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Contents 
Lean robotics overview 2 

Introduction 4 

Step 1: Learn what cobots can do 6 

Step 2: Decide what to automate 9 

Step 3: Build a cobot deployment team 20 

Step 4: Bring management and the workforce on board 25 

Step 5: Start the design phase 29 

What’s next? Buy your cobot 3​0 

About Robotiq 3​2 

   

 
 

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Lean robotics: simplify robotic cell 

deployments  
 
If you ask whether robots could work in your factory, the answer you’ll get is probably a hesitant “It 
depends.” It depends on your factory, your team, which robot you choose, what you want it to do… and 
a whole lot more. 
 
So if you're a first-time robot user, how can you get started? How do you get from your initial idea to a 
productive, working robot? And if you’ve already got a few robotic deployments under your belt, how 
can you scale up your robotics efforts throughout your factory—or across multiple factories? 
 
The answers can be found in​ lean robotics: a methodology for simplifying robotic cell deployments​.  
 
Lean robotics is a systematic way to complete the robotic cell deployment cycle, from design to 
integration and operation. It will empower your team to deploy robots quicker and more efficiently than 
ever before. 
 
Lean robotics divides robotic cell deployments into three phases: design, integrate, and operate. 
 
 

 
 
Robotiq’s library of eBooks covers each phase of robotic cell deployment, giving you access to advice 
from robotics experts each step of the way. 
 
Learn more about lean robotics at​ l​ eanrobotics.org​.  
 

 
 

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This eBook covers preparation for lean robotics 
 
This eBook is about preparing for your robotic integration. Preparation comes before the three phases of 
lean robotics—design, integrate, and operate—and should be completed b ​ efore​ starting the Design 
phase. 
 
This preparation consists of defining the scope of your project, getting your team on board, and 
presenting the project to management and the workforce.  
 
In a way, you’ve been preparing ever since you first had the idea of using collaborative robots. By the 
end of your preparation, you’ll have an idea of what to automate, the support of your company, and an 
enthusiastic team who will lead the robotic cell deployment.  
 
 

   

 
 

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Introduction 
At businesses everywhere, people are asking:  

● How can we thrive and grow despite a shortage of skilled workers?  

● How can we increase production quality and quantity while keeping costs down?  
● How can we scale up a high-mix, low-volume operation? 

All these challenges can be overcome using collaborative robots.  

However,  even  though  it’s  generally  accepted  that  robots  are  part  of  the  manufacturing  industry’s 
future—and  the  benefits  of  automation  are  widely  recognized—smaller  companies  with  limited 
resources can find it hard to know where to begin. 

That's where this eBook series comes in!  

Getting Started with Cobots​ eBooks  

We’ve  produced  three  eBooks  that  will  teach  you  everything  you  need  to  know  about  collaborative 
robots (aka “cobots”) to hit the ground running. 

● Part  1:  Kick-Starting  Your  Project.  ​In  the  first eBook, you’ll learn how to set up your cobot 

project so success is assured from the start.  
● Part  2:  Shopping  for  a  Robot​.  ​In  the  second  eBook, you’ll learn how to select a cobot that 
suits your needs and plan your cobot cell. 
● Part  3:  Scaling  Your  Robotic  Capabilities​.  ​In  the  final  eBook,  you’ll  learn  how  to  build  on 
the success of your first cobot project and continue growing. 

Start production faster with cobots 

One of the major benefits of collaborative robots is that they’re very flexible and easy to deploy.  

When  you  approach  cobot  cell  deployment  the  right  way,  you  can  start  production  very  quickly.  As  a 
result, the return on investment (ROI) comes much sooner than with other automation methods.  

However,  you  need  to  be  smart  about  how  you  plan  and  implement  the  deployment.  That’s  why  we 
developed the lean robotics framework to help you get your robots off the ground as soon as possible.  

 
 

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How can your business get started with robotics?  

 
The short answer is:  
Start small. Get going today. Build on your success. 
 
In this series, we'll show you how.   
 

The first step to an effective deployment is proper preparation.  

In this eBook, we cover the basics of effective preparation in five steps: 

1. Learn what cobots can do. 

2. Decide what to automate. 
3. Build a cobot deployment team. 
4. Bring management and the workforce on board. 
5. Start the design phase. 

Each step builds on the last, so we suggest completing them in order. Let’s go!

 
 

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Step 1: Learn what cobots can do 

In this section, we’ll look at the amazing opportunities that cobots open up. 

Although  cobots  are  a  relatively  new  technology,  this  doesn’t  mean  they’re  hard  to use. In fact, cobots​ 
​are​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​easier​ ​to​ operate ​than​ ​traditional​ ​industrial​ ​robots.  

In this section, we’ll cover: 

● The difference between cobots and industrial robots. 

● Which applications cobots can be used for. 

Until  fairly  recently,  if  you  wanted  to  automate  a  process  with  robots,  the  only  option  was  industrial 
robots.  These  are  what  most  people  think  of  when  they  imagine  robots:  big,  heavy,  dangerous,  and 
expensive.  

