Security Robot Handover: Checklist for Plant Managers

48 hours. That is the window in which a security robot becomes an operational asset or a 90-kilogram power consumer sitting in the warehouse. The following seven phases are not recommendations. They are the acceptance protocol that Quarero works through on-site with the plant manager and the head of Werkschutz. Every item is verifiable, measurable, and requires a signature.

Security Robot Handover: Why the First 48 Hours Determine Outcomes

The handover decides whether the robot documents incidents from day one or merely inflates the electricity bill. Quarero delivers QR-1, QR-2, and QR-3 within 48 hours of contract signature. Operational responsibility transfers formally at acceptance, not at unboxing.

Without a documented handover protocol, the plant manager lacks proof for the property insurer and the internal audit function. After a break-in in the first weeks, the question is not whether the robot was working. The question is whether its commissioning was on record.

Practical weak points appear in three places: GPS drift at hall edges and steel structures, Wi-Fi handoffs between access points on long routes, and undefined escalation paths during the night shift when Werkschutz is staffed by a single person.

This checklist covers hardware acceptance, software configuration, shift handover, SLA anchoring, and KRITIS evidence. It applies equally to the QR-2 for 24/7 outdoor patrol and the QR-3 with LiDAR and drone detection, with device-specific additions in Phase 1 and Phase 3.

Phase 1: Hardware Acceptance on Site

Visual inspection against the delivery note. Chassis free of transport damage, sensor dome cleanly mounted, thermal module installed on QR-2 and QR-3, LiDAR dome aligned on QR-3. Every item is checked off or noted as a defect.

Charging station 230V/16A electrically inspected by a qualified electrician, earthing measured and recorded, IP54 weatherproofing visually documented. For outdoor installations, foundation or bolt anchoring against wind load is verified.

Emergency stop on the robot triggered mechanically. Standstill must occur within 0.5 seconds, measured with a stopwatch or logger value. EN ISO 13482 sets safety requirements for personal care and service robots, including emergency-stop behavior and collision avoidance. EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 has governed the placing on the market of autonomous mobile systems in the European single market since 2023. Both documents belong in the handover folder.

Serial number, MAC address, and SIM IMEI entered into the Werkschutz inventory. Photo documentation with four exterior views plus the charging station installation, archived with timestamp in the Werkschutz folder.

Next step: If CapEx risk is on the steering committee agenda, review the Robotics-as-a-Service without CapEx model.

Phase 2: Configuring Patrol Routes and Geofence

At minimum three routes are created. A day patrol focused on delivery zones and employee entrances. A night patrol focused on the perimeter and unlit yard areas. An escalation route that takes the fastest path to critical gates on alarm.

Geofence polygon with 1.5 metres of safety clearance from site boundaries, rail lines, and public paths. The clearance prevents GPS drift from causing boundary violations and protects against liability questions involving persons outside the site.

Exclusion zones defined for hazardous materials storage (ATEX areas), transformer stations, employee car parks outside working hours, and shunting areas with HGV traffic. Exclusion zones are stored in the dashboard as red polygons and actively avoided by the robot.

Time windows per route. The plant manager signs off that no route conflicts with shift changes (typically 06:00, 14:00, 22:00) or scheduled HGV traffic. Conflicts are resolved through route adjustments or time offsets, not through pauses.

Each route is test-run twice. Deviation from the planned path under 30 cm is recorded. If deviation exceeds 30 cm, route points are readjusted or additional waypoints are added before the phase is accepted.

Next step: For multiple facilities on a single site, review the logic in the article Perimeter Protection in the Industrial Park.

Phase 3: Calibrating Sensors and Setting Thresholds

Person detection. Detection range on the QR-2 verified at 40 metres, false-alarm rate set to under 2 per night. Higher sensitivity produces more alarms. Lower sensitivity misses intruders in rain or backlight. The value is a trade-off, reviewed after 30 days of pilot operation.

Thermal camera. Temperature threshold for early fire detection set at 65°C, minimum hotspot size 0.3 m². Lower thresholds trigger on forklift exhaust. Higher thresholds miss smouldering fires in the early stage. Values are calibrated per site.

Audio trigger. Glass-break and gunshot detection activated, volume threshold adjusted to the ambient noise level of the site. In stamping plants or forges, audio triggering is usually deactivated. In logistics centres with low background noise, it is set to high sensitivity.

QR-3 drone detection. Frequency bands 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz active, detection radius 800 metres. At KRITIS sites the radius is extended to the site boundary. At civilian facilities it remains within the property to avoid logging third-party radio traffic.

Three live tests with test persons. One person walks at 20 metres distance. One person runs at 30 metres distance. One person lies on the ground at 15 metres distance. All three scenarios must be captured and reported as alarms to the control room. If any detection fails, calibration is repeated. The phase is not accepted until all three pass.

Phase 4: Shift Handover and Operator Briefing

At least two Werkschutz staff per shift trained in the Quarero dashboard, each with individual login credentials. Shared logins are excluded. They render audit trails worthless and leave insurance questions open.

