Most operations leaders have felt it: that sinking moment when a production line grinds to a halt because one small component didn’t make it into the build plan. Suddenly, everything waits. Teams scramble. Deadlines slip. And you’re left asking, “How did we not catch this sooner?”
This isn’t just about a missing fan blade or a motor bracket. It’s about a systemic failure in process alignment. It’s about assuming the work is complete when, in reality, one missing bolt or part can unravel an entire production schedule. That difference between being “ready to build” and truly “clear to build” is where most operations fall short—and where millions are lost. It’s where operational excellence begins or breaks down.
What “Clear to Build” Actually Means
Clear to Build (CTB) isn’t just about checking if you’ve got materials on hand. It’s about making sure every part, every engineering spec, every supporting document, and every single dependency is confirmed and coordinated before the first bolt is tightened.
Here’s what real CTB involves:
- Confirmed and verified bills of material (BOM)
- Accurate and complete engineering drawings
- Procurement alignment with production schedules
- Kitting plans to ensure no part is assumed bundled unless verified
- Process coordination between engineering, operations, and sourcing
This isn’t a box to check. It’s a discipline. A philosophy. One that separates companies who get products out the door from those who stay stuck chasing missing parts. It’s a foundational component of operational excellence—ensuring quality, consistency, and efficiency from the start.
The Case of a Mid-Sized Manufacturer
One of our clients, a $150M–$200M privately held manufacturer building engineered-to-order air handling systems, was scaling fast. But growth was outpacing their systems.
The company relied heavily on tribal knowledge. Veteran engineers knew what to include in BOMs and how to translate tribal practices into final products. But as new hires came in, this unspoken knowledge didn’t transfer. Engineering drawings came through missing key elements: no brackets for motors, fan blades not included in the assembly kits.
One engineer thought a motor kit included mounting hardware. Another assumed fan blades came pre-attached. Turns out, the actual catalog item being ordered was a raw motor. No bracket. No blade. No build.
Every time the shop floor started building, they hit stop signs. Someone had to run down what was missing, submit a PO, wait on delivery, restart the build. Over time, it wasn’t just a delay. It was a system breakdown that strained customer trust and inflated costs.
The Home Depot Effect
Think about doing a DIY plumbing job. You lay everything out, ready to go. Then you realize the hose doesn’t fit the connector. You’re back at Home Depot. Again. And again. That’s what was happening on the floor. Multiply that by 50 or 100 builds, and you’ve got a serious throughput issue.
Our Diagnostic Approach
We didn’t jump to conclusions. We worked shoulder-to-shoulder with their team, asking questions, tracking errors, and mapping the chain of events from design to production.
We confirmed what they suspected: incomplete drawings and BOMs were to blame—but the root cause was deeper. There was no formalized tollgate between design and execution. No one was owning the “are we really ready?” question.
What CBS Implemented
We worked with the client to build a systematic CTB framework:
- Tollgate Reviews with Senior Engineers before drawings were released
- Checklists based on prior failures (like missing brackets or assuming bundled parts)
- Feedback Loops so junior engineers learned from mistakes without blame
- Root Cause Logs to identify trends and track recurrence
- CTB Sign-Off Process linking engineering, sourcing, and ops
This wasn’t just process improvement; it was operational excellence in motion.
Tone Matters: This Isn’t About Catching Mistakes
We made sure this wasn’t a blame game. We told their team: “You’re not the problem. The system is.” That approach turned resistance into ownership. And people leaned in to fix what wasn’t working.
Real Results
In just a few months, the impact was measurable:
- 35% reduction in customer lead time
- 60% drop in expedite shipping costs
- 75% reduction in engineering-related overtime
But it wasn’t just about metrics. It was about confidence. Their team felt empowered. Customers got consistent delivery. And leadership had one less fire to fight. True operational excellence came within reach, and stayed there.
Why Private Equity Should Care
If you’re a PE firm, here’s why this matters:
You may inherit ops teams that seem functional. But without CTB discipline, any surge in demand or shift in product complexity can create a domino effect of delays, cost overruns, and reputational hits.
CTB isn’t just operational hygiene. It’s the cornerstone of operational excellence, something every private equity consulting playbook should prioritize.
What to Look For in Diligence
If you’re evaluating a manufacturing asset:
- Ask: “What’s your CTB process?”
- Walk the line: Are teams working around gaps?
- Interview engineers: Do they rely on tribal knowledge or structured flows?
- Review expedite cost history and overtime patterns
The absence of CTB should set off alarms.
Final Word: Build It Right the First Time
You can’t outsource attention to detail. And you can’t rely on veteran know-how to carry a growing operation. If your team doesn’t know whether they’re truly ready to build—don’t start the build.
Clear to Build is the safety net. It’s the alignment mechanism. And for scaling manufacturers, it’s the difference between chaos and confidence.
If your builds keep stalling, the issue isn’t just on the floor—it’s in the process. And fixing it? That’s where real transformation begins.