Industrial  robots  evolved  to  satisfy  the  needs  of  high-volume  production,  like  that  found  in  the 
automotive,  aerospace,  and  consumer  goods  industries.  Cobots,  by  contrast,  were  created  for  the sort 
of high-mix manufacturing found in most small-to-medium sized enterprises​ ​(SMEs). 

Industrial  robots  and  cobots  have  many  similarities.  However,  cobots  have  some  unique  benefits  that 
make them a great fit for many businesses—not just SMEs. Just consider the table below.  

ⓘ ​Note 
 
Cobots allow you to perform the same tasks as industrial robots, but with a smaller 
investment and much greater flexibility in terms of setup and footprint.  
 

 
 

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Benefits of industrial robots vs. cobots 

  Industrial Robots  Cobots 

Move parts around  ✓  ✓ 

Follow a path/trajectory  ✓  ✓ 

Work autonomously for extended periods of time  ✓  ✓ 

Increase productivity and product quality  ✓  ✓ 

Reduce musculoskeletal injuries in workers (e.g. RSI)  ✓  ✓ 

Require sensors and/or fencing for safety  ✓   

Require extensive robotics knowledge to integrate  ✓   

Take up lots of floor space  ✓   

Are expensive  ✓   

Are easy for non-experts to program    ✓ 

Are easy to slot into your existing workspace    ✓ 

Are easy to reconfigure for new tasks    ✓ 

Are easy to move from one task to another    ✓ 

Are quick to set up    ✓ 

Cobot applications 
Cobots  can  be  used  for  a  huge  variety  of  tasks.  We’re  constantly  amazed  by  the  new  applications 
companies come up with (like the ones featured in our ever-growing ​case study library​).  

 
 

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However,  a  few  applications  crop  up  time  and  again  (and  we’ll  cover them in detail later in this eBook). 
The top five most common ​cobot​ ​applications are: 

1. Machine  tending​.  The  robot  moves  parts  in and out of a machine for processing. While the 

robot loads and unloads the​ ​part,​ ​human ​operators​ ​are free to​ ​work​ ​on​ ​other​ ​tasks.  

2. Pick-and-place​.  The  robot  moves  a  part  from  the  output  of  one  process  to  the  input  of 
another. For example, it could grab parts from a bin and arrange them in order on a tray.  

3. Assembly​.  The  robot  performs  simple  part-assembly  tasks  that  require  low  dexterity.  (On 
the  other  hand,  assembly  tasks  that require ​high dexterity are a perfect fit for human-robot 
collaboration:  the  robot  can  perform  the  simplest  assembly  tasks,  then  move  parts  into an 
area where the human operator can ​finish​ ​the​ ​assembly​ ​process.) 

4. Quality  testing​.  The  robot loads products into a quality testing machine and removes them 

once testing is complete.  

5. Other  lightweight  applications​.  The  robot  performs  basic packaging, finishing, gluing, and 

other  such  tasks.  Remember,  cobots  can  do  most  of  the  tasks  that  humans  do,  so  long  as 
they don’t require great dexterity.  

You’ll  notice  most  of  these  applications  involve  non-value-added  tasks  (i.e.,  tasks  that  do  not  add 
something  to  a  product that the customer would be willing to pay for). That’s because non-value-added 
tasks are easy for cobots to perform, and they liberate humans ​from​ ​tedious​, ​repetitive​ work. 

By  this  point,  you  might  be  feeling  eager  to  buy  your  robot  and  get  started  with  one  of  these 
applications.  But  first,  you  must  get  a  clear  idea  of  which  applications  and  processes  within​  ​your​ 
​company​ ​are​ the ​best​ ​candidates​ ​for​ ​automation—which brings us to the next section.  

 
 

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Step 2: Decide what to automate 

 

Before  you  move  forward  in  your  robotic  cell  deployment,  you  should  decide  which  manual  (i.e., 
human-operated) process you want to automate first.  

You’ve  probably  already  got  a  few  tasks in mind for automation, which is great. However, as we’ll see in 

a  moment,  not  every  task  is  equal  when  it  comes  to  cobots.  You  might  like  to  download  our  ​Manual 
Task Map Template​ to help you work through this section.  

⚠ Important 
 
Before you read on, write a list of all the manual processes to which you'd like to add a robot.  
 
Don't worry about the feasibility of these applications yet. Just get all your ideas out of your 
head. 
 
Maybe you have only one application in mind, in which case just write the one. However, if 
you can come up with some more ideas, that’s even better.  
 
This list will give you a good starting point. It indicates the processes you think are inefficient 
and that have room for improvement.   
 

In this section, we’ll cover:  

● How to pick your first cobot application.  

● The top three easy-to-implement cobot tasks—all great options for your first application.  
● The top three tasks that require extra sensors (and are thus a bit more challenging). 
● Seven factors that create automation challenges.  

