Quick Orientation — Where Should We Start?

• Which production context best describes this request? Options: New product launch, Re-tool existing line, Capacity expansion, Pilot cell / prototype, Other
• What is your target start-of-production (SOP) window? Options: Within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, Undecided
• Who will be our primary day-to-day contact for technical and scheduling decisions? (Name / role)
• Briefly describe the product family, key variants, and expected annual or launch volumes.

Are the Right People—and Money—Actually at the Table?

• If a hidden approver could veto the project, who would it be and what would their main concern be?
• Which roles will influence go/no-go on capital spend for this cell/line? Options: Plant manager, Manufacturing engineer, Quality manager, Operations director, Finance / Capital planning, VP/COO, Other
• What is the approval threshold that triggers executive review for this project? Options: <$50k, $50k–$250k, $250k–$1M, >$1M, Not sure / depends
• How committed is budget to performance vs. lowest-cost solution? Options: Performance prioritized (we'll pay for guarantees), Balanced (cost with minimum guarantees), Cost-driven (strict cap), Undecided
• Are there capital gating dates or board/quarterly reviews that effectively set immovable deadlines?

How Work Actually Flows (Not How It Looks on Paper)

• What single process step today causes the most frequent takt misses or line imbalances?
• Please provide your current target cycle time and the typical realized cycle time (per unit or per station).
• Which of these constraints apply to the line today? Options: Limited floor space, Line-height/ergonomics limits, Insufficient power or compressed air, Part presentation / feeder issues, Material lead-times, Regulatory/cleanroom requirements, High variant mix / frequent changeovers, Other
• Walk us through a normal material flow for one unit from raw parts to packed product—where do delays or handoffs occur?
• How do you currently handle part traceability, serialization, and data capture on this line? Options: Fully implemented, Partial / manual, Planned but not implemented, Not required / none

The Production Numbers That Keep You Up at Night

• If you had to pick one metric that would make you sleep easier tomorrow, which would it be and why? Options: Cycle time / throughput, First-pass yield (FPY), Uptime / availability, OEE, Changeover time, Quality escapes / recalls
• What is your required first-pass yield target for this line? (Be specific—percent or range) Options: <90%, 90–95%, 95–97%, >98%, Target depends on station
• What baseline uptime or OEE do you need at launch vs. after six months? Options: Launch: 60–70% / 6mo: 75–85%, Launch: 70–80% / 6mo: 80–90%, Launch: 80%+ / 6mo: 85%+, Custom targets—please specify below
• How predictable are your variant mixes run-to-run? Provide typical percent splits and how often you switch.
• What tolerance band or allowable cycle-time variance will you accept before a corrective action is triggered? Options: ±1–2%, ±3–5%, ±6–10%, No formal tolerance defined

When the Line Stops, Who Rushes In?

• If a key station faults at 02:00, what is the realistic time to get the line back to production today? Options: <30 minutes, 30–60 minutes, 1–3 hours, >3 hours, Varies widely / unknown
• How would you describe your maintenance and troubleshooting capability across mechanical, controls, and vision systems? Options: Strong across all three, Strong mechanical, limited controls/vision, Controls capable, vision outsourced, Mostly reliant on external service
• Which spare-parts strategy do you currently use for critical components? Options: Stock critical spares on-site (1yr), Stock minimal spares (1–4 weeks), Call OEM / integrator per incident, No formal spare strategy
• Tell a recent story: describe a breakdown, root cause, who fixed it, and what was missing to prevent recurrence.
• How comfortable are your technicians with troubleshooting PLC logic, robot programs, and vision recipes? Options: Very comfortable, Somewhat comfortable, Basic mechanical only, Not comfortable / need training

What Would Guaranteed Performance Actually Buy You?

• Would you accept a higher upfront cost if we guaranteed cycle time, FPY, and uptime with defined remedies? Options: Yes—would prefer guarantees, Maybe—depends on terms, No—cost cap is priority
• Which outcome is the single highest priority for this project? Options: Hit cycle time from day one, Achieve >98% FPY, Easy maintainability for in-house techs, Fast changeovers between variants, Lowest total cost of ownership
• What acceptance tests and measurable thresholds would make you comfortable signing off at FAT and at site acceptance?
• What remedies or commercial terms would be acceptable if guaranteed performance is not met? Options: Service credits, Extended support at no cost, Partial refund, Rework / retrofit at integrator expense, Other
• Describe what successful handover and six months of post-launch support must include for you to consider the project a win.

When Quality or Throughput Slip — What’s the Human Story?

