Robot Commissioning Readiness Review: What Must Be Ready Before the Supplier or Integrator Arrives On Site

A robot system has been built, tested at FAT, shipped, and delivered to the buyer's facility. The supplier or integrator has scheduled a commissioning team to arrive on Monday morning. What happens on Monday determines whether the project stays on schedule or enters a series of delays that can stretch for weeks. If the site is not ready, the commissioning team spends its first days chasing missing utilities, waiting for IT access, locating test parts, and resolving safety permits. Each day of delay costs money in per diem, lost production, and schedule slip. A commissioning readiness review, conducted before the team arrives, is the process that prevents this.

Installation, Commissioning, and SAT: Three Different Gates

The period between equipment delivery and final acceptance involves three distinct activities, each with its own entrance conditions.

Installation is the physical placement and connection of the equipment. The robot is uncrated, moved to its mounting position, bolted down, and connected to power, air, and network. Installation can begin as soon as the equipment is on-site and the physical prerequisites (foundation, utilities, access) are met.

Commissioning is the process of making the installed equipment function as a system. It involves powering up the robot, loading the program, calibrating positions, testing motion sequences, integrating with external systems (PLC, WMS, vision), and running representative parts. Commissioning requires installation to be complete, but it also requires software, interfaces, test materials, and personnel to be ready.

SAT (Site Acceptance Testing) is the formal verification that the system meets the buyer's requirements under actual site conditions. SAT follows commissioning and uses defined test procedures with pass/fail criteria. SAT requires the system to be functionally operational, not just powered on.

Confusion arises when these three gates are treated as a single activity. Equipment can be installed but not ready for commissioning (because the IT interface is not configured). Commissioning can be underway but not ready for SAT (because test parts are not available or the safety permit has not been issued). The readiness review checks each gate independently.

ISO 10218-2:2025, the industrial robot safety standard for robot cells and applications, covers safety requirements across integration, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, decommissioning, and redeployment. The 2025 edition (third version, replacing the 2011 edition) is the first to integrate the collaborative robot content previously in ISO/TS 15066. While the standard provides the safety framework, the actual determination of whether a site is ready for commissioning is a project responsibility that requires checking conditions beyond safety alone.

Confirm Equipment and Documentation Readiness

The first check is whether the equipment that arrived matches what was ordered and whether the documentation needed for commissioning is available.

Equipment verification:

• Robot model and serial number match the order and FAT record
• Controller model and software version match the FAT configuration
• EOAT, fixtures, and accessories are present and undamaged
• Spare parts kit (if included in the purchase) is complete
• Any damage during shipping is documented and reported

Documentation verification:

• Installation manual for the specific robot model (not a generic version)
• Software license documentation and activation status
• Parameter files and program backups from FAT
• Mechanical drawings (base plate, fixture, EOAT) at the released versions
• ICD (Interface Control Document) with current version
• Calibration records from FAT
• Test reports from FAT, including any conditional passes or open items
• Safety documentation (risk assessment, safety function specification)

If any of these items are missing, commissioning may proceed in a limited capacity but cannot be completed. Missing FAT test reports, for example, mean the commissioning team cannot verify that the system was working before shipping, making it difficult to distinguish shipping damage from pre-existing issues.

Use the robot incoming inspection checklist to establish which transport, model and packing discrepancies must be recorded before installation.

Verify Site, Power, Utilities, and Physical Access

The site must be physically ready for the equipment and the commissioning process.

Foundation and mounting: The base or pedestal is installed and verified for flatness and level according to the robot manufacturer's specifications. Anchor bolts or mounting hardware are in place and torqued. The foundation drawings have been checked against the actual installation.

Space and access: The robot cell footprint is clear. There is adequate space around the cell for the commissioning team to work, including access to all sides of the robot for teach pendant operation, cable routing, and adjustment. Maintenance access is not blocked by temporary storage or adjacent equipment.