Briefing folder physically present in the Werkschutz container. Contents: escalation matrix with three levels, phone list for police and fire brigade with direct numbers rather than 110/112 (faster response), instructions for emergency shutdown on the robot, Quarero 24/7 maintenance contact.

Handover protocol at every shift change. Four mandatory fields: battery level at handover, open alarms from the previous shift, maintenance notes (sensor cleaning due, software update), weather conditions affecting the route (snow, heavy rain, fog).

The §34a GewO-licensed security officer remains responsible. The robot captures; the human decides. This separation is not only relevant under employment law. Under the current liability regime, autonomous action without human authorisation is not covered by insurance.

First 14 days: daily Quarero support by hotline, then weekly review by video call. Staff shortages compound the situation. BDSW industry data document rising collectively agreed wages and a structural shortage of personnel in the German security sector. Robot support is therefore not a headcount reduction. It is compensation for shifts that cannot be filled.

Next step: For the cost comparison to present to the CFO, see Werkschutz costs versus robot patrol.

Phase 5: Escalation Paths and Alarm Processing

Level 1: the robot detects an event and sends image, position, and timestamp to the control room within 4 seconds. The determining factor is the mobile network connection. At sites with LTE/5G coverage, this value is maintained. In dead zones inside buildings, 8 to 10 seconds is realistic.

Level 2: the operator visually verifies the live image and decides within 60 seconds. Three options: dismiss with a reason logged, dispatch a Streife, alert police. 60 seconds is the deadline after which an unresolved alarm escalates.

Level 3: false detections are marked in the dashboard and fed back into the ML model. The typical reduction in false-alarm rate is 30 percent over 90 days, depending on tagging discipline. Without operator feedback, the model stagnates.

Connection to the NSL (Notruf- und Serviceleitstelle) is optional via a VdS-certified interface. For property insurers with a VdS clause in the contract, this connection is mandatory. For pure self-protection without an insurance requirement, it is optional.

Log file of all alarms stored audit-proof for 90 days, export for insurer and internal audit available at any time with a single click. Format: CSV or PDF with hash value for tamper verification.

Phase 6: Documentation, SLA, and KRITIS Evidence

Quarero SLA guarantees 98 percent availability on a monthly basis. In the event of hardware failure, a replacement unit arrives on site within 24 hours, swapped by a Quarero technician. Availability below 95 percent triggers a contractual penalty at an hourly rate, documented in the contract.

Monthly patrol report. Mandatory contents: routes completed with distance, number of alarms by level, maintenance hours, availability as a percentage, incident list with timestamps. The report goes to the plant manager, the head of Werkschutz, and (at KRITIS sites) to the information security officer.

For KRITIS operators: patrol logs satisfy the evidential obligation under §8a BSIG, which requires operators to demonstrate appropriate technical and organisational precautions, including physical security measures. The draft KRITIS-Dachgesetz (Bundestag-Drucksache 20/9262) additionally obligates operators to implement resilience measures, register with the BBK, and report incidents within 24 hours.

Maintenance intervals. Sensor cleaning every 30 days by Werkschutz, documented with a checklist. Battery check every 90 days by Quarero. Firmware update at every release, applied during a maintenance window outside critical shifts.

A Data Protection Impact Assessment under GDPR Art. 35 is part of the handover package, signed by the company data protection officer. Without a DPIA, the robot is not legally in operation, even if it is physically moving.

Next step: Use the KRITIS-Dachgesetz checklist as the basis for updating the security concept.

Phase 7: Acceptance Protocol and Transition to Regular Operation

Plant manager, head of Werkschutz, and Quarero technician sign the acceptance protocol together. One original per party, third copy in the Werkschutz archive. A qualified electronic signature (eIDAS) is equivalent.

Snagging list. Maximum five open items at the time of acceptance, each with a named responsible person (name, not job title) and a deadline of under 14 days. More than five open items means no acceptance, but an extension of the commissioning phase. This rule prevents defects from being buried in day-to-day operations.

Quarero 24/7 emergency number posted visibly. At minimum two locations: in the Werkschutz container and at the gatehouse. At sites with multiple gates, in every gatehouse. The number is also on the robot itself on a weatherproof label, so that external parties (fire brigade during an incident) can contact the manufacturer.

Pilot review after 30 days. Six metrics: total number of alarms, of which true positive, of which false positive, workforce acceptance (short survey with Werkschutz and production staff), need for route adjustments, need for threshold adjustments. The review is recorded in writing and forms the basis for calibration in months 2 through 6.

At three critical defects within 30 days, the contractual penalty under the SLA is triggered. The plant manager documents in writing, the Quarero account manager confirms in writing, and the credit appears on the next invoice. A critical defect is defined as: outage exceeding 12 hours, a security event without detection, or a false alarm resulting in a police response.

Completing the Handover

The checklist is designed to be printed. Bring it to the acceptance day, check every item, sign at the end. Seven phases, estimated 4 to 6 hours on site for one robot, 6 to 8 hours for two units in parallel. To prepare the appointment or clarify open points before contract signature: request a pilot.