Manufacturing a virtual information handling system (IHS) includes creating a virtual IHS including a component identifier. A boot process is then started for the virtual IHS. A manufacturing operating system is retrieved for the virtual IHS using the component identifier. The manufacturing operating system is installed on the virtual IHS. Manufacturing a virtual IHS may also include determining a common operating system and a common software subset among a plurality of to-be-manufactured virtual IHSs. A first virtual IHS may be created and the common operating system may be configured on the first virtual IHS. At least a portion of a first virtual IHS software may also be configured on the first virtual IHS. The configuration of the first virtual IHS software on the first virtual IHS is stopped when the common software subset is configured on the first virtual IHS. The first virtual IHS may then be cloned to create a cloned virtual IHS.