 
 

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Choose your first cobot application 

Task feasibility 
Look  again  at  your  list  of  potential  tasks  to  automate and try to identify the applications that would be 
easiest for you and your team to automate.  

ⓘ ​Note 
 
Although a particular task might seem like a good candidate for automation (perhaps because 
it’s boring and repetitive), it might not be the best fit for cobots.  
 
That’s because cobots and humans have very different “skill sets”: what’s easy for a human is 
not always easy for a cobot. 
 

For  your  first  cobot  application,  it's  best  to  start  small  and  keep  it  simple.  You  can  build  up  to  more 
complex applications after you’ve gained more experience with cobots.  

The ideal cobot tasks have two properties:  

1. Highly predictable​. The task is the same every time, with few deviations.  
2. Repeatable​. The task will be performed over and over again.  

Many  tasks  have  one  of  these  properties  but  not  the  other.  For  example,  making  a  pizza  is  highly 
repeatable—your  local  pizza  shop  makes  many  pizzas  every  day—but  it’s  not  very predictable, because 
the dough, sauce, and toppings vary between pizzas.  

On  the  other  hand,  building  a  toy  house  out  of  Lego  bricks  for  your  child  is  highly  predictable—the 
bricks  are  all  the  same  size  and  shape,  and  the  task  has  a  defined  sequence—but  it’s  not  repeatable 
because  you  only  need  to  build  one  toy  house.  (That  is,  unless  you're  planning  to  become  the 
neighborhood’s designated Lego assembler.) 

Make sure you choose a task that is both highly predictable and repeatable.  

Task predictability 
Tasks  are  highly  predictable  when  the  objects  to  be  manipulated  are  always  the  same and they always 
arrive at the same location.  

Here are some properties of highly predictable tasks: 

 
 

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● Ordered  objects​.  A  series  of  objects  that  is  always  handled  in  the  same  order.  Your  cobot 
can repeat this order again and again.  
● Similar  objects​.  Objects  with  the  same  or  very  similar  dimensions,  weight  range,  physical 
form,  etc.  This  allows  for quick changeovers between products without the need to change 
tools.  
● Regular  objects​.  Objects  with  little  variation  from  one  to  another.  (By  contrast,  potatoes 
are  an  example  of  objects  that  are  all  similar  but  not  regular.)  Your cobot can handle some 
irregularity  with  ​the  right  choice  of  gripper​,  but  regular  objects  are  much  easier  to  work 
with.  
● Regular  part  presentation​.  Objects  are  arranged  in a deliberate, consistent order. Matrices 
and  trays  are  often  used  for  part  presentation:  processes  involving  fixed  matrices  are  the 
easiest  to  automate,  whereas  with  trays you can program your cobot to remove the empty 
tray and bring a new tray to the same​ ​spot​ ​for parts to be picked again. 

Task repeatability 
Tasks  are  repeatable  when  the  steps  of  the  task  are  the  same  every  time  and  are  repeated  over  and 
over again. 

Here are some properties of repeatable tasks:  

● Consistent  operation​.  T​ he  task  does  not  vary  between  objects  in  a  batch  and  does  not 
vary (much) between different batches.  
● Long-term  operation​.  The  operation  will  be  performed  many  times.  (You  wouldn't  go  to 
the trouble of automating a unique, one-time-only operation.) 
● High-demand  operation​.  The  best  cobot  applications  tackle  high-demand  operations  (i.e., 
those  which  are  needed  constantly).  You  can  use  robots  for  low-demand  operations,  but 
they’re not usually the best option. 

ⓘ ​Tip 
 
A picture (or video) is worth a thousand trips to the shop floor.  
 
We highly recommend taking pictures and videos of the cell you want to automate. This will 
help you define each step of the application.  
 
Plus, you’ll be able to examine the application​ ​from​ ​your​ ​desk​—instead​ ​of​ ​waiting​ ​for​ 
​someone​ ​to​ ​perform​ ​it every time you need to take a closer look at something. 
 

 
 

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Three easy-to-implement cobot tasks 

Although  a  huge  array of different tasks are suitable for automation, we see these common applications 
again  and  again.  They’re  generally  the  easiest  to  integrate,  which  makes  them  a  good  choice  for  your 
first robot project.  

1. Machine tending 
By  far  the  most  popular  application  is  machine  tending.  It's  also  one  of  the  easiest,  because  it  involves 
minimal  programming,  no  extra  sensors,  and  (if  you  don't  overcomplicate  it)  no  need  to  communicate 
with other equipment.  

Machine  tending  means  using  a  robot  to  load  and  unload a machine, such as a CNC milling machine, 3D 

printer,  or  labeling  machine.  This  removes  a  lot  of  non-value-added  work,  since  a  human  operator  no 
longer  needs  to  be  standing  over  the  machine  the  whole  time.  A  similar  application  is  quality  testing, 
which involves loading products into a quality testing machine. 

If this all sounds good to you, check out our ​Machine Tending Guide​. 

Also see our L​ owercase case study​ for a real-life example of a machine-tending application. 

