Market entry

Robotics Supplier Evaluation Checklist for Cross-Border Buyers

By the GlobleMatch Editorial Team · Last updated 5 November 2026 · General information, not engineering or legal advice.

To evaluate a robotics supplier from another country, check five things in order: whether the product fits your task, whether the safety and compliance documents are real and current, who will integrate it, who will support it in your country, and whether the commercial terms protect you if the first two months go badly. A strong demo answers only the first.

1. Product fit

• Has the supplier run your parts, or similar ones, and can they show the result on video or in a test report?
• Are the specifications they quote measured or theoretical — payload at full reach, cycle time with your gripper, battery runtime under load?
• How many units of this model are in production use today, and in which countries? Ask for references you can call.

2. Safety and compliance documents

• Ask for the declarations and test reports relevant to your market — for example, conformity with ISO 10218 for industrial robots (the 2025 edition consolidates the collaborative-robot guidance formerly in ISO/TS 15066), or ISO 3691-4 and ANSI/A3 R15.08 for mobile robots.
• Check who issued each document, the model and version it covers, and the date. A certificate for a different model or an earlier hardware revision does not cover what you are buying.
• Remember that a compliant robot does not make a compliant installation: the cell or site still needs its own risk assessment.

3. Integration

• Will the supplier integrate the system themselves, through a partner, or not at all?
• Which interfaces and protocols are supported out of the box, and which need custom work?
• Is the software documented in your language, and who owns the program after handover?

4. Local support

• Who will come on site when it stops, and how fast? Get a named service partner and a response time in writing.
• Which spare parts are stocked in your country, and what is the lead time for the rest?
• Is remote diagnosis available, and does it meet your IT security rules?
• What training is included for operators and maintenance staff?

5. Commercial terms

• Tie payment milestones to acceptance tests, not only to shipment.
• Agree the warranty period, what it covers, and who pays for travel during warranty.
• Clarify Incoterms, import duties and who handles customs paperwork.
• Check how long the supplier commits to supplying spare parts and software updates for the model.

Red flags

• Specifications that change between the brochure, the quote and the demo.
• Safety documents that cannot be traced to an issuer, or that name a different product.
• No answer to “who fixes it in our country?”
• Pressure to pay in full before a factory acceptance test.

Using the GlobleMatch directory

Directory profiles show public facts with their sources and an itemised coverage signal; they are a starting point, not a substitute for this checklist. Profiles marked “Not yet claimed” have not been confirmed by the company. When a company claims its profile, it can add products and documents you can then ask about directly.

Related companies in the directory

Listed for discovery only — inclusion is not a recommendation for your application.

Sources

• ISO 10218-1 — Industrial robots safety (ISO)
• A3 announces revised standard for industrial robot safety — ISO 10218 2025 edition consolidates ISO/TS 15066 (Manufacturing.net)
• ANSI/A3 R15.08-2-2023 — Industrial Mobile Robots, Part 2 (ANSI Webstore)