Quick Line Snapshot

• Tell me about the production line you want to automate, including the product family, typical cycle, and how many shifts run it each week.
• On a typical shift, how many units does your team aim to produce at this station, and what is your takt time in seconds or minutes? Options: Under 10s, 10–30s, 30s–2min, 2–5min, Over 5min, Unknown
• How often do unplanned stops occur on the line you want to address, measured in events per week? Options: Multiple times per shift, Once per shift, A few times per week, Rarely, Unknown
• Estimate the current scrap or rework rate for parts coming out of this station as a percentage of total output. Options: Under 0.1%, 0.1%–0.5%, 0.5%–2%, Over 2%, Unknown
• Which physical artifacts can you share or point to during scoping, line layout drawings, cycle charts, or a short phone video of the cell? Options: Line layout drawing, Cycle time chart, Video of current cell, Failure logs, None available right now
• Describe who on your team will be the day-to-day contact during concept and who signs technical acceptance at handover.

Where the Line Really Breaks

• What single failure mode on this station would make you stop the project immediately if unresolved? Options: Safety interlock gap, PLC interface unavailable, Insufficient robot reach/payload, Unrecoverable quality defect, Other
• When that failure mode occurs, walk me through the sequence: who is alerted, how long the line stops, and what temporary workaround you use.
• Who on your operations or maintenance team currently owns diagnosing and repairing those failures, and do they have documented procedures? Options: Operations team, Maintenance team, Dedicated automation engineer, Third-party contractor, Not documented
• How much downtime in hours per week does that failure mode typically cause, and what is your estimated cost per hour of line stoppage? Options: Under 1 hour/week, 1–4 hours/week, 4–12 hours/week, Over 12 hours/week, Unknown
• Which parts of the cell are most sensitive to small shifts in robot repeatability or timing, for example vision pick offsets, weld quality, or torque tolerances? Options: Vision pick accuracy, Weld bead consistency, Torque/assembly fit, Conveyor tracking sync, Other
• Describe the last major incident that exceeded your normal tolerance for downtime, why it happened, and how the team fixed it.

What You've Tried and the Alternatives You're Weighing

• Who else are you actively considering to solve this problem, including internal design efforts or other integrators or product platforms? Options: Internal build, Local system integrator, Regional integrator network, Direct from a manufacturer, Other
• List the options you have already evaluated and a short note on why each was kept or rejected.
• What would have to be true about your current, in-house approach for you to keep it instead of buying an outside solution? Options: Lower cost than external, Faster deployment than external, Equal or better uptime, Available headcount to support, Will not stay with internal approach
• Has anyone inside your organization proposed solving this without an outside partner, and if so what resources did they estimate they would need? Options: Yes, minimal resources, Yes, moderate resources, Yes, large resources, No internal proposal
• What single outcome would make you walk away from the incumbent or your internal plan and choose a new partner immediately? Options: Clear uptime improvement, Payback within target window, Local integrator available, Improved quality beyond threshold, Other

If the Line Worked Exactly as You Needed

• If your station ran at target cycle and quality for 30 days without unplanned stops, what operational metric would change first for your team? Options: Throughput, Yield/scrap reduction, Labor redeployment, Reduced overtime, Customer defect rate
• Imagine a completed cell where operators are confident and maintenance has predictable intervals, what daily activities would look different for your frontline team?
• Name the top three performance targets you would use to declare a pilot successful, for example parts per hour, scrap under X%, or uptime over Y%.
• How much variability in cycle time or part placement can your downstream stations tolerate before quality or throughput is impacted? Options: Under 1%, 1%–3%, 3%–7%, Over 7%, Unknown
• Would achieving those targets change your rollout plans across other lines, and if so how quickly could you scale? Options: Immediate multi-line rollout, Pilot then phased rollouts, One additional site in 6–12 months, No immediate scaling planned

Who Holds the Keys and What Could Stop This

• Which single approval, budget, or site-level decision would block you from moving forward even if the pilot hits its numbers? Options: Capital approval delay, Safety sign-off missing, No integrator capacity, Change in business priority, Other
• List the stakeholders who must approve pilot scope and final purchase, and indicate their primary concern: cost, operations, maintenance, or safety. Options: Cost/Finance, Operations/Production, Maintenance/Engineering, Site Safety, Procurement/Legal
• How do your approval gates typically work for capital projects of this size, including timelines and committees involved?
• If the pilot proves the agreed savings and uptime, who has the authority to sign the follow-on purchase and what is their typical decision window? Options: Plant Director within 2 weeks, VP Operations within 1 month, Capital Committee within 1–3 months, Unclear
• Would any one stakeholder be able to veto the project even after a successful pilot, and who would that be? Options: Yes, Safety, Yes, Finance, Yes, Operations, No single veto