• How do operators and supervisors typically react when product quality drifts—escalation path and emotional impact?
• How tolerant is leadership to initial launch instability vs. absolute performance on day one? Options: Leadership demands day-one performance, Leadership accepts ramp if roadmap clear, Tolerant if cost and schedule are stable, Mixed / depends on execs
• Which quality escapes cause the biggest operational pain (rework, line stoppage, regulatory risk)? Options: Assembly fit errors, Fastening torque failures, Adhesive/dispense defects, Electrical test failures, Leak/test failures, Other
• How would solving the top quality issue change day-to-day for operators, supervisors, and product owners?

Who Have You Trusted Before—and What Did You Learn?

• Tell us about your last integrator relationship—what worked and what still frustrates you?
• Which reference characteristics would convince you this integrator can deliver (industry, part geometry, speed, volume)? Options: Same industry / product type, Similar cycle time and FPY requirements, Comparable volume / shift pattern, Same regulatory environment, Geographically local reference
• What FAT evidence or on-site demonstrations are non-negotiable for your sign-off? Options: Representative parts run to spec, Full throughput demonstration, Operator-led handoff, Detailed test data and traceability, Third-party witness
• How do you prefer to validate integrator claims—paper specs, site visits, independent labs, or staged acceptance? Options: FAT with representative parts, On-site pilot run, Third-party validation, Paper review + references, Combination

Can We Actually Install When We Say We Can?

• What is the current status of site utilities and which upgrades are already budgeted? Options: All utilities confirmed, Partial—upgrades budgeted, Partial—upgrades not budgeted, Unknown / needs survey
• Which physical constraints could block installation (ceiling height, crane access, doors, floor load)?
• Who will own installation, commissioning, and operator training onsite? Options: Plant team, Integrator lead with plant support, Third-party contractor, Hybrid—integrator + contractor
• What’s your preferred timeline for FAT, shipment, installation, and final acceptance? Provide dates or windows.
• Are there plant shutdown windows or hiring/training constraints that would affect commissioning? Options: Planned shutdown window available, Limited shutdown windows, No shutdowns—must run live install, Undecided

Small Steps, Big Signals — How Do We Commit and Move Forward?

• Would you prefer a phased commitment (concept + detailed design + build) or an all-in turnkey contract? Options: Phased (recommended), All-in turnkey, Unsure—need options
• What decision criteria and internal sign-offs must occur between detailed proposal and PO?
• What would be a meaningful pilot or proof step to build confidence without committing full capital? Options: Short-run pilot cell, Extended FAT with multiple part families, On-site demo with borrowed tooling, Data-sharing review of similar installs
• If we propose performance guarantees, what level of transparency and data access would you need during warranty and support? Options: Real-time data access, Weekly performance reports, On-demand dashboards, On-site monthly reviews, Other
• What immediate next step feels reasonable to you after this discovery—site survey, concept study, or preliminary quote? Options: Site survey, Concept / process study, High-level budgetary quote, Schedule a FAT demo, Other

Tell Us Your Line — The Short Version

• In one sentence, what product or assembly is this line expected to produce?
• What is your target production rate (units per minute / hour / shift) for launch? Options: Units per minute, Units per hour, Units per shift, Units per day, Other
• What is the target cycle time per unit you need from day one?
• What is your current cycle time (if this is a retool) or internal best estimate for this new product? Options: < 5s, 5-15s, 15-30s, 30-60s, > 60s, Unknown
• Which plant and shift will this first go into, and who will be the local operational owner?
• What is your desired go-live date or window? Options: Within 3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, 12+ months, TBD

What’s Actually Slowing You Down?

• We often hear teams accept recurring downtime as 'just part of the cost'—what failures or slow points have you come to tolerate?
• List the top 3 failure modes (mechanical, tooling, vision, PLC, material feed, operator) and how often each occurs:
• When one of these failures happens, what is the typical time-to-repair (MTTR) and who is called to fix it? Options: < 5 min, 5-30 min, 30-120 min, > 2 hours, Varies widely
• How much unplanned production loss (minutes or % of shift) do these events create on an average week? Options: < 1%, 1-5%, 5-10%, 10-20%, > 20%
• Tell us about the last time a line stoppage cost you production—what failed, why, and what was the consequence?
• Which of these impacts matters most to your leadership when failures happen? Options: Throughput loss, Scrap/rework, Customer deliveries, Safety incidents, Ongoing warranty risk

Changeovers: How Much Time Are You Willing To Lose?

