Your first cobot project starts with a better brief.

Define the job before choosing the arm.

A useful automation brief starts with the process you want to improve. “We need a robot” leaves the most important questions open: what should change, what must stay the same, and how will the finished process be evaluated?

Start with a plain-language description of one complete task. Record the input, each handling or processing step, and the required output. Mark the steps you intend to automate and the work that will remain with an operator.

Bring the range—not just the easiest part.

List the smallest and largest parts, their weights, the available gripping surfaces, and any differences between variants. Include the difficult parts in the conversation early.

A photograph can introduce a process, but dimensions, representative samples, and a short video usually make the next discussion more specific. Do not send confidential customer drawings through an unapproved channel.

Measure a complete cycle.

Write down loading, movement, process time, inspections, unloading, and any waiting or changeover steps. Label measured observations separately from targets and estimates.

This is a planning checklist, not a promised productivity improvement. The useful output is a shared definition of the cycle that the proposed solution must demonstrate.

Make the handoffs explicit.

Identify what equipment sits before and after the proposed cell. Ask who owns machine signals, part presentation, finished-part removal, error handling, and recovery.

Also assign responsibility for integration, tooling, commissioning, safeguarding, training, and ongoing support. A clear responsibility list helps make quotations comparable.

Agree on acceptance before discussing success.

Specify what a successful demonstration would include: representative part families, a complete cycle, defined quality checks, changeovers, and expected operator interactions.

Your first brief does not need to solve every engineering problem. It should expose the questions that need to be solved before a purchase commitment.

What to bring to the first conversation

• A description or video of the complete current task.
• Representative part dimensions, weights, and variation.
• Measured current cycle and clearly labeled output targets.
• A layout with access and surrounding equipment.
• A list of required interfaces and proposed acceptance criteria.