisting stage. The cost of a failed or poorly delivered automation project — in downtime, rework, lost productivity and strained internal relationships — will always exceed the difference between the cheapest and most appropriate quote.
The right integrator for your project is the one who understands your sector, has the in-house capability to deliver what you need, is honest about what they don't know, and has a track record of standing behind their work after go-live.
At Duke Control Systems, we work with manufacturers across automotive, FMCG, logistics and life sciences — designing and delivering automation solutions built to last. If you'd like to talk through a project, we're happy to have an honest conversation about whether we're the right fit.