Practical Gates: Power, Controls, Safety, and Staffing

• What single site constraint, such as power capacity, floor loading, or restricted access windows, would prevent installation on your timeline? Options: Insufficient power capacity, No staging area, Restricted access windows, Incomplete safety approvals, Other
• Do you have available electrical service and Ethernet/industrial network endpoints at the cell, and can you share a recent panel schedule or network map? Options: Power and network ready, Power only ready, Network only ready, Neither ready, Can provide on request
• Name the owners for PLC, MES, and IT who must be involved for integration and whether they are available during commissioning windows.
• Are APIs, published protocols, or documented signal lists available for your PLC and MES today, and if not who would provide access? Options: APIs available, Protocols documented, Signal lists available, No documentation, Unknown
• Are there regulatory, union, or safety committee approvals that typically add time to deployments at your site? Options: Yes, safety committee, Yes, union approvals, Yes, regulatory permits, No extra approvals, Unknown
• Describe your preferred installation windows and any blackout periods where work cannot occur.

Acceptance Criteria and Next Moves

• If a pilot meets the throughput, quality, and uptime targets you named, what would stop you from signing a production contract that week? Options: Budget approvals pending, Integrator capacity, Warranty or service terms, Safety sign-off incomplete, Nothing stops us
• Which exact acceptance measurements will you require during commissioning, for example parts per hour, first-pass yield, and percent uptime over a week?
• How will you measure mean time between failures and how often must we report it before you consider full rollout? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, On request
• Would you prefer a pilot that uses your staff for day-to-day operation during validation or a seller-run validation with handoff at the end? Options: Buyer-run with seller support, Seller-run with training handoff, Hybrid approach
• Realistically, what is your target decision timeframe from pilot to sign for a successful pilot? Options: Immediately to 2 weeks, 2–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, Longer than 12 weeks, Undecided
• What would be a reasonable next step from your perspective after this discovery conversation? Options: Line site visit, Cell simulation and cycle study, Technical scoping session with PLC/IT owners, Pilot proposal, Other

• Solution Experience — Line Layouts, Takt, and Failure Modes

• Confirm the current state and its cost
• You confirm the restated current state and accept the quantified cost estimate as accurate.
• Provide a detailed line layout drawing with true-to-scale dimensions and the target takt per operation.
• Orientation on the end-to-end process
• You confirm at least one platform plus integration pattern meets your takt, reach, and payload needs on paper.
• List the top three failure modes, their frequency, and current mean time to repair for each.
• Map robot platforms to your line layouts and takt targets
• Deliver a tailored cell simulation showing expected cycle time, uptime, and scrap rate for the two candidate platform/layout options within five business days.
• You agree on the remaining evidence required to move to formal scope and pricing, and the timelines for that evidence.
• Run the MTBF and downtime cost model for the preferred option and share results ahead of the Solution Scope stage.
• Prove integration patterns against your failure modes
• Service model and availability proof
• Validate the future state with a direct question

• Solution Experience — Line Layouts, Takt, and Failure Modes
• Solution Experience Deck
• Solution Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Supply robot unit and controller
• Install robot mechanical mounting and base
• Install safety hardware and interlock integration
• Integrate robot controller with plant PLC
• Install and calibrate vision-system integration
• Install end-of-arm tooling and gripper setup
• Install and calibrate force/torque sensor
• Conveyor tracking and synchronization setup
• Program and teach production motion sequences
• Deliver offline programming and simulation package
• Commission production cell and perform acceptance
• Provide onsite operator and maintenance training
• Deliver spare-parts kit and inventory handover
• Activate preventive maintenance and service contract

Supply robot unit and controller

• Which robot family do you require based on task: six-axis articulated, SCARA, delta, or collaborative robot for the targeted workcell? Options: Six-axis articulated, SCARA, Delta, Collaborative robot, Undecided, need recommendation
• What payload in kilograms and reach in millimeters must the robot support for the heaviest part and longest reach in your cell?
• Which controller interface is required to integrate with your plant network (for example Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, or OPC UA)? Options: Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, Other / Unknown
• How many robot units and spare controllers will be purchased for initial deployment and onsite spares? Options: 1, 2-3, 4-10, More than 10, Undecided
• List the required production cycle time or takt time in seconds that the robot must achieve on the target operation.
• Are there certification or compliance requirements for the controller such as CE, UL, or an industry-specific safety certificate? Options: CE, UL, Other industry certificate, None, Unknown

