ROBOTICS · 2.5 HOURS
Robotics for Non-Engineers
Robotics for Non-Engineers helps managers, planners and finance partners judge whether a robot could take on part of a process they own, with no engineering background needed. You finish with a one-page brief that ends in a decision of go or not yet, before any money is committed.
About this course
An industrial robot is a machine that repeats programmed motions precisely and for long periods, provided the parts it handles arrive in the same place and the same way round each time. Most first conversations about robots begin with a supplier's demonstration of the normal case and end with a decision that nobody can defend, because the steps that vary, the exceptions, and the unproven claims were never written down.
This course teaches a manager with no engineering background to describe one process they own in plain terms, separate what is shown on their own parts from what a supplier has only claimed, and name the exception that decides the case. You finish with a one-page go or not-yet brief that states the decision, its reason, who owns the stop, and the evidence that would change it.
What you will take away
- You will be able to break a task into single steps and mark each one as a step that repeats or a step that varies.
- You will be able to test a step against three conditions, namely that it repeats, happens often enough to matter, and receives the part in a known place and orientation, before calling it a candidate for a robot.
- You will be able to separate what has been shown on your own parts from what a supplier has claimed, so that nobody else's figure ends up in your plan.
- You will be able to write each exception with what it is, how often it happens or that it is not yet measured, and which role handles it today.
- You will leave with a signed one-page brief that ends in go or not yet, names who owns the stop, and states the evidence that would change the decision.
Who this course is for
- Operations and site managers who have been asked whether a robot could take over part of a process they run and want to answer from the facts of that process.
- Planners and team leaders who know a task step by step and need a shared way to describe what repeats and what varies before anyone talks to a supplier.
- Finance partners who are asked to support a feasibility study or a trial and want a short written case that shows what has been proven and what has not.
- Managers who have seen an impressive supplier demonstration and need a disciplined way to test it against their own parts, volumes, and exceptions.
What you will do
Each lesson teaches one part of the method, works through a realistic example, and ends with a check on a case you have not seen. The course closes with an assessment and then the piece of work you sign.
- 5lessons with a worked example and a check
- 6scenario questions in the course assessment
- Signedthe go or not-yet brief, with a record anyone can verify
- 2.5 hoursat your own pace, with progress saved
- 01
Lesson
What a robot actually does
This lesson explains what an industrial robot actually does and gives you the two words the whole course relies on, repeats and varies. You read a description of the end of a packing line, then mark each sentence of a new goods-in task as a step that repeats or a step that varies.
- A machine that repeats a motion
- What a robot is not
- Two words for every step
- Why this matters at work, and the usual mistake
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 02
Lesson
What it could take
This lesson sets out the three conditions a step must meet before it is a candidate for a robot, and explains why the step people dislike most is often the wrong choice. You sort steps on a moulding machine and then choose which of two laboratory steps a robot could realistically take.
- Three conditions for a candidate
- A candidate is not a decision
- How often is often enough
- The usual mistake: the step people dislike most
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 03
Lesson
What it cannot do, and what has not been shown
This lesson covers the predictable limits of ordinary industrial robots, such as soft or tangled parts and frequent product changes, and the difference between a supplier's demonstration and evidence on your own parts. You read a supplier's email and then mark each claim as shown on your parts or claimed but not yet shown.
- The limits that come up again and again
- A claim and a demonstration
- What the label is not
- The usual mistake: someone else's figure in your plan
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 04
Lesson
The exception that decides the case
This lesson shows that exceptions do not disappear when a robot takes the normal case, and that they often decide whether the project succeeds. You learn to record what each exception is, how often it happens, and who handles it, then edit a warehouse process note so its exception carries all three facts.
- What an exception is
- Exceptions do not disappear
- Three facts for every exception
- The usual mistake
You repair a flawed draft so it meets the standard the lesson sets, and your revision is checked against it.
- 05
Lesson
Go or not yet
This lesson defines what a go and a not yet mean, the four things a go requires, and why a decision without a reason in the terms of the process cannot be checked. You compare two decisions about the same palletising step, then choose the stronger decision about robot loading for a lathe.
- Two values, and what each one means
- The four things a go needs
- Not yet is not no
- The usual mistake: a decision without its reason
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 06
Course assessment
Judge a new case from start to finish
This lesson recaps the whole method in order and works one mixed example on a box-folding line so you can see every move applied together. You then judge six situations from workplaces you have not met in the course, and you need five correct answers to pass.
- The method in one place
- What the assessment looks for
- How to read a situation
You judge 6 new workplace situations, with feedback on every option, and need 5 correct to pass.