• If changeovers routinely consume X hours per day, why has that been acceptable until now?
• How often do you change product variants on this cell or line (per shift / day / week)? Options: Multiple times per shift, Once per shift, Once per day, Few times per week, Infrequently
• What is your current average changeover time and its variability (best / typical / worst)?
• Who performs the changeover steps (operators, technicians, external support) and what skills/tools do they need? Options: Operators, Maintenance technicians, Dedicated SMED team, Vendor support, Other
• Which changeover steps are most error-prone or time-consuming (mechanical adjustments, recipe load, tooling swaps, vision targets)?
• How important is achieving standardized rapid changeovers (SMED) versus accepting longer but predictable swaps? Options: Critical, Important, Nice to have, Not a priority

Can Your Team Own Day-One Maintainability?

• Many integrators hand over a complex system—what would make your technicians confident to maintain it from day one?
• Describe your maintenance team's average experience level with robots, PLCs, vision, and servo systems: Options: Highly experienced across all, Experienced in some domains, Limited experience, Mostly external vendor reliance
• Do you have formal preventive maintenance routines today and can you share intervals (daily / weekly / monthly) you follow? Options: Yes - documented, Yes - informal, Planned but not executed, No
• What spare-part strategy do you run for critical items (stock levels, single-source suppliers, consignment, none)? Options: Local stocked spares, Centralized plant spares, Vendor-held consignment, No planned spares, Other
• How quickly must a component be replaced before you incur severe production pain (hours)? Options: < 1 hour, 1-4 hours, 4-12 hours, 12-24 hours, > 24 hours
• Would you be open to train-the-trainer programs, tiered sparing packages, or SLA-based remote support to shorten MTTR? Options: Yes - all, Prefer training + limited SLA, Prefer SLA only, Not interested

Which Guarantee Would Move the Needle?

• If an integrator could legally guarantee one performance metric, which would change your team’s risk calculus most—cycle time, first-pass yield, or uptime? Options: Cycle time, First-pass yield, Uptime/availability, All equally, Other
• What minimum numbers would you accept as a guarantee (e.g., cycle time target, >98% FPY, % uptime)? Please be specific.
• How do you prefer guarantees to be measured and validated—FAT with production parts, on-site performance runs, third-party audit, or contractual KPIs? Options: FAT with parts, On-site performance runs, Third-party audit, Contractual KPIs, Other
• What remedies or commercial structures are acceptable if guarantees are missed (service credits, rework, penalties, extended support)? Options: Service credits, Extended on-site support, Rework at vendor expense, Monetary penalty, Other
• How comfortable is your approval chain with accepting performance-based commercial terms vs. fixed-price hardware-only bids? Options: Prefer performance-based, Open to mixed, Prefer fixed-price, No view

Site Realities Integrators Often Miss

• What site constraints should we treat as non-negotiable (power capacity, air, floor loading, ceiling height, cleanroom class, ESD)?
• Have you had past projects delayed by IT/network, firewall, or data-retention policies? If so, what blocked the integration? Options: Yes - firewall/IT, Yes - data policy, No, Not sure yet
• Describe your material flow into and out of the cell: parts presentation, kitting, inbound inspection, scrap handling, and finished goods staging.
• Are there safety, ergonomic, or union requirements that impose specific design constraints we should know about? Options: Yes - safety limits, Yes - ergonomic rules, Union constraints, None, Unsure
• What shift pattern, break structure, and operator skill mix will the cell need to support? Options: Single shift, Two shifts, Three shifts, Flexible shifts, Weekend only
• Are there local calibration, traceability, or regulatory requirements (ISO, FDA, automotive standards) that affect test equipment or data logging? Options: ISO/TS/IATF, FDA, No special regs, Other

Show Us the Numbers — Evidence We Can Trust

• What historical data can you share to validate current cycle time and FPY claims (cycle time logs, scrap reports, SPC charts)?
• Do you have representative parts, tooling, and gages we can use for CAD reviews and FAT-level runs? Options: Yes - full kit available, Partial samples, Only drawings/CAD, Not available yet
• Can you provide sample failure logs or defect images so we can assess vision and test reliability requirements? Options: Yes - logs & images, Yes - logs only, No, Will compile on request
• What throughput profiles do we need to validate during FAT—continuous rate, burst rate, or mixed-family runs? Options: Continuous, Burst, Mixed-family, Other
• What is your tolerance for false rejects vs. false accepts in vision/test (i.e., safety margin or binning policy)? Options: Minimize false accepts, Minimize false rejects, Balance both, Unsure
• Who will attend the FAT from your side and what sign-off authority will they hold?

If This Succeeds, What Changes?