Install robot mechanical mounting and base

• Provide the floor mounting surface details from your single-line diagram (SLD) or shop drawing: concrete MPA, raised plinth, or steel plate with anchor bolts. Options: Concrete slab with anchor bolts, Raised plinth, Steel plate fixed to structure, Mobile base, Unknown
• What is the available robot cell footprint in millimeters including access aisles and maintenance clearance?
• Which robot flange or wrist interface must the base accommodate for your end-of-arm tooling (specify ISO flange or custom adapter)? Options: ISO standard flange, Custom adapter required, Undecided
• Who will provide the civil works and anchor bolt pattern: your site contractor or we provide mechanical mounting scope? Options: You provide civil works, We provide mounting and civil works, Split scope, specify below
• Are there vibration, temperature, or washdown conditions in the cell that affect mounting materials or IP rating? Options: High vibration, High temperature, Washdown/corrosive environment, Normal factory environment, Unknown
• Specify the maximum allowable deflection or repeatability tolerance at the tool center point in millimeters for the installed base.

Install safety hardware and interlock integration

• Which safety standard applies to this cell: ISO 10218, ISO/TS 15066 for collaborative operation, or local machinery directive? Options: ISO 10218 industrial robot, ISO/TS 15066 collaborative robot, Local machinery directive, Multiple standards, specify in notes
• What safety hardware do you require installed: light curtains, safety mats, interlocked gates, safety-rated monitored stop, or area scanners? Options: Light curtains, Safety mats, Interlocked gates, Area scanners, Safety-rated monitored stop, Other
• Provide the PLC safety controller make or model and the number of safety I O points available for hardwired interlocks.
• Who will hold lockout/tagout (LOTO) authority during installation and commissioning windows and what are the permitted cell access hours? Options: You (site), We (installation team), Shared with named owners, Unknown
• Confirm the required safety-rated stopping performance or Performance Level (PL) or Safety Integrity Level (SIL) for the guarded cell. Options: PL a, PL b, PL c, PL d, PL e, SIL 1+, Unknown
• Are there existing safety drawings or a risk assessment we can use, or do you need us to perform a new risk assessment and provide an updated safety validation report? Options: Existing risk assessment provided, Need new risk assessment and report, Partial documentation available

Integrate robot controller with plant PLC

• What is the PLC model and firmware revision for the cell master controller that the robot will exchange signals with?
• Which fieldbus or industrial ethernet protocol will be used for real time I O and sequence control: Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, or ProfiNet RT? Options: Ethernet/IP, Profinet, Modbus TCP, OPC UA, Other
• How many discrete I O points and how many analog channels must the controller map for sensors, valves, and actuators? Options: Less than 16, 16-32, 33-64, More than 64, Unknown
• List the handshake or sequencing states required between PLC and robot (for example part present, clamp engaged, robot index ready, cycle done).
• Do you require safety-rated I O integration via a safety fieldbus module or is hardwired safety interlock preferred? Options: Safety fieldbus module, Hardwired interlock, Both, Undecided
• Are there existing PLC programs we must adapt or will the PLC code be provided as a deliverable for integration testing? Options: PLC programs provided, PLC code to be adapted by us, PLC programming out of scope

Install and calibrate vision-system integration

• Which vision tasks are required: part location for pick, quality inspection for weld bead, OCR for serial numbers, or presence/absence checks? Options: Pick and place localization, Quality inspection (visual), Optical character recognition OCR, Presence/absence checks, Other
• Provide camera requirements: resolution in megapixels, required detection repeatability in millimeters, and camera frame rate in frames per second for conveyor speeds.
• What lighting control is available or required in the cell: fixed LED ring, strobed flash synchronized to camera, or ambient lighting only? Options: Fixed LED lighting, Strobed synchronized lighting, Ambient factory lighting, Need recommendation
• Which vision software interface must be used for robot pick guidance: native controller SDK, ROS bridge, or third-party vision-to-robot protocol? Options: Native controller SDK, ROS bridge, Third-party vision protocol, Undecided
• How many cameras and calibration targets will be installed per cell and who provides the calibration target fixtures? Options: 1 camera, 2 cameras, 3-4 cameras, More than 4, Undecided
• Are there part variants or SKU-level differences that require multiple vision recipes and how many distinct recipes will be needed? Options: Single recipe, 2-5 recipes, 6-20 recipes, More than 20

