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 automotive component manufacturer in Germany, working in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.
- Organisation
- An automotive component manufacturer in Germany
- Sector
- Industrial robots & automation
- Team engaged
- Market Research
- Services
- Qualitative research, Quantitative research, Reporting & insights
Client challenge
After introducing collaborative robots, the company noticed workers avoided certain stations and productivity gains were lower than expected. Some workers had stopped using the collaborative features altogether, running the robots only in slower, fenced modes.
Research objectives
- Answer the core question: how workers feel about working alongside robots.
- Understand the views, needs and behaviour of workers.
- Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
- Give the client evidence it can act on within 6 weeks.
Target audience
The work focused on 500 workers.
- workers500
Audiences we typically reach in industrial robots & automation
Plant heads and ownersProduction engineersSystem integratorsAutomation distributorsMaintenance teams
Geographic coverage
Coverage: Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Market: Germany.
- Germany
Research methodology
A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.
- 1Brief
- 2Worker survey
- 3Shop-floor discussions
- 4Insight
We surveyed workers anonymously about safety perceptions, training and job security, and held discussions on the shop floor to understand concerns. We also observed shifts at the automated lines, which showed where workers paused or took detours around robot cells.
Qualitative researchQuantitative researchReporting & insights
Sampling strategy
- workers
- 500
- Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.
Data collection
- Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.
Data quality & validation
- 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
- Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
- Significance testing on the differences that mattered
- Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
- Journey and decision mapping
Key findings
- Workers worried about unexpected robot movements and job losses.
Human acceptance determined the success of automation.
Recommendations
- The company improved training, added visual safety signals and communicated clearly about redeployment plans.
- Share the findings with the teams closest to customers so they can act quickly.
What we recommended, and the client put into practice
Business impact
- Productivity at the automated stations improved over the following months as workers became more confident, and some volunteered to train colleagues on the new systems.
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: how do buyers judge payback?
Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.