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Frequently asked questions

Here is a summary of the most common questions we get when speaking with prospects and partners.

Technical (9)

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Where is the SOFTBOT Platform deployed?

The SOFTBOT Platform can be cloud-hosted by SVT or in a customer provided environment.

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Does IT or ops need to hire more people to support the SOFTBOT Platform?

No. The platform is designed to reduce the demand typically placed on teams. Once deployed, system monitoring typically takes less than 4 hours per week.

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Can I make choices around database management?

SVT requires a Postgres database for the platform but can support the utilization of other databases depending on the customer needs.

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What technical requirements do you have to support the SOFTBOT Platform?

If you choose to deploy on the SVT cloud, a broadband internet connectivity to your facility is required. If the deployment is on-prem, SVT can provide exact specs based on your solution, but a modern processor with at least 16gig of RAM is a minimum requirement.

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Who can make changes to the SOFTBOT Platform?

SVT, a partner, or customer can make some modifications to their SOFTBOT configurations.

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What is SVT’s ability to support outside of NA?

SVT has a partner network for coverage in EMEA, APAC and LATAM.

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Will my current edge tech provider have to make code changes to work with SVT?

No, SVT standardizes data and communications so that OEMs do not have to change their API. This is important to ensure every technology can remain on standard. Why? Because every time you customize, you go off standard, which means its more costly to deploy, maintain or adapt to your changing business requirements.

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If your platform is another layer in the solution, what latency are you introducing? 

We are frequently asked about latency. To provide an accurate response, please provide answers to the following questions:

  • What real-work operations require a performance SLA on messaging?
  • What are your messaging volumes?
  • What connection technologies are you using? (REST, TCP/IP, flat file, etc)

With these answers, we can provide guidance on expected latency. We have tested our platform with various technologies and protocols, and we have found that in most cases, the latency we introduce is negligible or within acceptable limits for the operations. For example, we can handle TCP/IP messages in milliseconds, REST calls in seconds, and flat files in minutes.

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How do solutions that are deployed on-prem connect with the cloud-hosted SOFTBOT® Platform?

The SOFTBOT® Platform connects to on-prem solutions through the customer’s network security infrastructure, usually involving a public firewall or load balancer. This enables users to deploy, manage, and monitor SOFTBOT Connectors on the cloud-hosted platform while ensuring seamless two-way communication with on-prem systems.

General (8)

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We plan to upgrade or implement a WMS, so we need to wait until that is complete before deploying new technologies, right?

SVT helps accelerate innovation by decoupling automation deployments with upgrade paths. This enables customers to benefit from automation without waiting while also providing a seamless path to upgrade with the business is ready (no rework needed).

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IT already has a lot of systems to monitor—why add another to the list?

The SOFTBOT Platform can aggregate and standardize data from disparate systems and surface them in a single location, providing end users with real-time auditing and monitoring capability across technologies.

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How are you different than an iPaaS solutions like Mulesoft, Boomi, etc.?

Unlike any other iPaaS solution, the SOFTBOT Platform provides prebuilt connections to today’s leading automation supply chain technologies.

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How are you different than WMS-based integration solutions?

The SOFTBOT Platform:

  • provides multi-point integrations
  • connect multiple WMS
  • doesn’t not require the OEM to change their API
  • standardizes data from all connected technologies
  • provides out-of-the-box active monitoring and alerting
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How are you different than systems integrators?

The SOFTBOT Platform is a tool that can be used by systems integrators to accelerate their projects. The SOFTBOT Platform provides integrations that are both tech-agnostic and prebuilt, greatly reducing the need for custom code and enabling customers with the freedom to select the best solution for their business.  Unlike the custom-coded approach from systems integrators, this makes deploying, monitoring and scaling technology much more seamless and efficient.

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Why should a customer work with SVT Robotics instead of building an integration in-house?

Customers often do not have the skillset or context to build solutions in house. Plus, it takes teams months and months to build, taking resources away from other critical priorities of the business.

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Why would I pay every year for an integration with SVT Robotics?

Customers pay annually to reduce risk of system downtime across disparate technologies and for the ability to easily change or scale their automation deployments with minimal disruption or rework.

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Why should a customer work with SVT Robotics instead of using services offered by the OEM they are deploying?

OEM’s are great at deploying their own tech, yet unlikely to be experts at integrating other technologies from other providers. It’s a great option if you have 1 site and just use that one OEM. If you have multiple technologies and/or multiple sites, this option is limiting. Plus, it’s unlikely to provide out-of-the-box visibility into the system health of all your automation technologies.