ROBOTICS · 2.5 HOURS
Where a Robot Belongs in the Process
Where a Robot Belongs in the Process teaches process owners, improvement engineers and production managers to break a process into tasks and mark each one for a robot, a person or not yet. You finish with a recommendation you can defend with the facts, so automation goes where it will actually pay.
About this course
Deciding where automation belongs in a process means looking at the individual tasks inside it, each one a single action on a single object, rather than at stages such as goods in or assembly. When the decision is made at the level of stages, or from a desk and from memory, the tasks that look simple but carry hidden checks are the ones that get automated and then fail.
This course teaches you to split a process into tasks from what people actually do, record four observable facts about each task, and mark each one Robot, Person, or Not yet with a reason drawn from those facts. You finish with a five-part recommendation that a colleague could challenge and you could defend, covering the task you recommend, the easy step that is not, the knock-on effect, and the evidence still needed.
What you will take away
- You will be able to write a process as a numbered list of tasks, each one action on one object with a clear start and end, and split any stage you find.
- You will be able to record four facts for each task, which are how often it happens, how much it varies, how the part arrives, and what judgement it needs.
- You will be able to mark each task Robot, Person, or Not yet with a reason that refers to those facts and that someone else can check.
- You will be able to find the hidden work in a step that looks simple, such as the quiet check a packer makes, and describe what automating one task does to the tasks before and after it and to the person who does it now.
- You will leave with a signed recommendation that states where, if anywhere, a robot belongs in one process you own and what evidence is still needed.
Who this course is for
- Process owners who have been asked where automation should go in a process they run and want an answer that rests on observations rather than opinion.
- Continuous improvement and operations engineers who need a consistent way to compare tasks across a line before a supplier is invited in.
- Production managers who have seen a robot fail on a task that looked easy and want to find the hidden work in a task before it is marked for a machine.
- Managers with no process mapping training who can watch a process or talk to the people who do it and need a method they can apply the same week.
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.
- 4lessons with a worked example and a check
- 4scenario questions in the course assessment
- Signedthe recommendation, with a record anyone can verify
- 2.5 hoursat your own pace, with progress saved
- 01
Lesson
Split the process into tasks
This lesson defines a task as one action on one object with a clear start and end, and shows why lists written at a desk become stages that cannot be judged. You sort lines into tasks and stages, then choose which of two changeover lists for a bottling line is written at task level.
- What a task is in this course
- What a task is not
- Write from what you see, not from the procedure
- The mistake people usually make
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 02
Lesson
Four facts about each task
This lesson introduces the four facts every task needs, which are how often, how much it varies, how the part arrives, and what judgement it needs, and explains why they must be observations. You build a task record for a test fixture, then edit a dispatch record to add the missing fact.
- The four facts
- Observations, not opinions
- Why this matters at work
- 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.
- 03
Course assessment
Robot, person, or not yet
This lesson explains the three marks, Robot, Person, and Not yet, and why every mark must carry a reason drawn from the four facts. You judge whether reasons rest on facts or opinion, then mark four bakery packing tasks correctly using the facts provided for each.
- Three marks
- Every mark needs a reason from the four facts
- What the mark is and is not
- The mistake people usually make
You judge 4 new workplace situations, with feedback on every option, and need 4 correct to pass.
- 04
Lesson
The easy step that is not
This lesson shows how a task that looks simple can hide judgement, such as a person quietly setting aside a cracked part, or involve a part that is hard for a machine to handle. You separate visible motion from hidden work, then choose the assessment that finds the hidden work in a cable loom step.
- Easy for a person, hard for a robot
- Hidden work
- What the easy step that is not is not
- How to find it
You compare two versions of the same piece of work, choose the stronger one, and see the reasoning behind the answer.
- 05
Lesson
The knock-on effect
This lesson explains how automating one task changes the task before it, the task after it, where exceptions go, and the work of the person who did it. You read a knock-on note for a test fixture, then mark each sentence about a jar-casing robot as staying within the task or changing a neighbour.
