The Automation Journey Episode 5

Your automated system is installed. The vendor says it’s ready. So why isn’t it performing?

Scope creep, vendor accountability gaps, and underperforming systems in the first 90 days – these are three of the most common and costly challenges in complex automation deployments. And they’re almost always avoidable.

This excerpt from Episode 5 of The Automation Journey covers the section of the conversation where Yara Alsuwailem, Head of Engineering and Implementation at EQ Depot, goes deep on what causes these problems and exactly what integrators and customers need to do to prevent them. For full conversation – including project readiness, safety standards, post go-live support agreements, and Yara’s final advice on communication – listen to the complete episode.

Key Takeaways
Why scope creep disguised as minor tweaks is one of the hardest delays to spot – and how customer sign-off before execution prevents it
How multi-system projects create multiple points of failure – and how workshop meetings and data logs keep accountability clear
Where failures most commonly occur between systems installed by different vendors – and how to resolve them without finger pointing
Why the first 90 days post go-live are the hardest – and what “nobody wants to touch the big expensive machine” actually costs an operation
Why training during commissioning – not after – is the single most effective way to prepare a customer’s team for go-live

Timestamps
00:37 Welcome and episode introduction
02:04 When technical expertise alone isn’t enough
03:48 How integrators and customers approach projects differently
05:43 Why a dedicated customer implementation team matters
06:57 The most common project readiness gaps
09:21 IT and WMS engagement – why it has to happen in the sales phase
10:41 What goes into planning and scheduling a complex deployment
13:08 Customer responsibilities that get missed in proposals
14:41 Scope creep – the delay nobody sees coming
16:52 Managing multi-system complexity and multiple vendors
18:44 Where failures occur between systems – and how to resolve them
19:56 What customers should demand in their project agreements
21:42 Safety standards, ANSI B56.5, and where compliance gaps appear
26:55 Why the first 90 days post go-live are the hardest
29:26 Training during commissioning – why it changes everything
31:12 What good post go-live support actually looks like
34:21 Operations training and site-specific SOPs
38:41 Managing timeline impacts mid-project
39:40 Final advice – purposeful communication and the 15-second rule
42:08 Colin’s closing reflection – what great project management actually delivers

What’s Next?
Subscribe, review, and share with others who are planning or delivering a complex automation project and want to know what it really takes to make it work.

Visit Rocrich AGV Solutions: https://rocrich.com/
Connect with Colin Hutchings on LinkedIn: / colinbhutchings
Connect with Yara Alsuwailem on LinkedIn: / yara-alsuwailem

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