# Autonomous Mobile Robots in Production: From Pilot to Fleet

Author: Marin Niehues, Niehues Consulting · Published: 2024-05-30 · AI Adoption & Operations
Source: https://www.niehuesconsulting.de/en/blog/amr-autonomous-mobile-robots-production/

An autonomous mobile robot (AMR) moves material in production on its own and navigates freely through the plant with sensors and a map. It becomes a fleet once fleet control and interfaces grow along with the operating organisation. The pilot with a few vehicles proves the technology. The decision on the fleet rests on economics and process integration as well as an owner for operations.

This article places the AMR against automated guided vehicle systems, describes four maturity levels from pilot to fleet with criteria for each transition, shows a calculation for the economics and explains which roles operations need. It is written for plant and logistics managers and managing directors who must decide after a successful test whether, and how far, to expand.

**An AMR pilot proves that a vehicle finds its way. The fleet proves that process, software, maintenance and organisation work together, and that is where the economics are decided.**

## What is an autonomous mobile robot and how does it differ from an AGV?

An autonomous mobile robot is a driverless transport vehicle that senses its surroundings with sensors, uses a map and chooses its own route, whereas a classic automated guided vehicle (AGV) follows fixed tracks. Classic systems run on magnetic tape, an inductive loop or reflectors. The route is therefore fixed, and any change to the layout means rebuilding. An AMR drives around obstacles, takes another route when an aisle is blocked and can be set to new routes through software.

The distinction is fluid, because many manufacturers offer hybrid forms, and the relevant standard ISO 3691-4 for driverless industrial trucks covers both types. What matters for the decision is less the name than how stable your routes are. For fixed, high-frequency routes with heavy loads, a classic AGV can be the more economical solution. With changing paths, mixed traffic of people and forklifts and frequent change, the AMR has the advantage. How costs and utilisation of both systems are compared is also shown in the article on [robots in intralogistics](/en/blog/warehouse-picking-robots-automation/).

The market is growing. According to the International Federation of Robotics, more than 86,000 professional service robots for transport and logistics were sold worldwide in 2022, 44 per cent more than the year before. Transport of goods was thereby the largest application group among professional service robots, and the federation attributes the growth to labour shortages. The figure covers more than AMRs in production, but it shows the direction. How automation fits against staff shortages is described in the article on [automation against skills shortages](/en/blog/automation-skilled-labour-shortage-robots/).

## Why do AMR pilots get stuck?

AMR pilots get stuck because the pilot solves a different task from the fleet. In a pilot, one to three vehicles run on a defined route, accompanied by the supplier and with the close attention of everyone involved. The fleet needs things the pilot does not test: a fleet controller that distributes orders and manages traffic at junctions, interfaces to the warehouse and manufacturing systems, charging infrastructure, wireless coverage across the whole hall, a procedure for faults and people who answer for this operation every day.

Then there is the question of manufacturers. Anyone who wants to deploy vehicles from different manufacturers needs a common language between vehicle and fleet controller. The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and VDMA developed the VDA 5050 interface for this purpose, which describes orders and status messages across manufacturers. Whether your supplier supports it belongs in the selection requirements before the pilot, because it later eases the replacement or addition of vehicles.

A third cause lies in the organisation. In the pilot, an owner for operations is missing. Intralogistics points to IT, IT points to maintenance, and nobody answers for availability and interventions. A pilot without this role shows good runs and leaves no decision behind.

## Which maturity levels lead from pilot to fleet?

Four maturity levels lead from pilot to fleet, and each ends with a decision based on metrics. The model helps to determine the next step and to release investment in stages.

**Maturity levels from pilot to fleet**
Criterion | Level 1: Feasibility | Level 2: Pilot | Level 3: Zone in regular operation | Level 4: Fleet | With Niehues Consulting
Scope | One route, test runs | 1 to 3 vehicles, one route | Several routes, one area | Several areas or sites | Business case for each level
Integration | None | Manual orders | Interface to the warehouse or manufacturing system | Fleet controller across manufacturers | Requirements and interface planning
Organisation | Project team | Project team with supplier | Owner in operations, training of shifts | Fleet support with cover and a maintenance plan | Roles and accountability in operations
Decision criterion | Route is drivable | Availability and transport output reach target values | Interventions per vehicle and shift fall, users accept | Cost per transport below the baseline | Gate decision with senior management

The transition from level 2 to level 3 is the critical threshold. Here the attention of the project team ends, and operations must function without special support. Two questions help with the decision: does the pilot run with the shift's own staff and without the project manager on site? Is the number of interventions per vehicle and shift low enough for one person to look after several vehicles? If either answer is no, the cause belongs to the process or the configuration, to be resolved before further vehicles are bought.

## How does an AMR fleet pay back?

An AMR fleet pays back when the annual net benefit repays the total investment within the desired time, and the total investment covers more than the price of the vehicles. The calculation has five steps.

1. Record the transport volume: how many transports per shift occur on the route, with what distance and weight?
2. Value today's effort: hours per year that employees spend on transport, times full cost per hour. This includes waiting time, empty runs and search time.
3. Determine the investment: vehicles, fleet controller, connection to the systems, charging infrastructure, wireless network, adaptation of routes and training.
4. Set running costs: maintenance and software upkeep, energy and the share of one person for fleet support.
5. Form net benefit and payback period: savings minus running costs, then investment divided by annual benefit.