- 07
Final work and signed record
Write the go or not-yet brief
This final lesson explains the nine parts of the go or not-yet brief and the test each part must pass, which is whether a colleague could act on it without asking you. You write the brief for a process you own, and once you sign it, it becomes your record.
- What the brief is
- The nine parts
- Ready to act on, or a colleague would have to ask
- What the brief is not, and how it is checked
You write the go or not-yet brief for your own work, part by part, and sign it as your record.
GOOD WORK.THE GO OR NOT-YET BRIEF, SIGNED.
WHAT CHANGES
What the course changes for you and your organisation.
- 01
A decision your finance partner can check
The brief states its reason in the terms of the process, so a finance partner or operations director can test it before any money is spent on a study or a trial. A go means the case justifies the next paid stage, and a not yet names the specific work that would close it.
- 02
Supplier claims kept in their place
You learn to read a trade show pick rate or a laboratory run as a claim about the supplier's parts in the supplier's conditions. Your organisation then asks for evidence on its own parts instead of building a spreadsheet on a figure nobody can trace.
- 03
Exceptions found before purchase
The course makes you write down the damaged cartons, missing labels, and mixed bins that people handle without noticing today. Finding them before the equipment is bought prevents the common outcome in which the robot is blamed for problems that were always there.
- 04
Few firms have made the call
The Office for National Statistics found that only 4% of UK firms used robotics in 2023, so most managers will face this decision without in-house precedent. A clear go or not-yet judgement from the people who own the process helps an employer commit money only where the case is sound.
QUESTIONS
Questions about Robotics for Non-Engineers
- What is Robotics for Non-Engineers about?
- An industrial robot is a machine that repeats programmed motions precisely and for long periods, provided the parts it handles arrive in the same place and the same way round each time. Most first conversations about robots begin with a supplier's demonstration of the normal case and end with a decision that nobody can defend, because the steps that vary, the exceptions, and the unproven claims were never written down. This course teaches a manager with no engineering background to describe one process they own in plain terms, separate what is shown on their own parts from what a supplier has only claimed, and name the exception that decides the case. You finish with a one-page go or not-yet brief that states the decision, its reason, who owns the stop, and the evidence that would change it.
- Who is Robotics for Non-Engineers for?
- Operations and site managers who have been asked whether a robot could take over part of a process they run and want to answer from the facts of that process. Planners and team leaders who know a task step by step and need a shared way to describe what repeats and what varies before anyone talks to a supplier. Finance partners who are asked to support a feasibility study or a trial and want a short written case that shows what has been proven and what has not. Managers who have seen an impressive supplier demonstration and need a disciplined way to test it against their own parts, volumes, and exceptions. No specialist background is assumed, and every term is explained before it is used.
- What will I be able to do after Robotics for Non-Engineers?
- You will be able to break a task into single steps and mark each one as a step that repeats or a step that varies. You will be able to test a step against three conditions, namely that it repeats, happens often enough to matter, and receives the part in a known place and orientation, before calling it a candidate for a robot. You will be able to separate what has been shown on your own parts from what a supplier has claimed, so that nobody else's figure ends up in your plan. You will be able to write each exception with what it is, how often it happens or that it is not yet measured, and which role handles it today. You will leave with a signed one-page brief that ends in go or not yet, names who owns the stop, and states the evidence that would change the decision.
- How long does the course take, and how is it taught?
- The course takes about 2.5 hours and is studied online at your own pace. It has 5 lessons, each with a worked example, a practice exercise, and a check on a new case, followed by a course assessment of 6 scenario questions in which you need 5 correct to pass. Your progress is saved to your account.
- Do I get a certificate?
- Yes. When you pass, you sign a record that names you, the course, and the go or not-yet brief. Anyone you share it with can verify it online and download it as a PDF. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.
- How much does it cost, and when can I start?
- The course costs £99, paid once by card through Stripe. Access begins as soon as payment is confirmed, and you can save a sign-in to return to the course from any device.
- Can my organisation train a whole team?
- Yes. Individuals can buy any self-paced course online, and organisations can book trainer-led courses for teams, in person or online, through the Experrt Academy.
More robotics courses are listed on the self-paced robotics and automation courses for non-engineers page.
THERE IS A NEXT CHAPTER.
Start today, and finish with
the go or not-yet brief your organisation can use.
Checkout takes an email address and a card, and access begins as soon as payment is confirmed. When you finish, you sign a record that names you and the go or not-yet brief, which anyone you choose can verify online. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.