The Hidden Cost of Debugging: Why Manufacturers Are Solving the Wrong Problem

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Nov 8

Imagine this: You're driving down the road, and your check engine light comes on. Instead of diagnosing the issue right away, you wait until smoke is pouring out of the engine. Would you call that efficient? Of course not. Yet, this is exactly what happens in many manufacturing environments when it comes to code: teams wait until something breaks, then spend countless hours trying to fix it.

According to Copia Automation’s 2024 State of Industrial DevOps report, 81% of developers in manufacturing spend less than 4 hours a month reviewing code, but they spend 45 hours a month debugging it. That’s 10 times more time spent cleaning up after mistakes than preventing them in the first place. In some industries, like retail and material handling, debugging hours spike to 77 hours per month—20 times more time spent debugging than reviewing.

This begs the question: Why are we solving the wrong problem?

Why This Happens: The Debugging Trap

In manufacturing, the code running your machines is just as critical as the machines themselves. Yet, the systems we use to manage it aren’t designed for success. Here’s what’s driving the imbalance:

A Culture of Speed Over Quality
Manufacturers are under constant pressure to innovate, reduce downtime, and meet production deadlines. Code reviews—arguably the most effective way to catch issues early—often get sidelined in the rush to deploy.
The Illusion of a Process
Yes, 99% of companies say they have a code review process. But if you’re spending less than 4 hours a month on it, is it really a process? Or just a box to check?
Complexity Overload
In the Industry 4.0, code isn’t just code. It interacts with hardware, IoT systems, machine learning models, and physical processes. Debugging in this environment takes exponentially more time than it would in a simpler system.
Reactive Problem-Solving
When reviews are skipped, small issues snowball into costly debugging efforts. Teams end up firefighting instead of building scalable, resilient systems.

The True Cost of Neglecting Code Reviews

This isn’t just about wasted time; it’s about opportunity cost. Every hour spent debugging is an hour you’re not spending innovating, improving processes, or getting products to market faster. Let’s break it down:

Lost Productivity
Spending 45 hours a month debugging is equivalent to over a week of full-time work per developer. Multiply that across a team, and it’s no wonder projects fall behind.
Increased Costs
Debugging isn’t free. It often requires pulling in multiple stakeholders—engineers, IT teams, and sometimes even OT experts—to fix cascading issues. This drains budgets and resources.
Compromised Safety and Quality
In industrial environments, buggy software can cause equipment failures, safety hazards, or even production shutdowns. These aren’t just operational risks; they’re reputational ones too.
Burnout
Debugging is tedious, reactive work. Over time, it drains morale and stifles creativity, leading to high turnover among talented developers.

The Shift We Need: From Debugging to Prevention

If we want to flip this equation, we need a mindset shift. Enter Industrial DevOps, a framework that combines the speed of software development with the rigor of industrial operations. Here’s how manufacturers can make the leap:

Ask the Right Question
Instead of asking, “How do we fix this bug?” ask, “How could we have prevented this bug?” This simple reframing encourages teams to focus on prevention rather than reaction.
Automate the Boring Stuff
Automation isn’t just for production lines; it’s for code reviews too. Tools like automated linters and AI-powered review systems can catch common issues in real-time, freeing developers to focus on more strategic tasks.
Measure What Matters
If you only track debugging hours, you’re missing the point. Start measuring the percentage of defects caught during reviews versus post-deployment. What gets measured gets managed.
Normalize Feedback Loops
Code reviews aren’t just a formality—they’re a conversation. Peer reviews, structured checklists, and collaborative tools create a culture where feedback is welcomed, not feared.
Invest in Observability
In an industrial setting, debugging often means diagnosing not just code, but the interaction between software and physical systems. Observability tools can reduce debugging time by providing clear insights into system behavior.

What Happens When You Get It Right?

When you shift your focus from debugging to prevention, something remarkable happens:

Time is Freed Up for Innovation: Instead of spending 10 hours fixing what went wrong, you can spend that time building what’s next.
Costs Go Down: Catching a bug during a code review is exponentially cheaper than fixing it in production.
Quality Goes Up: A stronger focus on prevention means fewer defects, less downtime, and greater trust in your systems.
Teams Stay Engaged: Developers thrive when they’re solving meaningful problems, not putting out fires.

Let’s return to that check engine light. Why do you pull over and address the problem before it becomes catastrophic? Because the cost of waiting is simply too high. The same is true for code reviews. They may feel like a speed bump in the short term, but they’re what keep the engine of innovation running smoothly.

Manufacturers who embrace this mindset—who treat code reviews as a cornerstone of Industrial DevOps—will unlock not just better software, but better business outcomes. Because in the end, debugging isn’t the real problem. It’s a symptom. And the solution starts with prevention.