Power and utilities: Electrical power (correct voltage, phase, current capacity) is connected to the cell disconnect. Compressed air (correct pressure, flow rate, air quality) is available at the cell connection point. If the process requires other utilities (gas, water, vacuum, extraction), they are connected and tested.

Lifting and rigging: If the equipment has not yet been placed in its final position, the lifting path is clear, rigging equipment is available, and the floor can support the lifting loads.

Environmental conditions: Ambient temperature, humidity, and ventilation are within the robot manufacturer's specified operating range. If the cell generates heat, dust, or fumes during operation, the extraction or ventilation system is operational.

This section checks whether the site is ready, not whether the site engineering is correct. The companion article on industrial robot foundation requirements covers structural design. The article on robot cell utility readiness covers utility specifications in detail. Here, the question is simply: are these things ready for commissioning to begin?

Interface and IT/OT Access Checklist

Modern robot systems do not operate in isolation. They connect to PLCs, WMS, MES, safety controllers, and corporate networks. If these interfaces are not ready when the commissioning team arrives, the robot can be powered and moved, but it cannot be tested as an integrated system.

Interface readiness checklist:

• PLC program is loaded and communication with the robot controller is established
• WMS or MES interface is configured (API credentials, endpoint URLs, message format)
• Network connectivity is confirmed (VLAN assignment, firewall rules, IP addresses)
• Safety controller is programmed and safety I/O is mapped
• Any third-party equipment (conveyors, positioners, vision systems) is powered and communicating
• Remote access (if required for supplier support) is configured and tested

Current robot interface control documents should identify the signals, states and owners that must be available to the commissioning team.

Interfaces must have named owners

Each interface has a buyer-side owner and a supplier-side owner. The buyer's IT team owns the network configuration. The integrator owns the PLC programming. The supplier owns the robot controller configuration. If an interface fails during commissioning, the team needs to know immediately who is responsible for diagnosing and fixing it. Without named owners, interface problems become everyone's problem and no one's responsibility.

Actual account and connectivity readiness

It is not enough for IT to say “the network is ready.” The commissioning team needs actual, tested connectivity. This means:

• API credentials have been issued and tested (not just created)
• Firewall rules allow the specific ports and protocols the robot system uses
• PLC tags are mapped and readable from the robot controller
• A test message has been successfully sent and received across each interface

If these tests have not been performed before the commissioning team arrives, the first day of commissioning will be spent on IT troubleshooting rather than robot testing.

Safety and Permit Preconditions

Commissioning involves moving a robot that can cause injury if safety systems are not functioning. Before commissioning begins, the following safety preconditions must be met:

• Risk assessment: The cell risk assessment has been completed and signed by the responsible party (buyer's EHS, integrator, or both, depending on contract).
• Safety functions: All safety-rated functions (E-stop, area scanners, light curtains, safety doors) are installed, wired, and tested for basic operation.
• Guarding: Physical guards and safety fences are installed and secured.
• LOTO (Lockout/Tagout): The LOTO procedure for the cell is documented, and the necessary locks and tags are available.
• Work permits: If the facility requires hot work permits, confined space permits, or other permits for commissioning activities, they are arranged in advance.
• EHS approval: The facility's EHS team has reviewed the cell and authorized it for powered commissioning.

If any of these preconditions are not met, the commissioning team cannot safely power the robot. In many jurisdictions, powering a robot without completed safety preconditions violates occupational health and safety regulations. Buyers should verify the specific legal requirements that apply to their facility and region.

Representative Test Parts, Fixtures, and Tools

A robot that is commissioned without representative parts has not been commissioned. Running the robot through its motion sequence with no payload, or with a substitute part that does not match the actual workpiece, demonstrates that the robot moves. It does not demonstrate that the robot performs the task.