2. Pick and place 

This  is  our  second  most  popular  application.  It  involves having the robot move objects from one area of 
its workspace to another.  

Pick  and  place  can  be  even  easier  to  implement  than  machine  tending,  if  the  objects  are  well-ordered 
and of similar shapes and sizes, and no extra sensors are needed.  

See our B
​ eyerdynamic case study​ for a real-life example of a pick-and-place application.  

ⓘ ​Tip 
 
Universal  Robots  (UR)  offers  ​wizards  to  help  you  automate  these  simple picking applications. 
UR's wizards are embedded in the robot controller and can be engaged very quickly. 

 
 

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3. Dispensing 
Dispensing  tasks,  such  as  gluing,  are  a  great  first  task  for  robots.  You  simply  move  the  robot's  end 
effector around the desired path and it repeats the task the same way every time.  

See our simple g

​ luing application​ for a real-life example of a dispensing task.  

Three tasks that require extra sensors 

The  next  step  up  in  terms  of  difficulty  are  tasks  that  require  additional  sensors.  These  may  not  be  the 
best option for your first robot application.  

1. Finishing (with force sensors) 

Finishing  involves  using  the  robot  to  move  a  finishing  tool  (such  as  a  buffing  tip)  over  the  surface  of  a 
product.  

Finishing  usually  requires  a  force  sensor  because the tool must be held against the object’s surface with 

constant  pressure.  If  you  must  use  a  force  sensor,  the  ​Robotiq  Force  Sensor  can  be  attached  to  the 
robot in minutes, which makes integration much easier than it was in the past.  

Force  sensors  are  also  useful  for  this  task  because  finishing  requires  the robot to follow complex paths. 
See  our  ​Saint-Gobain  case  study  for  a  real-life  example  of  how  the  team  used  force  sensor  path 
recording for a finishing application.  

2. Assembly (with force sensors) 

Assembly  can mean many things, but it often requires pushing parts together with controlled force. As a 
result, this task is helped by adding a force sensor to the robot.  

Traditionally,  force  assembly  actions  have  been  difficult  to  program.  However,  ​Robotiq  Skills  allow  you 
to add these capabilities without the need for complex programming. 

See our S
​ piral Search Skill​ for a real-life example of what is possible with Robotiq Skills.  

3. Pick and place (with vision sensors) 

Pick-and-place  applications  can  be  made  more  flexible  by  adding  a  vision sensor to detect the position 
and orientation of objects. 

Traditionally,  it  was  challenging  to  add  vision  to  robots.  However,  the  Robotiq  ​Vision  Sensor​—with  its 
intuitive t​ emplate learning tool​—has made it a lot easier.  

 
 

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See our A
​ ssa Abloy case study​ for a real-life example of a vision-guided pick-and-place application. 

ⓘ ​How to tell whether you’ll need extra sensors 

 
Ask  yourself  the  three  questions  below;  your  answers  will  indicate  what  additional 
sensors​ ​you​ ​might​ ​need​ ​to​ ​use. 
 
Most  cobots  consist  of  a  single  arm.  For  a  quick  suitability  test,  try  performing  the  task 
manually with one hand behind your back.  
 
→​ Could you perform the task one-handed? 
 
 
Cobots  don't  always  have  tactile  or  force  feedback.  To  simulate  a  lack  of  tactile 
feedback,  try  performing  the  task  using a pair of pliers instead of your fingers to pick up 
the objects. 
 
→​ Could you perform the task without any tactile feedback? 
 
 
Imagine  performing  the  task  with  your  eyes  shut.  This  gives  you  a  clue  as  to  how 
important  vision  is  to  the  task.  For  example,  inspecting  parts  for  defects  and  sorting 
them by color could both require vision. 
 
→​ Could you perform the task while blindfolded?  
 
 

Seven factors that create automation challenges 

Sometimes  people's  initial  ideas  for  robot  applications  aren’t  the  best  choice  for  a  first  project.  This  is 
because they include one or more of the seven most challenging factors.  

We  recommend  avoiding  applications  that  include  them  because  they’ll  require  you  to  spend  more 
time,  energy,  and  money  deploying  your  robot.  Although  these  factors  may  seem  simple  at  first,  they 
quickly  turn  into  headaches.  The  best  strategy  is  to  start  small  and  work  your  way up to more complex 
projects over time.  

 
 

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1. Unstructured part presentation 

As  humans,  it's  easy  for  us  to  throw  objects  into  a  box  or  bucket  and  take  them out again later. Not so 
for  robots.  Although  advanced  sensing  has  made  it  possible  for  them  to  pick  up  unstructured  objects, 
it’s much easier and more efficient to simply structure the objects correctly in the first place.  

2. Widely divergent objects 

People  can  handle  a  near-infinite  variety  of  objects.  For  example,  you  could  be  presented  with  a 
jumbled  box  of  wildly  varied  fruits  and  you’ll  still  find  a  way  to  arrange  them  into  an  attractive  fruit 
bowl.  