Install end-of-arm tooling and gripper setup

• Which end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) style is required: pneumatic parallel gripper, servo-electric gripper, vacuum suction, magnetic, or custom fixture for the part geometry? Options: Pneumatic parallel gripper, Servo-electric gripper, Vacuum suction cup, Magnetic gripper, Custom fixture
• Provide the part weight, grip interface features, and localization datum points used by the gripper on the part.
• What is the required gripping force or vacuum level and the acceptable slip margin for the part during max acceleration and conveyor transfer?
• Do you require tool changers for multi-tool cells and if so specify the number of tool stations and change cycle time allowed. Options: No tool changer, Tool changer with 2-3 stations, Tool changer with 4-8 stations, Undecided
• Who will supply part-specific end effector tooling drawings or 3D CAD models for EOAT design and fit check? Options: You will supply CAD, We design from sample parts, Shared responsibility
• Are there hygiene or washdown requirements for the EOAT materials such as food grade stainless steel or IP67 sealing? Options: Food grade materials required, Washdown rated IP67, Standard industrial materials fine, Unknown

Install and calibrate force/torque sensor

• Which force/torque sensor range do you need in newton-meters or newtons for the contact tasks such as assembly insertion or compliant polishing?
• What mounting interface and calibration fixture will be used for the sensor between robot flange and EOAT? Options: ISO flange adapter, Custom mounting adapter, Tool changer mount, Undecided
• Specify the contact task and the detection threshold for force or torque anomalies that should trigger a stop or fault.
• Do you require in-process force-based compliance control such as impedance control or hybrid position-force control for insertion operations? Options: Yes, impedance/hybrid control, No, position only, Need recommendation
• Who will provide the reference parts or master assemblies used during sensor calibration and verification? Options: You provide reference parts, We provide calibration fixtures, Shared responsibility
• Are there EMI or cabling limitations near the cell that affect sensor cable routing or require shielded connectors? Options: EMI present, shielded cabling needed, No special EMI concerns, Unknown

Conveyor tracking and synchronization setup

• What conveyor tracking method will be used: encoder-based conveyor tracking, vision-based tracking, or mechanical indexer? Options: Encoder-based tracking, Vision-based tracking, Mechanical indexer, Undecided
• Provide the conveyor speed range in meters per minute and common speed during production runs.
• How many tracking marks or fiducials per part do you rely on for pick registration and what is their spacing?
• Which encoder interface is available on your conveyor drive: incremental encoder, absolute encoder, or networked position feedback? Options: Incremental encoder, Absolute encoder, Networked position feedback, No encoder available
• Do you require synchronization to downstream equipment using a common clock or trigger line and which signals are available from the conveyor PLC? Options: Common clock available, Trigger line available, No synchronization available, Need to establish signals
• Are there part-to-part gap constraints or minimum spacing that the tracking algorithm must enforce? Options: Yes, minimum gap specified, No specific gap constraint, Unknown

Program and teach production motion sequences

• List each production sequence to be taught such as pick from conveyor, insert component, fasten, and present for inspection and the desired cycle time per sequence in seconds.
• Who will provide standard operating procedures (SOPs) or cycle flowcharts that define safe sequence steps, handoffs, and fixture states? Options: You provide SOPs, We will document SOPs from walkthroughs, Shared creation
• What allowable position tolerance and repeatability in millimeters must the robot meet for precision assembly or inspection placements?
• Do you require capture of teach points as a deliverable with annotated screenshots and a teach file package for offline backup? Options: Yes deliver teach file package, No, live teaching only, Deliverables optional
• What acceptance test or production sample run criteria will confirm sequence correctness such as percentage of good parts over a 2 hour run or number of consecutive good cycles? Options: 99% good parts over 2 hours, Zero critical defects for 500 cycles, Custom threshold, specify below
• If vision or force feedback is used in the sequence, which fault responses do you require: retry, safe stop, or operator alert via HMI? Options: Automatic retry, Safe stop and fault, Operator HMI alert only, Custom fault behavior