Test materials checklist:

• Representative parts (best-case, typical, and worst-case variants if applicable)
• Fixtures and pallets (the actual production fixtures, not temporary substitutes)
• Fasteners, consumables, or process materials (welding wire, adhesive, abrasives) if the process requires them
• Measurement tools (calipers, torque wrenches, surface roughness testers) for verifying process results
• Quality standards or sample parts that define acceptable output

If any of these are missing, the commissioning plan should explicitly state what can and cannot be tested. An empty-load motion test is not a substitute for a part-loaded process test. The companion article on FAT vs SAT for robot projects covers what should be tested at each stage. Here, the point is that the materials needed for those tests must be on-site before commissioning begins.

People, Schedule, and Decision Authority

Commissioning requires people from multiple organizations to be present and available. If key people are not available when needed, the commissioning process stalls.

Required personnel:

• Supplier or integrator commissioning engineer(s)
• Buyer's operations representative (who will eventually operate the system)
• Buyer's IT/OT representative (for interface issues)
• Buyer's maintenance or facilities representative (for utility or access issues)
• Buyer's EHS representative (for safety-related tests)
• Buyer's quality representative (for process verification)
• Interpreter (if the commissioning team and buyer's team do not share a working language)

Schedule: The commissioning schedule should define which activities occur on which days, which personnel are needed for each activity, and what the contingency is if activities take longer than planned. A common failure mode is scheduling the commissioning team for a fixed number of days without buffer, so that any delay immediately impacts the departure date and subsequent commitments.

Who can authorize the next test?

During commissioning, the team progresses through a series of tests, each building on the previous one. Someone must have the authority to say “this test passed, proceed to the next.” That authority should be defined before commissioning begins. Typically, the buyer's project manager or technical lead has the authority to authorize the next test, with the supplier's lead engineer providing the technical recommendation. If the authority is unclear, the team may proceed with tests that should have been stopped, or may stop for unnecessary approvals.

Conditional Go and Blocking Open Issues

At the start of each commissioning day, the team should review the open issues list and classify each item as blocking or non-blocking for that day's planned activities.

Blocking issues are those that prevent a planned test from being executed. For example, if the safety area scanner is not functioning, no motion test can proceed until it is fixed. If the WMS interface is down, no automated task test can proceed.

Non-blocking issues are those that do not prevent the day's planned tests but need to be resolved before SAT. For example, if the robot's positioning accuracy is slightly outside specification, the team may proceed with process testing while investigating the cause.

Each blocking issue should have an owner, a target resolution time, and an impact assessment (what tests are delayed if it is not resolved). The review should happen at the start of each day, not just once at the beginning of commissioning, because new issues can emerge as testing progresses.

Pre-Commissioning Readiness Sign-Off Sheet

The readiness review culminates in a one-page sign-off sheet that confirms each category is ready. This is not a commissioning report or a test result. It is a gate check that says “the conditions for starting commissioning are met.”

Sign-off categories:

1. Equipment: model, serial, condition verified
2. Documentation: manuals, programs, drawings, FAT reports available
3. Site: foundation, space, access, environmental conditions confirmed
4. Utilities: power, air, network, extraction connected and tested
5. Interfaces: PLC, WMS, safety controller, third-party equipment communicating
6. Accounts: API credentials, network access, remote support configured
7. Safety: risk assessment signed, safety functions tested, permits obtained, EHS approved
8. Materials: test parts, fixtures, consumables, measurement tools on-site
9. People: required personnel available, schedule confirmed, decision authority defined
10. Open issues: blocking and non-blocking items listed with owners

Each category is signed by the responsible party. A category that is not ready is marked as “not ready” with the specific gap and the plan to close it. Commissioning may proceed with non-blocking gaps, but blocking gaps must be resolved before the commissioning team is scheduled to arrive.

This sign-off is the buyer's tool for ensuring that the investment in a commissioning team's time and travel is not wasted by conditions that could have been prepared in advance. It is also the supplier's protection against being held responsible for delays caused by site conditions outside their control.

The readiness record should also identify calibration evidence and the role responsible for robot calibration management.