Robots,  on  the  other  hand,  need  much  more  predictability.  For  instance,  you could probably program a 
pick-and-place  application  for  apples  and  oranges  (which  are  of  similar  shape  and  size).  But, there’d be 
trouble if you spontaneously passed your robot a banana. 

 
 

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3. Conveyors 
Conveyor  belts  are  common  in factory automation—which leads people to assume they’re the best way 
to present objects to cobots.  

In  reality,  conveyors  present  a  big  integration  challenge.  You  often  have  to  add  a  vision system or part 
detection  sensors  in  order  to  detect  the  moving  objects,  and  you  need  advanced  programming  to  get 
the robot to move to the right position and grasp the moving objects. 

Our  ​case  study  of  WALT  Machine,  Inc.  is  a  perfect  example.  The  company’s president, Tommy Caughey, 
was  initially  considering  a  conveyor  solution.  However,  he  found  that  the  Robotiq  Camera  was  a  much 
simpler solution. With it, he was able to increase daily production by 100%. 

4. Complex sensing 
If  you  find  yourself  asking  "Is  it  possible to detect this with a sensor?", the answer is probably "Yes… but 
it's  not  the  best  idea." ​Some sensors are easy to integrate with cobots, but more advanced sensors are a 
challenge.  

For  example,  with  the  new  fixed  laser-light  camera  systems—which  build  3D models of objects and the 
robot’s  environment—it’s  possible  to  both  detect  an  object  in  3D  and  calculate  the  best  grasping 
configuration.  

However,  this  task  is  complicated  enough  to  form  the  basis  of  an  entire  ​research  study​.  In  real-world 
situations, it's better to use simpler sensors, or (if possible) none at all.  

 
 

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5. Integration with other machines 

Imagine  you're  setting  up  a  robot  to  tend  a  CNC  machine.  What’s  the  best way for the robot to tell the 
machine to start the CNC operation?  

People's  first  answer  is usually something like "We'll program the robot to send a signal to the CNC." This 

is  overcomplicated.  Integration  with  other  machines  may  not  be  the  toughest  programming  challenge, 
but there are much simpler ways to achieve the same effect.  

For  example, you could get the robot to physically push the start button on the CNC machine. This takes 
minutes  to  program  rather  than  hours.  If  digital communication is vital, it's easier to attach a wire to the 
digital inputs and outputs of each machine than to use communication protocols.  

6. Logic 
Humans  are  natural  problem-solvers.  If  we  see  an  object  turned  upside-down  in  the  part  presentation 
tray  then  we’ll  flip  it  over.  If  we’re  handed  a  baseball  bat  then  we  grasp  it  one  way;  if  we’re  handed  a 
kitten then we grasp it another way. This type of logic comes easily to us. 

For  robots,  every  decision  to  be  made  adds  a  layer  of  programming  complexity.  You  can  spot  logical 
decisions by looking out for phrases with "If… then." Try to eliminate these wherever possible.  

 
 

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7. Advanced force control 

Getting  your  robot  to  move  between  two  points  in a straight line is simple. Getting your robot to apply 
a specific force for the duration of its movement is more difficult.  

With  Robotiq  Skills,  some  force-control  tasks (like ​torque turning​) are now easier than ever to integrate. 

However, the more advanced types of force control require complex programming.  

 
 

 
 

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Final thoughts on choosing a task 

You  should  now  have  a  basic  understanding  of  what  makes  a  great  (and  not-so-great)  first  robot 
application. 

In summary: 

● Cobots are great at pick and place, material handling, and material dispensing.  
● Applications  that  require  extra  sensing—e.g. finishing, assembly, and vision-guided pick and 
place—are  not  ideal  for  a  first  robot  project.  (Although  with  ​Robotiq  sensors​,  these 
applications aren’t as challenging as they used to be.) 
● Other  poor  choices  are  those  that  require  complex  sensing,  unstructured  and  divergent 
objects, moving objects, force control, logic, and integration with other machines.  

In  our  experience,  people  get  the  most  out  of  cobots by starting simple and gradually​ ​building​ ​up​ ​their​ 
​expertise over time. 

Now  you  just  need  to decide which task to automate! Download the ​Manual Task Mapping Template to 

help outline your chosen task, or use the ​Blueprints interactive tool​.  

 
 

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Step 3: Build a cobot deployment team 

One  of  the  biggest  challenges  of  introducing  robots in the workplace is convincing the rest of the team 
that it's a good idea.  

There  are  a  lot  of  misperceptions  about  robots.  Some  people  believe  that  as  soon  as  a  robot  enters​  ​a ​
​plant,​ ​the​ ​”robot​ ​takeover​” ​isn't ​far​ ​behind.​ People start to fear for their jobs.  

ⓘ ​Note 
 
The  goal  of  cobots  is  not  to  eliminate  jobs  by  replacing  human  labor.  The  goal  is  to 
eliminate  monotonous  and  repetitive  tasks  so  humans  can  focus  on  more  value-added 
tasks. This boosts productivity, prosperity, and worker morale. 
 

