ROBOTICS · 2.5 HOURS
Specifying a Robotics Project
Specifying a Robotics Project teaches engineering managers, project leads and procurement professionals to write a specification for a robot cell that states outcomes rather than equipment. You finish with a one-page specification that sets acceptance measures, names who owns each stop and restart, and leaves a vendor no vague phrases to hide behind.
About this course
A specification for a robot cell is the document that tells suppliers and integrators what the cell must achieve before they propose how to build it. When it lists equipment instead of outcomes, gives only an average rate, names no owners, and uses phrases such as up to or typically, a supplier can deliver exactly what was asked for and still hand over a cell that does not meet the need.
This course teaches you to write outcomes a supplier must achieve, give each one an acceptance condition, describe volume and exceptions truthfully, name who owns each kind of stop, and remove wording that commits nobody. You finish with a one-page specification that a supplier must answer line by line and could be held to at acceptance.
What you will take away
- You will be able to state what the cell must achieve, such as good parts per hour, changeover time, and the part numbers it must handle, instead of naming equipment, and to record any fixed equipment as a constraint with its reason.
- You will be able to write an acceptance condition with all four parts, which are the test, your own parts, a duration or quantity, and a pass mark, for factory and site acceptance.
- You will be able to describe volume as a range with a peak and to list exceptions with how often they occur, or not yet measured, together with a commitment to supply samples.
- You will be able to name an owner for each stop, restart, change, and call-out, and for the complete cell, and to find the phrases in a draft or a proposal that a vendor could hide behind.
- You will leave with a signed one-page specification, with a dated wording check, ready to attach to your organisation's contract process.
Who this course is for
- Engineering managers who write or approve the specification for a robot cell before it goes out to suppliers or integrators.
- Project leads who already know the process to be automated and the business reason for it and need a specification that protects the project at handover.
- Procurement professionals who compare supplier responses and want every line of the specification to be something a supplier must answer.
- Operations managers who will own the cell after handover and want the stops, restarts, and responsibility for the complete cell settled before the order is placed.
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 one-page specification, with a record anyone can verify
- 2.5 hoursat your own pace, with progress saved
- 01
Lesson
Outcomes, not equipment
This lesson explains the difference between an outcome, what must be true when the cell runs, and an equipment choice, and why that difference decides who carries the risk. You see a machine-tending brief rewritten as outcomes, then mark sentences from a case-packing specification as outcome or equipment choice.
- What an outcome is
- Why the difference decides who carries the risk
- When equipment belongs in the specification
- The mistake people usually make
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 02
Lesson
How it will be measured
This lesson explains what an acceptance condition is, how factory and site acceptance tests differ, and why a supplier's demonstration is no basis for sign-off. You see an output target given a full test, then choose the welding cell acceptance clause a supplier could not argue with afterwards.
- What an acceptance condition is
- Factory and site acceptance
- What an acceptance condition is not
- The two labels for this lesson
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 03
Lesson
Volume and exceptions
This lesson shows why suppliers design to the numbers they are given and how to describe volume as a range with a peak, variation in the parts as made, and exceptions with their frequency. You see a volume section rewritten, then edit a tray-destacking section so the supplier cannot say they were not told.
- Suppliers design to the numbers they are given
- Variation in the parts themselves
- Exceptions, and the words not yet measured
- The mistake people usually make
You repair a flawed draft so it meets the standard the lesson sets, and your revision is checked against it.
- 04
Lesson
Who owns the stop
This lesson explains that every cell stops and that an assembled cell is a machine in its own right, so each stop, restart, change, and call-out needs a named owner. You see a responsibilities section rewritten, then mark sentences for a palletising cell as naming an owner or leaving it open.
- Every cell stops
- The complete cell as a machine
- The two labels for this lesson
- The mistake people usually make
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 05
Lesson
Where a vendor can hide
This lesson identifies phrases such as up to, typically, and subject to part quality that commit nobody, and shows that they appear in buyers' drafts as often as in proposals. You see a supplier's sentences rewritten as conditions of order, then mark sentences from a bin-picking proposal.