A worked example for illustration: if employees spend 12 hours per shift in total on transport and work two shifts on 230 days, that is 5,520 hours a year. At a full cost of 40 euros per hour, this comes to roughly 220,000 euros. These figures are assumed, and you insert your own values. One point is decisive: the benefit arises only when the time freed up is actually used differently, for instance in production or quality inspection, or when posts are not refilled. Time that is merely redistributed appears in the calculation as a saving and in operations as nothing. Further grounding in investment calculation is provided by the article on [planning robot cells](/en/blog/planning-robot-cells-investment-payback-space/), and alternatives to buying are described in the article on [robotics as a service](/en/blog/robotics-as-a-service-rent-or-buy/).

**Metrics for fleet operations**
- Availability of vehicles per shift
- Transports per hour and vehicle
- Human interventions per vehicle and shift
- Cost per transport compared with the baseline

## Which roles do operations of an AMR fleet need?

Operating an AMR fleet needs four roles, which should be named before procurement. The process owner, usually the head of intralogistics, answers for transport output and costs. Fleet support monitors operations and resolves faults, and it also maintains the map and the settings of the fleet controller. IT provides the network and interfaces and secures the software. Maintenance services the vehicles to plan. For safety in operation, the requirements of ISO 3691-4 apply, which the manufacturer and occupational safety specialists check and document at commissioning.

Two patterns cause trouble in practice. The first is a set of traffic rules that nobody maintains: people and forklifts ignore the marked routes, and the vehicles stand still. The second is a workforce that was not involved. When shift staff see the robot as a competitor, the risk of blocked routes and faults grows. Early involvement, clear statements about the tasks of the future and training in support and intervention change the picture.

## Working with Niehues Consulting from pilot to fleet

[Niehues Consulting](/en/) is a consultancy for AI management and organisation design from a delivery perspective, based in Düsseldorf. Founder Marin Niehues brings automation into operations, in projects from VC-funded scale-ups to DAX 40 groups and in more than 20 countries on six continents. Niehues Consulting supplies no robots and integrates no vehicles. The work covers the business case with the requirements, the introduction together with delivery management and the organisation of operations, which means the decision on whether and in what order a fleet comes about, and the question of who answers for it day to day.

The approach follows the Niehues Delivery Model with its three phases. Three test questions count on the way from pilot to fleet: does the prototype prove the benefit in the real workflow with real data? Is the business case confirmed with real values? Who is responsible for operations from day one? The scope and terms of an engagement are discussed in the free initial consultation, which you can arrange in 30 minutes via the [contact form](/en/#kontakt).

**Conclusion**
The pilot answers whether an AMR runs in your plant. The fleet rests on economics with real values, on integration into the systems and on roles in operations. Whoever settles these points before expansion and releases investment in stages avoids the typical dead end: the successful pilot without a decision.

**Sources**
- International Federation of Robotics: World Robotics Service Robots 2023, press release of 12 October 2023
- ISO 3691-4: Industrial trucks, safety requirements for driverless industrial trucks, standard, 2023
- VDA and VDMA: VDA 5050, interface between automated guided vehicles and fleet control

## Frequently asked questions

### What is an autonomous mobile robot?

An autonomous mobile robot (AMR) is a driverless vehicle that finds its own way with sensors and a map and drives around obstacles. It moves material in production and warehouses. Unlike the classic AGV, it does not follow a fixed track.

### What is the difference between an AMR and an AGV?

An AGV follows fixed tracks such as magnetic tape or an inductive loop, while an AMR navigates freely with sensors and a map. The AGV suits fixed, busy routes, the AMR suits changing paths and mixed traffic. Many manufacturers offer hybrid forms.

### How much does an AMR cost?

The costs consist of vehicles and fleet control as well as integration and infrastructure, together with running operation, and the vehicles are only one part. Reliable prices come from manufacturer quotes for your route. The scope and terms of an engagement are discussed in the free initial consultation.

### When does an AMR pay off in production?

An AMR pays off when a route has many transports, people spend time on them that would create more value elsewhere, and the routes change fairly often. Calculate with your own transport volumes and full costs. The benefit arises only when the time freed up is used differently.

### How long does it take to go from pilot to fleet?

The duration follows the number of routes, the integration into the systems and the maturity of the organisation. Each level ends with a decision based on metrics, such as availability and interventions per vehicle and shift. Plan separate time for the transition from pilot to regular operation.

### What is VDA 5050?

VDA 5050 is an interface that the VDA and VDMA developed for communication between automated guided vehicles and a fleet controller. It allows vehicles from several manufacturers to run under one control system. Ask before selection whether the supplier supports it.

### Which standard applies to driverless transport vehicles?

ISO 3691-4 sets out safety requirements and test methods for driverless industrial trucks and covers AGVs as well as AMRs. At commissioning, the manufacturer and occupational safety specialists check and document the requirements for your environment.

### Who should be responsible for operating an AMR fleet?

The head of intralogistics, as process owner, is usually responsible, supported by fleet support, IT and maintenance. The roles should be settled before procurement. Without an owner, the pilot ends without a decision.