Industry overview
What is shaping industrial robots & automation
Industrial automation and robotics are moving from large plants to mid-sized manufacturers. Adoption depends on clear payback, integrator support and confidence in the technology.
- Plant heads need a clear business case before investing
- System integrators are central to successful adoption
- Skills gaps slow down deployment
Client background
An industrial robot manufacturer, working in Germany, Italy & Switzerland. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- An industrial robot manufacturer
- Sector
- Industrial robots & automation
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Business panel, Qualitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
Most robot sales happened through system integrators, who could recommend any brand. The manufacturer wanted to know how integrators chose which brands to promote. Several integrators had quietly shifted their recommendations to competing brands, and the manufacturer only noticed when regional sales fell.
Research objectives
- Deliver on the brief: understanding what system integrators need from a robot brand.
- Uncover the motivations and barriers people do not state in a survey.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
Scope: 30 integrator interviews.
Audiences we typically reach in industrial robots & automation
Plant heads and ownersProduction engineersSystem integratorsAutomation distributorsMaintenance teams
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Germany, Italy & Switzerland. Markets: Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
- Germany
- Italy
- Switzerland
Research methodology
A qualitative design, built to uncover motivations, decision processes and the language people actually use.
- 1Brief
- 2In-depth interviews with integrators
- 3Insight
We interviewed integrators of different sizes about brand selection, technical support, training, margins, lead times and their experience with different manufacturers. We spoke with small integrators serving single clusters as well as larger national firms, because their needs and frustrations were often very different.
Business panelQualitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- Business respondents were screened on role, company size and involvement in the decision before being invited.
- Online respondents were drawn from verified panel members who matched the screening criteria, with quotas on key profile attributes.
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- integrator interviews
- 30
- The online survey was mobile-friendly and offered in respondents' languages.
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- Digital fingerprinting and duplicate checks
- Attention, speed and straight-lining checks
- Review of open-ended answers
- Recordings and transcripts for every session
- Re-screening of qualitative recruits
- Logic and range checks on the final data
- Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures
Data analysis
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Integrators favoured brands that offered quick technical support during commissioning and reliable spare parts.
- It also simplified its partner pricing and created a shared demonstration facility where integrators could bring their own customers.
Supporting partners during difficult installations built lasting loyalty.
Recommendations
- Build on the core insight: supporting partners during difficult installations built lasting loyalty.
- Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: integrators favoured brands that offered quick technical support during commissioning and reliable spare parts.
- Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.
Business impact
- The manufacturer set up an integrator support desk and training academy.
What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.
Deliverables & next steps
- Insight report and management presentation
- Cleaned data file and data tables
- Interview summaries and key verbatims
- Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
- A natural follow-on question: what do integrators need from robot makers?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.