But how do you convince your workforce to embrace cobots, not fear them? 

The  best  way  is  to  start  with  a  small  team  of  "mobilizers"—key  people  who  will  champion  the effort to 
bring cobots to the business.  

Recruit team members 

A successful cobot deployment team must have expertise in the following areas:  

1. Robotics  
2. Project management  
3. Your manufacturing process 

 
 

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This expertise is spread across ten key roles: 

Manufacturing manager  Programmer 

Project leader  Operation and maintenance worker 

Project coordinator  Process advisor 

Engineer  Procurement specialist 

Installer  Continuous improvement specialist 

 

That  doesn't  mean you need ten people on your deployment team. It’s quite likely that some people will 

take on two or more responsibilities.  

 
 

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Together, you and your team will: 

1. Build a case for cobots and present it to management (if necessary). 

2. Announce the cobots project to the entire workforce and address any concerns. 
3. Lead and/or perform the cobot deployment.  

Clearly,  it's  important  to  get  the  right  people  on  your  team!  Download  the  ​Team  Roles  and 
Responsibilities spreadsheet​ for an outline of each role’s objectives, key responsibilities, and metrics.  

Explain the benefits of cobots 

Your  team  members  may  have  concerns  about  cobots,  such  as  fears  of  job  cuts,  uncertainty about the 
technology, or worries that the project will fail. 

Addressing  these  concerns  now  will  make  it  easier  for  your  team  to convince the rest of the workforce 
later.  

To get the conversation started, here are what we see as the top three benefits of cobots: 

Benefit 1: Greater job security 

Many  people  are  afraid  they’ll  lose  their  jobs  if  a  robot  comes  into  the  factory.  It's  important  to  tackle 
this concern right away by reassuring your team that their jobs are secure.  

At  every  plant  where  we’ve  seen  cobots  introduced,  management  did  not  cut  jobs.  Instead,  workers 
were transferred to other processes that require more dexterity and human intelligence.  

We've  even  seen  cobots  lead  to  more  jobs  being  created.  Cobots  create  a  shift  in  labor  on  your 
production  floor,  allowing  you  to  move  workers  to  more  value-added  tasks—which  increases  your 
production. As a result,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​likely​ ​need​ ​to​ ​hire​ ​more​ ​people​ ​down​ ​the​ ​line​ ​to​ ​handle​ ​the​ ​increase.  

We’ve  also  seen  businesses  use  cobots  to  “onshore”  manufacturing  operations  (i.e.,  move them back to 
the  country  of  origin). One example is ​Lowercase​, which moved eyewear production from China back to 
the US. This trend contributes to even greater job security. 

Your  team  will  appreciate  it  if  you  guarantee  them  that  staff  numbers  will  not  be  reduced  when  you 
introduce collaborative robots.  

 
 

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Benefit 2: Fewer injuries 

One  of  the  more  practical  benefits  of  collaborative  robots  is  that they can improve ergonomic issues in 
the  workplace.  The  tasks  at  which  robots  excel—those  involving  repetitive  movements—are  precisely 
the sort that injure workers.  

Repetitive  movements  can cause musculoskeletal disorders, and in some industries, many workdays lost 

due to injuries. O
​ ne study​ found that 35% of lost workdays were attributable to these disorders.  

Practically  everyone  can relate to the benefit of cobots here, especially since many people who work on 

the  front  line  have experienced some sort of muscular complaint. By highlighting this benefit, your team 
will appreciate how cobots can improve their experience at work.  

Benefit 3: More interesting jobs 

Robots  are  good  at  boring  tasks  (as  in  uninteresting  tasks—not  "boring"  as  in  drilling  holes…  although 
they’re good at that too!).  

Tending  a  CNC  machine,  for  example,  is  neither  fun  nor  stimulating.  Such  tasks  can  ruin  an  otherwise 
great  day  at  work.  By  contrast,  setups,  quality  inspections,  and  robot  programming  are  much  more 
stimulating tasks for your employees. 

Nobody  likes  to  do  dull  tasks.  However,  every  business  has  some  boring  but  necessary  jobs  which 
someone  has  to  do.  Every  time  you  get a collaborative robot to perform a boring task, it means you can 
move an employee to a more interesting task that uses their skills more effectively.  

Stimulating  tasks  result  in  a  workforce  that  is  happier  and  more  motivated.  Your  team  will  appreciate 
the benefits of cobots when you highlight how their jobs will become more interesting. 

In  most  cases,  any  fear  of  robots  that  existed  before  the  first  application  is  quickly  forgotten  after  the 
first robot is installed. People quickly realize how much the robot can help them in their work.  

Sometimes  they  even  give  the  robots  nicknames!  For  example,  at  ​Scott  Fetzer  Electrical  in  the  USA, 
workers dubbed a pair of collaborating robots​ ​”Thelma ​and​ ​Louise.” 