- One task changes its neighbours
- Where the exceptions go
- The person's work changes
- What the knock-on effect is not
You mark 4 statements from a realistic case and receive an explanation for each one.
- 06
Course assessment
Judge a process you have not seen
This lesson recaps the whole method from splitting tasks to writing the knock-on effect and works one mixed example on goods in at a hardware warehouse. You then apply the method to eight processes you have not seen, and you need six correct answers to pass.
- The method, from start to finish
- How the method is tested
- Reading a situation
You judge 8 new workplace situations, with feedback on every option, and need 6 correct to pass.
- 07
Final work and signed record
The recommendation
This final lesson sets out the five parts of the recommendation, how each part is written, and how each is checked for a trace back to the facts you gathered. You write it for a process you own and sign it as your record, which is not an engineering, safety, or financial approval.
- What the recommendation is
- What the recommendation is not
- Writing each part
- How the recommendation is checked
You write the recommendation for your own work, part by part, and sign it as your record.
GOOD WORK.THE RECOMMENDATION, SIGNED.
WHAT CHANGES
What the course changes for you and your organisation.
- 01
Automation aimed at the right task
Every mark on the task list carries a reason from four observed facts, so the recommendation points at a task a robot could reasonably take as the process stands. Uncertain tasks are marked Not yet instead of being forced into a yes or a no, which keeps near misses visible for later.
- 02
Hidden checks found in advance
You learn to watch for the cracked part put aside or the damp box mentioned to a supervisor, which no procedure records. Finding that work before automation protects your organisation from defects that would otherwise travel further down the process.
- 03
Knock-on costs written into the case
The recommendation records how the task before must present parts, where exceptions will go, and how the operator's job will change. Those costs then belong to the design and the budget from the start, rather than surfacing after installation.
- 04
Choosing the right tasks
Make UK found in 2023 that more than 60% of UK manufacturers have automated only some of the processes that could be automated. Employers need people who can show, task by task, where a robot will pay and where a person or a later decision is the better answer.
QUESTIONS
Questions about Where a Robot Belongs in the Process
- What is Where a Robot Belongs in the Process about?
- Deciding where automation belongs in a process means looking at the individual tasks inside it, each one a single action on a single object, rather than at stages such as goods in or assembly. When the decision is made at the level of stages, or from a desk and from memory, the tasks that look simple but carry hidden checks are the ones that get automated and then fail. This course teaches you to split a process into tasks from what people actually do, record four observable facts about each task, and mark each one Robot, Person, or Not yet with a reason drawn from those facts. You finish with a five-part recommendation that a colleague could challenge and you could defend, covering the task you recommend, the easy step that is not, the knock-on effect, and the evidence still needed.
- Who is Where a Robot Belongs in the Process for?
- Process owners who have been asked where automation should go in a process they run and want an answer that rests on observations rather than opinion. Continuous improvement and operations engineers who need a consistent way to compare tasks across a line before a supplier is invited in. Production managers who have seen a robot fail on a task that looked easy and want to find the hidden work in a task before it is marked for a machine. Managers with no process mapping training who can watch a process or talk to the people who do it and need a method they can apply the same week. No specialist background is assumed, and every term is explained before it is used.
- What will I be able to do after Where a Robot Belongs in the Process?
- You will be able to write a process as a numbered list of tasks, each one action on one object with a clear start and end, and split any stage you find. You will be able to record four facts for each task, which are how often it happens, how much it varies, how the part arrives, and what judgement it needs. You will be able to mark each task Robot, Person, or Not yet with a reason that refers to those facts and that someone else can check. You will be able to find the hidden work in a step that looks simple, such as the quiet check a packer makes, and describe what automating one task does to the tasks before and after it and to the person who does it now. You will leave with a signed recommendation that states where, if anywhere, a robot belongs in one process you own and what evidence is still needed.
- 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 4 lessons, each with a worked example, a practice exercise, and a check on a new case, followed by a course assessment of 4 scenario questions in which you need 4 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 recommendation. 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 £129, 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 recommendation 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 recommendation, which anyone you choose can verify online. The record confirms what you completed and does not claim compliance with any regulation.