• Imagine the cell hits guaranteed cycle time and >98% FPY—what immediate business outcomes would you expect?
• Which internal KPIs would you track to declare the project a success during the first 6 months? Options: Cycle time attainment, FPY or scrap rate, Throughput, OEE, Warranty escapes, Operator feedback
• How will achieving these outcomes affect capacity planning, labor allocation, or downstream processes?
• What levels of post-launch support would make your operations team comfortable during the first six months? Options: Dedicated on-site support, Remote 24/7 SLA, Weekly tuning visits, On-call support as needed, Training refreshers
• Are there organizational constraints (budget windows, executive reviews, capital gating) that will limit acceptance timing even if performance is achieved? Options: Yes - capital gating, Yes - executive review, No major constraints, TBD

What Would Make Deployment Low-Risk?

• What single operational condition would have to be true for you to feel confident we can ship and install without repeated on-site fixes?
• Which of these preparations can you commit to before installation: confirmed utilities, cleared staging area, materials kitted, IT access, local tech availability? Options: All of the above, Most of the above, Some of the above, None yet
• Who is empowered to sign acceptance at each gate (FAT, site acceptance, production handover) and what information do they require?
• What timeline constraints are immovable (e.g., product launch date, customer delivery commitment)?
• What would be a reasonable next step after this discovery call to reduce ambiguity and accelerate alignment? Options: Schedule on-site survey, Share cycle-time logs and parts, Agree FAT scope, Draft a mutual workback schedule, Other

Start Here: What Brought You to Automation?

• What prompted you to explore an automated assembly solution today? Options: New product launch, Capacity crunch, Quality shortfall, Labor constraints, Cost reduction target, Regulatory/traceability need, Other
• Which production metric would you most like to improve in the next 6 months? Options: Cycle time / throughput, First-pass yield (FPY), Uptime / availability, Labor per unit, Changeover time, OEE
• Tell us briefly about the product family: volumes, typical daily output, and the most common variant mix.
• Who in your organization will feel the biggest positive impact if this project succeeds? Options: Plant Manager, Manufacturing Engineer, Quality Manager, Operations Director, Finance/Capital Approver, Maintenance Lead, Other
• How soon do you need a solution in place to avoid negative business impact? Options: Immediate (weeks), Near-term (1–3 months), Quarterly (3–6 months), Planning stage (>6 months)

Are You Settling for 'Good Enough'?

• What performance problem have you been told is 'just how it is'—but you suspect could be materially improved with the right automation?
• How long have you been accepting this issue, and what has kept it from being prioritized up to now? Options: Less than 6 months, 6–12 months, 1–3 years, Over 3 years
• What is the typical business impact when that problem occurs (e.g., scrap cost, missed customer shipments, overtime, line stops)?
• When that issue occurs, who is pulled into firefighting and what do they usually do first?
• If we could remove that pain point entirely, what immediate operational or financial change would you measure first? Options: Reduced scrap costs, Reduced cycle time, Fewer line stops, Less overtime, Improved customer on-time delivery, Other

Where the Bottlenecks Actually Hide

• Which single process step most often derails your target cycle time or FPY? Options: Manual assembly/tactile fit, Fastening/joining, Adhesive/dispense cure, Vision inspection, Part presentation/feeding, Test/functional station, Material supply
• Walk us through a typical failure mode there—what fails, how frequently, and how long to recover?
• What variability in incoming parts or subassemblies causes the most trouble for that step? Options: Dimensional variation, Surface finish/contamination, Connector orientation, Material stiffness, None / tightly controlled, Other
• How do operators or maintenance normally troubleshoot that station when cycle time slips or quality drops?
• Have you tried small automation fixes at that step before? What worked and what didn't?

If We Could Guarantee One Thing, Which Would It Be?

• Which single guarantee would change your decision to proceed: guaranteed cycle time, guaranteed FPY >98%, or guaranteed maintainability/uptime? Options: Guaranteed cycle time, Guaranteed FPY >98%, Guaranteed uptime/availability, All three equally, Other
• Why that guarantee—what downstream decisions or contracts depend on it?
• If we offered a staged guarantee tied to FAT performance, which acceptance metric would you want in writing first? Options: Cycle time per product, Throughput/hour, First-pass yield, Changeover time, Mean time to repair (MTTR)
• How would you prefer performance risk to be shared (e.g., financial penalties, extended support, joint sign-off milestones)? Options: Performance rebate/penalty, Extended free support window, Joint acceptance gates, Holdback until performance met, Other
• What internal KPI would you use to judge whether the guarantee was successful after 90 days? Options: FPY, Throughput vs target, OEE baseline, Downtime events, Cost per good part

Who Holds the Keys — Decision and Dollars?