Record the plan  

Get your team together, and create a written document that includes the following four points: 

● Why​.  Why  cobots  and  why  now?  Make  sure  you’re  100%  clear  on  why  cobots  are  a  good 
idea. After this is decided, the “how” becomes much easier.  
● Scope​.  Clarify  which  manual  cell  you’re  going  to  automate.  Define  the start and end points 
of the robotic process. 

 
 

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● Schedule​.  Decide  on  a  realistic  time  frame  for  the  project  and  set  a  date  by  which  the 
cobot cell should be up and running.  
● Roles​.  Make  sure  everyone’s  clear  about  his  or  her  roles  and  responsibilities.  Take  the 
opportunity to double check that all ten roles have been filled. 

Once  your  team  has  agreed  on  roles  and  responsibilities,  and  been  made  aware  of  the  benefits  of 
cobots, you’re ready to move forward with the project.

   

 
 

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Step 4: Bring management and the 

workforce on board 
You’ve  chosen  your  application…  You’ve brought your team on board… And now you’re almost ready to 
get started on the Design phase of cobot deployment! 

But before you announce your cobot project, it’s important to present a solid case for cobots. 

You  and  your  team  are  already  convinced  of  the  benefits.  This  step  simply  involves  clarifying  those 
benefits in a way that management and the workforce will understand.  

In this section, we’ll cover: 

1. Setting metrics for your cobot deployment. 

2. Presenting a case for cobots that management will love. 
3. Presenting a case for cobots that the workforce will appreciate. 

Set metrics for your cobot deployment 

To  be  convincing,  you  have  to  get  specific  about  the  benefits  of  your  proposal.  That’s  why  metrics  are 
the key to building a data-driven case for cobots.  

They  let  you  go  from  this:  "We  want  to  introduce  a  machine  tending  cobot  because  it  will  boost 
productivity”​… 

To  this:  "We  want  to  introduce  a  machine  tending  cobot  to  the  milling  CNC  machine.  This  will increase 
the  machine's  throughput  by  20%  over  four  months  and  improve  quality  consistency,  with  a  payback 
period of one year."  

Here are five metrics to choose from, along with questions you and your team should answer: 

1. Quality  
People  assume  the  main  benefit  of  robots  is  speed (performing tasks faster). That’s a misunderstanding. 
The  main benefit of robots—and cobots—is that they perform tasks the same way every time, leading to 
better quality and consistency of output.  

 
 

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Consider: 

● How many ​nonconformities ​are produced by ​this​ ​cell?  

● What​ ​is​ ​the​ ​total​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​these​ nonconformities? 

2. Throughput 
Cobots  have  the  potential  to  increase  a  cell’s  throughput.  Sometimes  this  is  because  the  robot  works 
faster than a human could, but it’s more often because it can work 24/7 without breaks.  

Consider: 

● What​ ​is​ ​the​ manual cell’s throughput?  

● What  is  the  cycle  time  for  the  manual  process?  (You  should  aim  to  keep  the  robot’s  cycle 
time within a consistent range to ensure it’s really improving operations.) 

3. ROI​ ​potential  
Cobots  usually  have  a  quick  payback  period  compared  to  traditional  industrial  robots.  For  example,  3D 
printing company Voodoo Manufacturing earned a ROI in just six months (see the c​ ase study​ for details).  

Consider: 

● What are the costs​ ​associated​ ​with​ ​automating​ ​this​ ​process?  

● Do  the  benefits  (e.g.  increased  output,  improved quality, 24/7 availability, and greater work 
satisfaction​) ​justify​ ​the​ ​investment? 

4. Time 
Cobots  can  increase  your  employees’  productive  time.  By  moving  a  worker  to  a  greater  value-added 
task,  you  increase  that  worker's productivity. Plus, cobots reduce downtime because they work without 
slowing down or taking breaks.  

Consider: 

● How often, and for how long, does downtime occur now? 
● Which value-added tasks elsewhere in the process are currently understaffed? 

5. Value 
In  business,  value  refers  to  anything  the  customer  is  willing  to  pay  for.  That  doesn’t  mean  all 
non-value-added  operations  are  unnecessary.  Some,  like  packaging,  must  be  done.  By  assigning  these 
tasks to cobots, you and your employees are free to focus on operations that create value.  

 
 

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In  the  lean  robotics  methodology,  we  also  consider  value  at  another  level:  within the robotic cell itself. 
Here,  the  customer  is  defined  as  the  next  cell  in  the  process,  so  value-added  operations  are  anything 
that create value for the next cell.  

Consider: 

● How would the cobot affect the value created for the end customer? 
● How would the cobot affect the value created for the next cell along in the process? 

Some  of  these  metrics  are  straightforward  to  quantify  (like  ROI  and  throughput).  Others  are  more 
qualitative, and may require some lateral thinking (like quality and value).  

Build a case management will love 

Unless  you  work  at  a  small  startup,  you’re  in  charge  of  everything,  or  both,  you’ll  have to propose your 
cobot project to management. Your task is to show them why cobots are a great idea.  

