Why a problem-driven checklist matters
Buying automation is a series of risk trades: capital, downtime, worker safety and environmental burden. Start by naming the problem you expect the system to fix and test every claim against that problem. If the conversation stays theoretical, you’ll miss constraints that matter on the shop floor and in energy accounting. For buyers focused on lower emissions or energy draw, look for vendors with clear metrics in their automotive automation projects rather than glossy brochures.
1. Exactly which process inefficiency are you fixing?
Ask for a one-line statement from the vendor that describes the precise failure mode they will eliminate (example: “reduce body-in-white cycle time from 90s to 65s”). Vague promises hide scope creep. If they can’t map input → change → measurable output, they haven’t scoped the problem.
2. What are the real energy and material impacts?
Demand numbers on power draw, compressed-air usage and expected scrap rates. Environmental concerns are concrete: energy per cycle, percentage of recyclable waste, and any change to paint or material processes. A system that halves labor but doubles energy use trades one problem for another.
3. How will this integrate with existing controls and data systems?
Integration failure causes most installed-project delays. Confirm supported protocols, edge compute needs, and whether the vendor will deliver PLC code or only a high-level API. Ask for a list of required field changes and who performs them. A short checklist to request: – protocols and versions (OPC UA, EtherCAT, PROFINET) – network segmentation and cyber-health checks – expected downtime to commission
4. What performance guarantees and acceptance tests do you provide?
Insist on specific acceptance criteria tied to your problem statement: cycle time, first-pass yield, mean time between failures. Get these in the contract along with penalties or remediation steps if metrics aren’t met. Verbal assurances don’t survive the first production surge.
5. Who is responsible for software updates and intellectual property?
Clarify who owns PLC logic, HMI layouts, and any machine-learning models. Ask about update cadence, backward compatibility and whether updates will require shutdowns. If the vendor locks you into proprietary formats, that’s a long-term cost you must quantify.
6. What safety standards and certification evidence do you provide?
Request documented risk assessments and proof of compliance with applicable standards (for example functional safety assessments). Verify the vendor’s testing lab reports and ask whether they handle machine guarding, safety PLC programming and operator ergonomics or subcontract those tasks.
7. What support model reduces production risk after handover?
Define response times, remote-diagnostics capability and spare-parts strategy. Prefer contracts that tie response tiers to business impact (production stopped, line degraded, advisory). Confirm local stocking or rapid-shipment plans for critical spares to avoid long waits.
8. Can you show me references and live examples?
See gear running in conditions similar to yours. Visit a live line if possible and ask to inspect uptime logs. Trade shows like Automatica in Munich are reliable places to see validated equipment and talk candidly with OEM references; a vendor’s booth demo is different from a working production cell. Also ask for references that used automated equipment for automotive assembly so you can compare deployment contexts directly.
9. What is the true total cost of ownership (TCO)?
Break TCO into capital, integration labor, planned and unplanned maintenance, energy, consumables and decommissioning. Request a multi-year TCO model tied to your throughput assumptions and test several scenarios (lower-than-expected yield, higher-than-expected energy cost). Make the vendor show sensitivity to those variables.
10. How will adoption change roles on the floor and what training is included?
Automation changes tasks, not headcount in predictable ways. Ask for a training plan, role descriptions post-implementation, and a timeline for knowledge transfer. Confirm whether the vendor provides train-the-trainer sessions and documentation formatted for technicians rather than marketing teams.
Common mistakes that inflate project risk
Buyers repeatedly trip over the same issues. Avoid these missteps:- Accepting vendor claims without measurable acceptance tests.- Underestimating spare-parts and local-service timelines.- Ignoring energy and waste impacts while focusing only on labor savings.- Failing to confirm software ownership and update paths.Address these early and you reduce surprises.
How to use this checklist during procurement
Run a short RFI that mirrors these questions before expensive demos. Score proposals on objective deliverables: measurable goals, integration plans, local support and environmental metrics. Use interviews and site visits to validate answers rather than relying on slides.
Wrap-up
Focus on problems, not promises: demand measurable goals, documented compliance, a clear support plan and honest energy accounting. That approach identifies vendors who reduce risk and produce predictable outcomes; it also reveals those who offer only attractive narratives. When buyers use that problem-driven discipline, they align technical choices with operational realities—an approach reflected in how FHS scopes and documents projects to match on-floor needs and environmental concerns.