• If this project were ready to sign tomorrow, who would need to approve it and what is their approval threshold? Options: Plant Manager, Operations Director, Engineering Director, CFO/Finance, VP Manufacturing, CEO/Board
• Describe the capital approval process and typical timing from request to signed PO. Options: Less than 2 weeks, 2–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, Over 12 weeks
• What documentation or evidence is most persuasive for your approvers (ROI model, FAT results, customer references, reliability data)? Options: ROI / TCO model, Factory Acceptance Test results, Site reference visits, Reliability MTBF/MTTR data, Detailed engineering drawings
• Are there lease, grant, or depreciation preferences that shape your preferred commercial structure (capex, opex, leasing)? Options: CapEx purchase, Operating lease, Service contract, Grant-funded, Unsure / Evaluating
• Who will be the named project sponsor and day-to-day owner on your side post-contract?

Day One, No Surprises — What Should We Deliver?

• Imagine the first production shift after go-live; what visible signs would show this project was a success?
• What are the non-negotiable handover items for you (e.g., validated recipes, spare parts kit, operator manuals)? Options: Validated recipes/parameters, Spare parts kit, Maintenance checklist, Operator training completion, OEE baseline report, Acceptance test report
• How many operators and technicians need training, and what skill level do you expect them to achieve? Options: Operators only (basic), Operators + technicians (intermediate), Technicians only (advanced), Full cross-functional training
• What evidence will you accept as proof of readiness on installation day (e.g., performance run, signed FAT report, training sign-offs)? Options: Performance acceptance run, Signed FAT / test protocols, Training competency sign-off, Documented recipe transfer, All of the above
• Which post-launch support cadence would make you most comfortable for the first 90 days? Options: On-site daily initially, Weekly on-site + remote daily, Remote support with rapid on-site SLA, Ad-hoc on-site as needed

What Could Kill This Project After Delivery?

• What single post-installation risk would make you most likely to stop the line or pause deployment? Options: Unacceptable FPY, Unreliable cycle time, Safety concerns, Integration failures with plant IT, Inability to maintain with in-house staff, Other
• Have you experienced similar failures with past integrations? Please describe one example and its root cause.
• What escalation path and timeframe do you expect from a supplier when a critical failure occurs after handover? Options: Immediate on-site same day, Next business day on-site, Remote diagnosis within hours, 72-hour on-site response
• What spare parts or obsolescence policies do you insist on to avoid long downtime? Options: 1 year spares on-site, 3 year recommended spares, Vendor-managed spares, Obsolescence notification, Other
• If we proposed a performance-backed support package, what elements would make it feel fair to you? Options: Defined SLA with credits, Dedicated field engineer, Spare parts consignment, On-site support days included, Remote monitoring and alerts

Site Reality Check — Utilities, Layout, and People

• What single site limitation would prevent a successful installation (power, floor load, ceiling height, access, or network)? Options: Insufficient electrical service, No compressed air, Floor load limits, Tight access / doorways, No reliable Ethernet/IT access, None / site ready
• Which utilities and interfaces are available at the target area? Select all that apply. Options: 3-phase power with spare capacity, 480V / 400V / 208V (specify), Compressed air at plant pressure, Plant Ethernet / VLAN access, Safety-rated E-stop circuits, None verified yet
• Please describe the preferred material flow and where the new cell should tie into inbound/outbound conveyors or storage.
• What are the floor-to-ceiling height and minimum door/aisle widths in the installation zone? (numbers preferred)
• How many in-house technicians are available for installation and commissioning, and what are their typical shift patterns? Options: No available technicians, 1–2 technicians (single shift), 3–5 technicians (single/multi shift), Dedicated maintenance team (multi-shift)
• Do you have an internal IT/OT policy for connecting third-party PLCs/HMIs to your network? If so, please summarize any mandatory requirements.

Timeline, Risk Appetite, and Next Steps

• If everything aligned perfectly—budget, approvals, and site prep—when would you want to run a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)? Options: Within 2 weeks, 1 month, 2–3 months, >3 months
• What's your preferred FAT model: full-replication at our factory, hybrid FAT with sample parts, or virtual/remote FAT? Options: Full factory FAT with representative parts, Hybrid FAT (partial on-site + remote), Remote/virtual FAT with streamed tests, Customer witness only at deployment
• What budget range has been allocated or preliminarily approved for this scope? Options: <$250k, $250k–$500k, $500k–$1M, >$1M, Not yet defined
• What would make you say 'yes' to a pilot or phased scope rather than a full-line commitment? Options: Lower upfront capital, Risk-limited performance targets, Shorter lead time, Reference site assurance, Other
• Who should we include in the next planning session to move from discovery to a scoped proposal? Options: Plant Manager, Manufacturing Engineer, Maintenance Lead, Quality Manager, Finance/Capital Approver, IT/OT representative
• Anything else you want us to know right now that would change how we scope or price a solution for you?