The  key  is  to  describe  the  specific  benefits  (backed  up  by  your  metrics)  using  "management language." 
This  doesn't  mean  business  buzzwords,  sales  slang,  or  junior-executive  jargon:  it  means  finding  out 
what’s most important to management and framing the benefits of cobots in terms they’ll appreciate. 

The basic steps are: 

1. Consider how receptive management is to the idea of automation. 

2. Clarify your own goals for cobots.  
3. Define management’s main goals and desires. 
4. Address potential concerns about automation. 
5. "Translate" the benefits of cobots into terms management will love. 
6. Build your proposal and take steps to de-risk the decision. 
7. Set up the perfect time and situation to make your pitch. 

Download  our  workbook,  ​How  to  Convince  Your  Boss  to  Go  With  Cobots​,  for  help  completing  this 
process. 

Build a case the workforce will appreciate 

Pitching  cobots  to  the  workforce  is  another challenge. If​ workers​ ​don’t​ ​want​ ​the​ ​robot​ ​to​ ​work,​ ​it​ ​won’t​ 
​work! 

 
 

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Robots  aren’t  just  another  piece  of  equipment.  Employees  won’t  care  when  there’s  a  new  printer  at 
work,  for instance, but they often have doubts and fears about robots. Most people have never heard of 
collaborative robots. They aren’t aware of the difference between cobots and full automation. 

When  people  aren’t  told  what’s  going  on,  they  tend  to  assume  the  worst.  Rumors  move  fast.  Once 
misconceptions  spread,  they’re  hard  to  get  rid  of.  It’s  much  easier  to  simply  provide  the  right 
information in the first place. 

While  it’s  important  to  explain  the  value  of  cobots,  you  also  need  to  listen  to  people’s  opinions  and 
address their concerns. 

One of the best ways to do so is to hold a "kick-off session" to announce the project.  

Before it happens, gather your team of mobilizers and prepare the following: 

● A  list  of  questions  workers  are  likely  to  ask,  along  with answers that genuinely address the 
concerns behind these questions.  
● Videos  and  images  of  collaborative  robots  working  in  similar  facilities  to  yours,  so  people 
see how well they work alongside humans. Check out our ​case study library​ for examples! 
● Documents  with  more  information  about  the  project,  which  should  be  made  available  to 
members of the workforce. 

Make sure to leave lots of time for questions at the end of the kick-off session. 

It’s  also  a  good  idea  to  arrange  one-on-one  meetings  with  team  members  to  address  any  lingering 
concerns or questions. 

   

 
 

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Step 5: Start the design phase 

Once  everyone’s  as  excited  about cobots as you are (or at least receptive to the idea) it's time to design 
your cell! 

The design phase is the first major phase of the l​ ean robotics framework​. 

Before starting this phase, you should have defined: 

● The scope of the project (your chosen cobot application) 

● Roles and responsibilities 
● The project’s timeline/schedule 

(That’s what you accomplished by working through this eBook!) 

In the design phase, you will build on this work. You and your team will:  

1. Create a manual task map and layout.  

2. Create a robot task map and layout. 
3. Compare the manual and robot task maps.  
4. Finalize the robotic cell concept.  

To  learn  about  the  Design  phase,  download  the  ​Lean  Robotics  book  and  jump  to  the  section  "Phase  1: 
Design." 

Take a shortcut with Blueprints 

Want to speed up your cobot deployment and start seeing those benefits even sooner? 

We’re here to help! 

Use  our  ​online  Blueprints  tool  to  describe  the  manual  task  you  want  to  automate,  and  one  of  our 
coaches will get in touch for a free consultation.   

 
 

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What’s next? Buy your cobot 

Congratulations!  You’ve  identified  potential  robotic  applications  in your factory, assessed the feasibility 
of automation, reassured everyone, and convinced management to move forward. 

Now what?  

You’ve got your copy of ​Lean Robotics​, so you know how to start the Design phase.  

You’ve created a ​Blueprints​ account, scheduled a free coaching session, and can’t wait to learn more! 

But you’ve begun to wonder: isn’t something missing… like the actual robot?! 

Yep,  it’s  time  to  go  shopping  for  your  first  cobot.  Go  on  to  the  next  eBook  in  our  Getting  Started with 
Collaborative  Robots  series—​Shopping  for  a  Collaborative  Robot​—and  learn  how  to  find  the  perfect 
cobot for your project.  

 
 

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About Robotiq 
 
Robotiq’s lean robotics methodology and products enable manufacturers to deploy productive robotic 
cells across their factory.  
 
Manufacturers leverage the lean robotics methodology for faster time to production and increased 
productivity from their robots. Production engineers standardize on Robotiq’s Plug + Play Components 
for their ease of programming, built-in integration, and adaptability to many processes. They rely on 
Flow’s software suite to accelerate robot projects and optimize robot performance once in production. 
 
Robotiq is the humans behind the robots: an employee-owned business with a passionate team and an 
international partner network. 
 
 

 
 

 
 

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Let’s keep in touch 

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