How to compare AMR vendors

Payload and form factor

Rated payload capacity and actual tested payload under operating conditions. Robot dimensions and turning radius relative to your aisle widths and operating environment. Shelf or load compatibility with your existing carrier formats.

Navigation technology

LIDAR-based, camera-based, or hybrid navigation. Map creation process and time. Map update procedure when layout changes. Performance in dynamic environments with pedestrians and variable obstacles.

Fleet management software

Task assignment logic: how does the fleet management system allocate tasks to robots? Traffic management in congested areas. Multi-floor support if relevant. Reporting and analytics capability. Software update frequency and process.

WMS integration

API documentation quality and completeness. Native connectors to your WMS (if applicable). Task confirmation and exception reporting back to WMS. Real-time versus batch integration model. Integration project timeline from reference implementations.

Charging and battery management

Battery technology and expected degradation over time. Autonomous charging: does the robot return to charge automatically? Charging time and whether charging interrupts operations. Battery replacement cost and frequency at year 3-5.

Safety certification

CE marking and relevant safety standards compliance. Safety scanner coverage and stopping distance at operating speed. Human detection sensitivity and false positive rate. Track record of safety incidents at reference sites.

Pricing model

Hardware purchase versus robot-as-a-service (RaaS) versus lease models. Total cost of ownership over 5 years under each model. What is included in the base price and what is charged separately? Is pricing per robot, per shift, or per task completed?

Maintenance and support

What is the SLA for response time and resolution time? Is maintenance included or charged separately? Who holds spare parts stock and where? What is the procedure for a fleet-wide software fault? On-site support availability in your region.

Scalability terms

What is the pricing for additional robots beyond the initial fleet? Can you add robots from a different model generation to an existing fleet? What is the lead time for fleet expansion after ordering?

Software licence terms

Is fleet management software licensed per robot, per site, or per enterprise? What happens to the licence if robots are decommissioned? Are future software updates included or charged separately? What is the end-of-life policy for the current platform version?

Exit provisions

If you need to exit the relationship (RaaS model), what are the notice periods and exit costs? Can you transfer robots to a different site? What data portability rights do you have over operational data generated by the fleet?

No WMS integration references in your sector

If the vendor cannot provide a reference site using the same or a comparable WMS, integration risk is higher. Generic API claims without demonstrated experience in your environment are not sufficient.

Throughput claims without conditions

Any throughput figure quoted without specifying load, environment, aisle width, and WMS latency is a marketing figure, not an engineering specification. Require conditions to be documented.

Proprietary data lock-in

If operational data generated by the fleet is not exportable or accessible through standard APIs, you lose the ability to analyse performance independently or switch vendors in future.

Unclear software update commitments

Fleet management software is the long-term value of an AMR system. If the vendor cannot commit to a software roadmap and update frequency, platform obsolescence risk is high.

Pressure to commit before pilot

Legitimate AMR vendors support structured evaluation and are comfortable with pilots before full fleet commitment. Pressure to commit to a full fleet before a structured pilot is a significant commercial warning sign.