When thinking about introducing a collaborative robot or upgrading an existing robot, the facility owner may not ignore the role of collaborative robot expertise. Even before you read the two eBooks in question, you will be encouraged to learn more about lean robotics: a methodology for simplifying robotic cell deployments. It has answers to all queries regarding deployments in a factory.

Having in-house robotics expertise helps with integration, deployment and show much more.

The two eBooks we are covering today bear the following titles:

• What Robotics Expertise Do You Need?
• Why You Need In-House Collaborative Robot Expertise

The first one is under module three while the second is under module one.

Both eBooks seek to help the reader understand the Integrate phase of a robotic cell deployment. The reader will find an infographic representation of this phase in both eBooks.

The first eBook, "What Robotics Expertise Do You Need?" has four focus areas:

• Business needs to be fulfilled
• Level of robotics capability
• Available resources
• Clarifying the big picture

The eBook gives a guideline on how to identify business needs using a table. Of most importance is to pick all robotics-related needs.

Since every company needs to assess its robotic capability at the beginning, the first eBook has given this area some focus too. One of the steps in this assessment is to identify the missing robotic capability.

It goes on to analyze resources, categorizing them as follows:

• Technology resources
• Personnel resources
• Budget resources
• Time resources
• Social resources

In the tables accompanying the description of each category, the reader should find it easy to implement the steps. Some important insight in the eBook is that the technology resources category is the easiest to identify. Another one is that time resources are more important than budget resources. Have you ever heard about the 30-to-1 rule? You will learn about it in the closing stages of this read, which also discusses goal clarification.

While still on robotic expertise, the second eBook, "Why You Need In-House Collaborative Robot Expertise," discusses the need for expertise. For anyone new to the collaborative robot world, there is a section dedicated to defining in-house robotic expertise.

A paragraph on barriers to robotic expertise follows. Some barriers highlighted here are high initial cost of automation, low flexibility and complexity of automation solutions.

Going to the next paragraph, you will find how collaborative robots remove the barriers. The follow-up section cements this point, adding that deploying a collaborative robot is extremely easy, as compared to former years. Today, you can even get an industrial robot installed for only $50,000.

If there are gaps in robotic expertise in your organization, the next section will come in handy. Only minimal training is required for robotic expertise these days. Outsourcing an integrator and training the workforce are two options the factory owner will encounter at one point. The eBook recommends in-house expertise, citing many benefits and providing a number of links to that effect. To highlight just a few of them, developing in-house expertise gives the company total control, helps the workforce to own the robot and helps use collaborative robots optimally.

Collaborative robot expertise is covered extensively in these two eBooks. Have you read them and have any comment/question? We are pleased to respond.

The two eBooks:

• What Robotics Expertise Do You Need?
• Why You Need In-House Collaborative Robot Expertise