When Should You Modernize Your Automated Systems? Clear Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

Alex
1 day ago
2 min read

Modernization Is No Longer Optional—It’s Strategic

Automated systems drive production, performance, and profitability. Yet many companies delay modernization until a critical failure forces immediate action. The truth is simple: your systems always send signals before they collapse. Recognizing these signs early can save tens of thousands of euros in downtime and emergency repairs.

If you're unsure where your automation stands, a professional audit is often the smartest and fastest way to gain clarity.

Your components are obsolete or no longer manufactured

A clear warning sign is when your PLCs, drives, or I/O modules are discontinued.

Typical symptoms:

Replacement parts are difficult or impossible to find
Lead times increase dramatically
You rely on second-hand components with unknown reliability

Why it matters:Obsolescence is one of the leading causes of long and costly production stoppages.

An obsolescence audit identifies the most critical components and helps plan a smooth modernization roadmap.

You experience repeated failures and rising downtime

If your machines are stopping more often, restarting randomly, or suffering from micro-stoppages, your automation system is likely approaching end of life.

Consequences:

Maintenance becomes reactive instead of preventive
Productivity drops
Operators lose confidence in the equipment

A technical audit can reveal hidden issues and quantify your true availability losses.

Your PLC program is outdated—or nobody masters it anymore

Aging software is a major risk, especially when:

There is no updated backup
The program has been modified multiple times without documentation
No one internally understands the logic anymore

This creates vulnerability not only for troubleshooting but also for safety and compliance.

A software audit evaluates code quality, structure, and potential risks.

Your production performance is declining

Over time, old automatons simply cannot keep up.

Signs include:

Slower cycle times
Increased variability
Lower precision
Higher energy consumption

A modernization often yields 10–40% performance improvement, depending on the system’s condition.

Your safety compliance is no longer up to standard

Old automation systems often fail to meet modern safety requirements (PL, SIL, redundancy, diagnostics).

This can expose your company to legal, financial, and operational risks.

A safety audit identifies non-compliant areas and proposes corrective actions.

Integration with modern software is impossible or limited

If your equipment cannot communicate with MES, ERP, supervision tools, or modern networks (Ethernet/IP, Profinet, OPC-UA…), you lose valuable data and visibility.

Modernization improves:

Data collection
Traceability
Remote monitoring
Process optimization

Your maintenance costs keep increasing

When maintenance costs rise year after year, it usually means your automation system is in decline—repairing becomes more expensive than upgrading.

If you recognize these signs, modernization is no longer optional

An aging automation system doesn’t fail overnight—it gives warnings. If you identify two or more signs listed above, now is the right time to act.

The smartest first step is a complete automation audit. It provides: