Preparing the published article.
How to Write a Robotics Buyer Brief
A practical structure for defining the task, operating environment, interfaces, evidence requirements and acceptance criteria before supplier outreach.
Start with the task, not the robot
A useful robotics buyer brief gives different suppliers the same operating problem to evaluate. Begin with the work to be improved, the current process and the result you need. Choosing a robot category is a later step: a machine that moves quickly in a demonstration may still be unsuitable for your products, layout or staffing.
Describe one repeatable workflow, including what happens immediately before and after it. Name a project owner and the people who will operate, maintain and approve the installation. Mark unknowns explicitly instead of turning early estimates into requirements.
Measure the current operation
Workload: task or order types, average and peak demand, shift pattern and seasonal variation.
Materials: item dimensions, weight range, packaging, fragile items and unusual cases.
Baseline: current output, waiting time, rework, staffing and interruptions, with the measurement period.
Target: the improvement sought and the conditions under which it must be achieved.
Exceptions: damaged items, missing inputs, spills, blocked routes and other situations requiring a person.
Separate measured figures from assumptions. Averages alone can conceal the peak-hour bottleneck that determines the system size. Give suppliers the same representative workload rather than comparing demonstrations with different inputs.
Document the site and interfaces
Provide a dated layout and identify available installation space, access restrictions, operating routes, utilities, environmental conditions and nearby work. Explain which processes must keep running during installation. Avoid sharing confidential drawings in an initial public enquiry; agree an appropriate information-sharing process first.
List the systems that must exchange data or signals, such as ordering, inventory, production or building systems. Record the actual product and version where known. Ask each supplier to identify supported interfaces, buyer-supplied components, integration ownership and behavior during a connection failure.
For cooking robots: describe the whole kitchen workflow
Do not define a cooking project solely as a number of dishes per hour. Describe menu variation, recipe changes, portion sizes, ingredient preparation, batch sizes and the busiest service period. Specify which steps remain with kitchen staff: preparation, loading, plating, replenishment, cleaning and exception handling.
Menu and inputs: representative recipes, ingredient forms, sauces, utensils and presentation requirements.
Operating sequence: order intake, ingredient staging, cooking, handoff and the next batch.
Site fit: available utilities, ventilation, drainage, storage and access for service.
Changeover: recipe changes, cleaning workflow and procedures the kitchen needs the supplier to support.
Evaluation: agreed dishes and operating conditions for a supervised trial, including staff effort and recovery from interruptions.
Ask the supplier and the appropriate qualified site advisers to assess food-handling, hygiene and installation requirements for the destination. A product video is not proof that a particular kitchen or menu is ready for deployment. Start with our stir-fry robot guide and service and cooking robotics directory.
Make proposals comparable
Ask every respondent to separate hardware, tooling, sensing, software, integration, installation, commissioning, training and support. Distinguish a one-time purchase from recurring software, consumables or service charges. Request the assumptions, exclusions, buyer responsibilities and dependencies behind the proposed schedule.
International projects also need a clear destination country, contracting party, installation responsibilities, support languages and escalation route. Request written confirmation of local availability, parts arrangements and relevant project documentation. An overseas office or an English website does not establish service coverage at your site.
Use the RFQ comparison guide to turn this brief into a consistent set of supplier questions. Do not treat a preliminary estimate as a committed price or delivery date.
Agree how success will be tested
Define the input set, operating duration, staffing, exceptions and output checks for a trial before comparing results. Identify who supplies the test materials, records the outcome and resolves a failed criterion. Include restart and recovery scenarios, not just uninterrupted operation.
Request relevant customer references and explain how their conditions compare with your own. Keep manufacturer claims, demonstrations and measured site results separate. Technical safety and compliance decisions require project-specific review by qualified parties; this brief does not replace that assessment.
Use this first-enquiry outline
Prepare the following information in your own working document. You can send a short, non-confidential summary first and share detailed materials after the recipient and process are agreed.
Project: task, location and responsible team.
Problem: current workflow and the bottleneck to address.
Workload: representative items, daily volume and peak conditions.
Site: space, utilities, restrictions and integration needs.
Scope: what the supplier should provide and what the buyer will provide.
Target: desired outcome and proposed evaluation conditions.
Timing: decision window, installation constraints and unresolved dependencies.
Questions: information needed before a trial or detailed quotation.
Choose the next step
Browse the international company directory to identify relevant suppliers, or see the illustrative internal-logistics pilot brief for another application. The Robotics RFQ page provides Zhilianhai's enquiry channel; submitting an enquiry is not a supplier quotation, purchase order or procurement commitment.
This is original editorial guidance from Zhilianhai Robotics Intelligence, reviewed 10 September 2026. The outline is not a live buyer project and contains no real budget, deadline or award decision. Do not include passwords, payment details or confidential client information in an initial enquiry.