• FAT Planning & Acceptance Criteria Alignment
• Pre-FAT Readiness Check (Operational Go/No-Go)
• FAT Functional & Integration Test Session
• FAT Performance Run & Acceptance Tests
• FAT Review, Acceptance Sign-off & Shipment Authorization

• Achieve and document FPY ≥ agreed threshold (e.g., >98%) across representative parts and variants.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Calibration team to finalize vision/fixture calibration and confirm limits in writing.
• IT/Integrations to verify data export, timestamping, and storage location for FAT evidence.
• Logistics to stage representative parts and spare kits at the test station with trace tags.
• Assign a readiness owner to clear any 'hold' items within the agreed remediation window.
• Kickoff: Reconfirm Goals & Success Metrics
• Validate that all stations and interfaces operate correctly with representative parts under scripted conditions.
• Prove that alarms, error handling and recovery meet agreed expectations and document any residual issues.
• Capture baseline single-cycle metrics to be used in performance run comparisons.
• Mechanics to correct alignment issues identified and report completion before performance run.
• Controls to update any PLC logic or HMI text required by functional tests.
• Quality to confirm FPY measurement points and scrap/defect logging are enabled.
• Run Kickoff & Reminders
• Demonstrate sustained cycle time and throughput at the agreed rate over the full run window.
• Integrator to publish the detailed FAT script, data capture schema, and acceptance evidence template.
• Produce a complete, time-stamped evidence package (logs, videos, OEE, FPY results) for formal review.
• Validate that technician-level recovery procedures keep downtime within agreed limits.
• Data team to export time-stamped logs, cycle-time histograms, FPY calculations, and OEE summaries into the evidence package.
• Quality to create defect logs with sample photos/videos and link to part traceability for every failed unit in the run.
• Operations to document actual changeover times and recipe steps executed during variant runs.
• Presentation of Evidence against Acceptance Criteria
• Obtain formal customer acceptance or a clearly-scoped conditional-acceptance with owners and deadlines.
• Ensure every acceptance decision is backed by time-stamped evidence mapped to agreed KPIs.
• Agree shipment timeline, on-site acceptance activities, and the first-six-month support plan.
• Integrator to publish the final FAT report and sign-off document with embedded evidence links for archive and audit.
• If conditional, create a punch-list with owners, target dates, verification method, and an agreed follow-up meeting date.
• Operations & Logistics to execute the shipping checklist and provide tentative installation/commissioning dates.
• Create an explicit one-line current-state and a quantified consequence statement to drive FAT urgency.
• Agree the precise, measurable acceptance criteria (cycle time, throughput, FPY, uptime) the FAT must demonstrate.
• Finalize the FAT script, representative parts list, data requirements, and owners for each test section.
• Establish go/no-go checkpoints and contingency actions before execution.
• Customer to deliver representative part kits, traceability paperwork, and variant mix for FAT.
• Both parties to confirm attendees, decision-makers, and a FAT calendar with time-blocked run windows.
• Engineering to list required utilities, spare parts, and diagnostics tools to have on hand for FAT.
• Safety & Test Rules Brief
• Confirm all physical, controls, and data systems are ready to execute the FAT without avoidable interruptions.
• Validate that the exact test recipes and representative parts are loaded and traceable.
• Obtain a documented go/no-go decision or a short remediation plan to achieve readiness.
• Physical & Utility Readiness Walkthrough
• One-sentence Current State
• Continuous Performance Run
• Station-by-Station Functional Tests
• Tie Outcomes Back to Customer Consequence
• Integration Sequence Tests
• Control System & HMI Verification
• Scheduled Checkpoints & Interim Analysis
• Explicit Consequence
• Decision: Accept / Conditional Accept / Reject
• Error/Recovery & Fault Injection
• Define Future-State Success Metrics
• Variant/changeover Scenarios
• Data Pipeline & Measurement Validation
• Remediation Plan & Owners (if applicable)
• Shipment Authorization & Post-Launch Support
• Representative Parts, Recipes & Test Cases
• Single-cycle Timing & Baseline Capture
• Dry-run With Dummy Parts
• Fault Handling During Run
• Test Plan & Data Requirements

Quick Introductions — what are we working on?