- Phrases that commit nobody
- The two labels for this lesson
- This is not about distrusting suppliers
- The mistake people usually make
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 06
Course assessment
Course assessment: judging a specification
This lesson recaps the five moves, shows how each depends on the one before, and reviews a mixed extract from a plastics moulding specification. You then judge six situations set in the weeks before a robotics order is placed, and you need five correct answers to continue to the final lesson.
- The method in one page
- How the moves depend on each other
- Reading an extract as a whole
You judge 6 new workplace situations, with feedback on every option, and need 5 correct to pass.
- 07
Final work and signed record
The specification
This final lesson brings the course together into a one-page specification in six parts and explains what the page is and is not, including that it does not replace the contract. You write the specification for a real or planned project and sign it as the work your record shows.
- The six parts on one page
- Why it fits on one page
- What the page is and is not
- Two labels, and how the page is checked
You write the one-page specification for your own work, part by part, and sign it as your record.
GOOD WORK.THE ONE-PAGE SPECIFICATION, SIGNED.
WHAT CHANGES
What the course changes for you and your organisation.
- 01
Risk stays with the supplier
When the specification states outcomes and leaves the equipment to the supplier, the supplier is responsible for making those outcomes true. A cell that cannot keep up with your lathes is then the supplier's problem to solve, not a shortfall you specified into the order.
- 02
Acceptance you can actually test
Each outcome carries a test on your own parts, for a set duration, with a pass mark agreed before the order is placed. Your organisation signs off the cell on its worst parts and a real production run instead of a demonstration chosen by the supplier on the day.
- 03
Clear ownership of every stop
The specification names who restarts the cell, who authorises changes, who answers a call-out, and who is responsible for the assembled cell as a whole. Those questions are settled while the order is still being negotiated, rather than argued over after the first stop.
- 04
Integration is where projects stall
Make UK found that 41% of UK manufacturers face integration and data challenges when adopting automation. A specification that states outcomes, acceptance measures and ownership of every stop gives an employer a firm basis for holding a vendor to account.
QUESTIONS
Questions about Specifying a Robotics Project
- What is Specifying a Robotics Project about?
- A specification for a robot cell is the document that tells suppliers and integrators what the cell must achieve before they propose how to build it. When it lists equipment instead of outcomes, gives only an average rate, names no owners, and uses phrases such as up to or typically, a supplier can deliver exactly what was asked for and still hand over a cell that does not meet the need. This course teaches you to write outcomes a supplier must achieve, give each one an acceptance condition, describe volume and exceptions truthfully, name who owns each kind of stop, and remove wording that commits nobody. You finish with a one-page specification that a supplier must answer line by line and could be held to at acceptance.
- Who is Specifying a Robotics Project for?
- Engineering managers who write or approve the specification for a robot cell before it goes out to suppliers or integrators. Project leads who already know the process to be automated and the business reason for it and need a specification that protects the project at handover. Procurement professionals who compare supplier responses and want every line of the specification to be something a supplier must answer. Operations managers who will own the cell after handover and want the stops, restarts, and responsibility for the complete cell settled before the order is placed. No specialist background is assumed, and every term is explained before it is used.
- What will I be able to do after Specifying a Robotics Project?
- You will be able to state what the cell must achieve, such as good parts per hour, changeover time, and the part numbers it must handle, instead of naming equipment, and to record any fixed equipment as a constraint with its reason. You will be able to write an acceptance condition with all four parts, which are the test, your own parts, a duration or quantity, and a pass mark, for factory and site acceptance. You will be able to describe volume as a range with a peak and to list exceptions with how often they occur, or not yet measured, together with a commitment to supply samples. You will be able to name an owner for each stop, restart, change, and call-out, and for the complete cell, and to find the phrases in a draft or a proposal that a vendor could hide behind. You will leave with a signed one-page specification, with a dated wording check, ready to attach to your organisation's contract process.
- 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 one-page specification. 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 £149, 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 one-page specification 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 one-page specification, which anyone you choose can verify online. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.