Robot-as-a-Service: use robots instead of buying them

What the model is for

Most organisations decide on robotics once two questions are answered: which workflow is actually relieved, and how that fits the budget. For the second question, Robot-as-a-Service sits alongside purchase.

The principle is simple: you pay for use, not for ownership. How that is treated in your accounts depends on the contract and on your own accounting practice — that assessment belongs to your organisation, not to us.

In practice it means you can start with one workflow and one unit, and expand once the benefit is visible in daily operation. What belongs to the monthly rate and what is charged once is set out in the quote.

What the quote sets out

Every quote covers the same points, so that purchase and use can be compared:

• Scope of the rate — which device in which configuration, and which software and service elements are included.
• One-off costs — installation, training, integration with lifts, doors or third-party systems, where the project provides for them.
• Contract term and the conditions for extension or ending.
• Integration work — what URG delivers and what comes from your building and IT side.
• Service scope — availability, response times and the procedure in case of a fault.

What applies in an individual case follows from configuration and site. That is why it is in the quote rather than on this page.

Purchase or use — the factors that decide

There is no general answer as to which route fits better. Five factors decide it, and we work through them with you:

Period of use. How long the robot is to be in service, at how many sites, with what prospect of expansion.

Number of units. A single unit behaves differently in the calculation than a fleet.

Service scope. What availability your operation requires and how long the system may stand idle.

Budget structure. Which funds are available in your organisation and over what period they can be drawn.

Funding options. Whether a programme applies to your project and which form of procurement it requires.

Only these factors taken together produce a result. You see the assumptions, not only the total.

We do not publish prices, because configuration and integration scope decide the figure — a number without that context would not be meaningful.

Funding

Depending on the type of organisation, its ownership and the region, funding and refinancing routes exist for digitalisation and technical equipment. Which form of procurement a programme requires differs — some are designed for capital investment.

We provide the technical documentation an application needs and advise which direction fits your project. The application and the responsibility for it stay with you or with your organisation.

For care providers this is covered in detail on Funding robots in care.

Data and operation

A robot working in your building generates data — which data depends on configuration, sensors and integration. Before deployment we document, for your configuration, which data is produced, where it is processed and which of it leaves your building. That document is the basis for data protection impact assessments, employee representation and regulators.

In uGo+ you define who may start which tasks, and task logs can be viewed. Which analyses are possible from those logs, and how their use is governed in your organisation, belongs in your internal agreement — we are prepared for that discussion and supply the documentation for it.

The model of use changes none of this: whether purchased or rented, you set the rules for data and access.

Three steps to deployment

First conversation. We go through the workflow that is to be relieved and tell you what we need in order to assess it reliably.

Demonstration. Before you decide, we invite you to a demonstration arranged with you. Which workflows are shown, and at which site, is agreed with you in advance.

Site survey, quote, installation. Site survey, binding quote — purchase or use as Robot-as-a-Service — and installation including training for your team.

Why United Robotics Group

A manufacturer with its own development. Development, integration and service of our own series come from us.

Experience in regulated environments. Our systems work in hospitals, care homes and laboratories — environments where reliability, documentation and employee representation are part of the project.

uGo+ as a shared interface. Tasks, permissions and reporting run through one interface; which functions are available for your series and configuration is set out in the quote.

Support beyond the purchase. Installation, training and service are part of the project, not an afterthought.

Frequently asked questions

What does Robot-as-a-Service mean? You use the robot for an agreed monthly rate instead of buying it. Scope of service, one-off costs, contract term and integration work are set out in the quote.

What belongs to the monthly rate? The quote defines that for your configuration. It states which software and service elements are included and which costs are charged once.

Is purchase or use cheaper? That depends on the period of use, the number of units, the service scope, your budget structure and funding options. We work through both routes with your assumptions and show them openly.

How long is the contract term? The term is set in the quote and follows from the purpose and scale of the project.

Can this be combined with funding? Which form of procurement a programme requires differs by programme. We advise on the direction and provide the technical documentation for the application; the application and the responsibility stay with you or with your organisation.

What happens in case of a fault? Availability, response times and the procedure in case of a fault are set out in the quote and in the contract.

Which robots are available under this model? Robot-as-a-Service is a model of use, not a separate product. Which series in which configuration is available this way is something we clarify for your project and set out in the quote.