• What product or assembly are we preparing this automation solution for? (brief name/part number)
• Which role best describes you on this project? Options: Manufacturing Engineer, Plant Manager, Automation Engineer, Quality Engineer, Director of Operations, Procurement, Other
• Target production start / launch window? Options: Within 3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, 12+ months, TBD
• What is the initial production cadence you expect (units per hour / per shift)?
• What are the top three success metrics for this project from your perspective?

If This Broke Tomorrow — what's the true cost?

• If the current process failed to meet required volume tomorrow, what immediate consequence would you face? Options: Line downtime, Missed customer delivery / penalties, Quality escapes / rework, Loss of business or customer confidence, Expedited shipping / overtime costs, Other
• Which specific station(s) or operation(s) tend to be the most fragile—where do jams, rejects, or slowdowns begin?
• How often do unplanned stoppages occur and what is the typical average downtime per stoppage? Options: Multiple times daily, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely / almost never
• When a failure happens, who is typically called first and how quickly can they respond? Options: In-house maintenance (immediate), In-house maintenance (delayed), Vendor support per SLA, No consistent responder, Other
• Tell us about the last three production-impacting incidents—what happened, what fixed it, and how long recovery took?

Where the Clock and Quality Collide

• If you could not hit your target cycle time and >98% FPY on day one, what would that mean for launch and business commitments? Options: Customer penalties, Extra shifts/overtime, Increased scrap and rework, Delayed ramp and lost revenue, Executive escalation, Other
• What is your target cycle time (specify unit: seconds/minutes) and target throughput per hour/day?
• What is your current first-pass yield and how do you currently measure it? Options: % per station, % per line, PPM / defects per million, Audit sampling, Other
• Which operations are most sensitive to cycle time (select all that apply)? Options: Vision inspection, Fastening/torque, Press-fit operations, Adhesive dispensing / cure time, Functional test, Material handling / indexing
• How do you currently capture cycle time variability and where are you already holding buffers (manual steps, extra stations, buffer conveyors)?
• How close are part tolerances and fixture margins to the limits of your existing tooling? Options: Comfortable margin, Moderate risk, Near limits of capability, Unknown / not measured

Who's Really Holding the Keys?

• Who could veto this project at final approval, and what typically motivates their 'no'? Options: Plant Manager, CFO / Finance, Quality Director, VP Manufacturing, Procurement, Safety / EHS, Other
• What is your capital approval threshold and typical decision timeline for projects like this? Options: < $50k, $50k–$250k, $250k–$1M, > $1M, Not defined / varies
• Which stakeholders must be satisfied on technical performance vs commercial terms (select all that apply)? Options: Manufacturing Engineering, Operations / Line Supervisors, Quality, IT/OT, Finance, Legal / Contracts
• What evidence or deliverables do approvers need to sign off (ROI, FAT report, references, risk register, acceptance criteria)? Options: ROI / Payback analysis, FAT reports with video/data, Customer references, Risk / mitigation plan, Acceptance test protocols, Other
• How confident are you that budget and timeline align with executive priorities? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Not confident

Things We Don't Talk About — but Always Break Projects

• What's one shop-floor reality you rarely tell suppliers that, if known, would change how they'd design the system?
• What are your changeover requirements—how often and what is the maximum allowable changeover time? Options: Continuous single-product run, Frequent changeovers (every few hours), Shift-level changeovers (<30 minutes), Long changeovers (>2 hours), Other
• Describe the typical skill level of your maintenance technicians and what handover/training depth they require. Options: Highly skilled (PLC/robot experienced), Moderately skilled (mechanical familiar), Basic / need step-by-step guidance, Varies widely across shifts
• Are there environmental, regulatory, or cleanliness constraints we must design to (cleanroom class, ESD, ISO 13485, IATF 16949)? Options: Cleanroom required, ESD controls required, ISO 13485 / medical, IATF 16949 / automotive, No special constraints, Other
• Do you have restrictions on vendors, materials, or approved components we must respect? Options: Strict approved vendor list, Preferred vendors, Open to integrator suppliers, Undecided / TBD
• How quickly must spare parts be available to avoid meaningful downtime? Options: On-site spares (immediate), Same-day delivery, 48–72 hours, Up to a week, Not defined

If Day One Was Headline News

• If Day One exceeded expectations, what single metric or outcome would you want to lead the internal memo? Options: Cycle time met or exceeded target, >98% first-pass yield, First-week throughput target achieved, Zero critical defects, Smooth operator adoption with positive feedback, Other
• What operator or supervisor feedback would convince you the system is maintainable by your technicians?
• How many shifts and what staffing levels will run the line at launch and at steady state? Options: 1 shift, 2 shifts, 3 shifts, Flexible / seasonal, Undecided
• What does a successful 30-day ramp look like—specific metrics and milestones we should plan to hit?
• What day‑one data and dashboards are essential for you (select all that apply)? Options: OEE overall, Station-level FPY, SPC / process control charts, Lot traceability, Operator logs, Other
• How would you prefer performance guarantees and remedies to be structured? Options: Fixed performance penalties, Remediation work included, Service credits, Hybrid approach, Open to discussion