Deliver offline programming and simulation package

• Which CAD or cell layout files will you supply for simulation: STEP files, IGES, or 2D layout drawing? Options: STEP files, IGES files, 2D layout drawing, We will not supply CAD
• Do you require a full-cycle time simulation including collision checks and cycle-time reports for takt analysis? Options: Yes full simulation and collision checks, Only basic reach and envelope checks, No simulation required
• Which offline programming format do you prefer for the deliverable robot programs: native controller program, neutral robot code, or URDF/robot description for integration teams? Options: Native controller program, Neutral robot code, URDF/robot description, Undecided
• How many configuration variants or SKUs must be modeled in the simulation package for branching logic? Options: Single SKU, 2-5 SKUs, 6-20 SKUs, More than 20 SKUs
• Would you like a training license or read-only viewer for the simulation files to use on your engineering workstations? Options: Training license, Read-only viewer, No license needed
• Are cycle-time or throughput targets documented in your project acceptance criteria and should simulation outputs be included in the acceptance packet? Options: Include simulation outputs in acceptance packet, Simulation separate from acceptance, Undecided

• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Purchase Agreement / Order Confirmation
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Acceptance Test Protocol (ATP) / Site Acceptance Test (SAT)
• Integrator Services Addendum
• Maintenance, Spare-Parts & Preventive Care Agreement
• Warranty and Remedies Agreement
• Order Payment Schedule & Commercial Terms
• Change Order Agreement

• Go-live Health Check (weeks 1-4)
• First Measurement Review (weeks 4-10)
• Acceptance Gate Decision (around day 90)
• Quarterly Operational Review (ongoing)

• Schedule any required operator or maintenance refresher training and confirm attendance targets.
• Restate acceptance criteria from Solution Scope
• Produce a documented acceptance decision with pass/fail recorded for each numeric criterion in Solution Scope.
• If applicable, capture the buyer's named signatory or documented buyer owner for the acceptance decision.
• For any failed criterion, agree a remediation plan with clear closure tests and dates.
• Confirm the incumbent wind-down status and data archival or migration completion so no dual-run adoption gap persists.
• Publish the acceptance decision record with criterion-level pass/fail and the buyer signatory within 48 hours.
• If remediation is required, publish the remediation plan with closure tests and target dates.
• Execute the incumbent decommission or retention-read-only plan and report completion of data archival or migration.
• Trend review for uptime and cycle time consistency
• Confirm whether cell uptime (%) and cycle time consistency are sustaining at or above the targets recorded in Solution Scope.
• Reduce the active high-severity issue count by agreeing on the top remediation items for the quarter.
• Ensure spare-parts and MTBF trends will not threaten uptime in the next quarter by agreeing on replenishment or maintenance actions.
• Publish the prioritized issue backlog for the quarter with closure criteria and target dates.
• Adjust spare-parts reorder points or initiate emergency procurement for at-risk components.
• Reconfirm acceptance criteria and owners
• Confirm the deployment items in Configuration Details and Deployment are present and functioning as documented.
• Produce a prioritized list of open issues with owners and target remediation dates.
• Verify operator and maintenance teams completed required onboarding and identify any training gaps to address immediately.
• Publish the go-live issue log with owners, target dates, and severity within 24 hours.
• Enable or correct telemetry feeds required for throughput and uptime measurement and confirm dashboard access.
• Schedule any short training refresh sessions identified during adoption checks.
• Present first measurement data
• Confirm whether cell uptime (%) and production throughput (units per hour) are on a trajectory to meet targets in Solution Scope or require remediation.
• Document root cause for each significant gap and agree corrective actions with delivery dates to resolve before the acceptance gate.
• Verify measurement fidelity so acceptance decisions will rest on accurate data.
• Publish the first-measurement data pack with raw logs and analysis used in the meeting.
• Execute the prioritized corrective actions addressing the top two root causes and report progress before the acceptance gate.
• Correct any telemetry or logging issues and confirm updated data feed integrity within seven days.
• Present consolidated outcome data
• Open issues and enhancement request triage
• Deployment and integration validation
• Validate data sources and measurement accuracy
• Document pass or fail per criterion and acceptance decision
• Early adoption and operator readiness signals
• Spare-parts and MTBF trends
• Root cause diagnosis for gaps
• Open issues and quick remediation plan
• If any criteria failed, agree remediation closure tests and deadlines
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to acceptance gate
• Training and operational handover needs
• Next steps and monitoring setup
• Agree quarter priorities and measurable outcomes
• Incumbent system wind-down and data disposition