Driving Efficiency Forward: How Milbank’s Power Distribution & Controls Teams Are Streamlining the ETO Process

As demand grows for smarter, faster, and more flexible electrical solutions, engineering-to-order (ETO) products continue to play a critical role in meeting customer and utility requirements.

At Milbank, we are committed to delivering reliable power distribution and controls equipment with shorter lead times, improved consistency, and better overall customer experience.

To support that commitment, our Power Distribution & Controls teams are rolling out targeted improvements to the ETO workflow. We’re reducing complexity, removing bottlenecks, and increasing the speed at which custom-engineered solutions move from request to production.

Below is a closer look at the strategic enhancements underway and how they support our long-term goal of reducing ETO lead times to under 20 days.
 

Prioritizing High-Impact ETO Requests for Faster Turnaround

Not all ETO requests have the same impact on production timelines. To better support distributors, contractors, and end users, Milbank teams are implementing a refined prioritization model.

By identifying and elevating high-impact configurations earlier in the process, we can minimize downstream delays, keep production schedules moving smoothly, and respond to customer needs with greater agility.

This new prioritization strategy is already helping reduce congestion in the workflow and is a key driver in reducing total lead time.
 

Streamlining Workflows to Eliminate Bottlenecks

One of the biggest opportunities in any ETO environment is reducing friction between steps. Our cross-functional teams have begun conducting workflow reviews to identify unnecessary handoffs, repetitive tasks, and pain points that slow down progress.

These streamlining efforts include:

• Improving communication loops between engineering, product management, and manufacturing.
• Clarifying documentation requirements.
• Standardizing touchpoints to ensure greater consistency.
• Removing redundant steps that add time without adding value.

By streamlining the process, we speed up engineering work and improve accuracy, which means fewer revisions and faster approvals.
 

Optimizing Resources Through Team Bandwidth and Cross-Functional Support

Meeting custom specifications quickly requires the right people in the right roles at the right time. To support faster turnaround, Milbank is optimizing how engineering resources are allocated across projects.

This includes:

• Balancing workload distribution to avoid bottlenecks within specific engineering groups.
• Leveraging cross-team support to increase available bandwidth.
• Adjusting schedules and responsibilities to align with project complexity and urgency.

Strategic resource allocation ensures that no single team becomes overloaded, while keeping ETO projects flowing steadily through the pipeline.
 

Leveraging Configurable Engineering Finished Goods to Reduce Setup Time

Milbank is also taking steps to reduce engineering setup time by expanding the use of configurable finished goods models. Similar to our legacy master-model system, this approach allows engineers to:

• Use pre-designed configurable models
• Add required components at the top level
• Reduce repetitive design work across custom builds
• Accelerate approvals by relying on proven templates

This shift significantly shortens the engineering phase for many ETO configurations, enabling product specialists and designers to deliver complete packages faster and with greater accuracy.
 

Progress to Date and What’s Ahead

These continuous-improvement efforts are already generating measurable gains in efficiency. As workflows become more refined and resource optimization continues, we expect ETO lead times to steadily decrease, bringing us closer to our target of sub-20-day turnaround.

Milbank’s Power Distribution & Controls teams remain committed to enhancing speed, clarity, and consistency across the ETO process. By investing in process improvements today, we’re setting the foundation for a more responsive, flexible, and customer-focused future.