The Assumption That Could Sink Us

• Which single assumption in our current plan—if proven false—would cause the project to fail?
• How variable are incoming part dimensions and what percentage typically fail incoming inspection? Options: <0.1%, 0.1–1%, 1–5%, >5%, Unknown / not measured
• Who supplies the critical components and how stable are their lead times? Options: Single supplier, stable lead times, Single supplier, volatile, Multiple suppliers, In-house fabrication, Other
• Do you foresee integration challenges with your MES/ERP/PLC standards or cybersecurity policies? Options: Yes, significant concerns, Some concerns, No major issues, Unsure / need IT to confirm
• If required, would you allow performance validation using engineering samples or limited-quality parts before full production parts are available? Options: Yes, with limitations, Yes, fully, No, only production parts, Unsure
• What contingency budget or schedule buffer is already committed to cover unknowns? Options: None, 5–10%, 10–20%, >20%, Undisclosed / TBD

How We’ll Prove It — acceptance to the letter of victory

• If results could be cosmetically 'massaged', what absolute evidence would you insist on to trust claimed performance?
• Which acceptance tests are non‑negotiable for you (select all that apply)? Options: Cycle time demonstration runs, Sustained FPY performance over time, OEE baseline measurement, Changeover verification, Environmental / regulatory tests, Other
• How many consecutive production-quality cycles or hours do you require to accept the system at FAT or on-site? Options: 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, Custom / other
• What statistical confidence, sample size, or defect thresholds do you expect for FPY guarantees? Options: 100% inspection (every unit), 99% confidence interval, 95% confidence interval, Predefined sample size, Undecided / discuss
• Do you require customer witness at FAT, independent lab verification, or both? Options: Customer witness at FAT, Independent third-party verification, Both, Integrator-only is acceptable, Undecided
• What post-acceptance monitoring period and metrics do you expect (e.g., first 30/90/180 days)? Options: First 30 days, First 90 days, First 6 months, Ongoing SLA with reviews, Other

Install Day Reality Check — are we truly ready?

• What single site-prep item would stop installation cold if it were missing or incorrect?
• Are utilities (power at required voltage, compressed air, plant Ethernet) documented and available at the install location? Options: Yes, verified and available, Planned but unverified, No, Unknown
• Do you have floor load-bearing specs, exact layout, and material flow maps available for installation planning? Options: Yes, detailed and current, Partial documentation, No, will provide later, In progress
• Who will be the on-site owner for installation and what are their hours / normal availability? Options: Plant Engineer, Maintenance Lead, Operations Manager, Third-party contractor, TBD
• Will required handling gear (cranes, forklifts) and delivery permits be arranged for equipment arrival? Options: Yes, arranged, Planned but not confirmed, No, Unknown
• Is IT/OT clearance in place for PLC/HMI connectivity, and any firewall/VPN requirements documented? Options: Yes, IT cleared, Pending IT approval, No, Unknown

The First Six Months — your comfort and escalation map

• If you woke up on day 90 and performance had degraded, what would be the first thing you would expect us to do?
• What level of on-site support do you expect in week 1, month 1, and month 3? Options: Daily on-site during week 1, Weekly visits during month 1, Monthly review visits, Dedicated resident engineer for a period, Remote as-needed support only
• What response time SLA do you require for critical launch issues? Options: 4 hours, 8 hours, 24 hours, Next business day, Other
• Which spare parts should be included in an initial 'on-site kit' to avoid common stoppages (select all needed)? Options: Vision cameras & lenses, Belts / conveyors, Fastening tools / driver bits, PLC / I/O modules, Pneumatic valves, Sensors / proximity switches, Other
• How would you like post-launch governance to work—shared dashboard, weekly ops call, escalation contact, or monthly exec review? Options: Shared dashboard with live metrics, Weekly operational review meetings, Dedicated escalation contact with SLAs, Monthly executive performance review, Combination of the above
• What documentation and training handovers are mandatory for your auditors and teams (select all that apply)? Options: As-built mechanical drawings, PLC and robot code with comments, Operator manuals and quick reference cards, Maintenance guides and spare parts list, Training sessions and recorded videos, Traceability and FAT reports