What is Robotics as a Service (RaaS)?
RaaS exists because most operations do not want to own a robot. They want a floor cleaned, a route covered or a delivery made, reliably, for a predictable monthly number. Here is exactly what that means in practice.
Short answer
Pros and cons
What RaaS includes
- The robot itselfSpecified against your site during the survey, not chosen from a catalogue.
- Site survey and mappingFloor areas measured, routes mapped, no-go zones and docking positions set.
- Installation and commissioningDelivered, configured, tested against real conditions on your floor.
- Staff trainingEach shift team trained on start, stop, tank handling and basic troubleshooting.
- Software and firmware updatesApplied for the life of the agreement.
- UK support and maintenanceTelephone and remote support from our own service desk, with engineer attendance where needed.
What RaaS is not
- Not just financeA finance lease pays for a machine over time. RaaS bundles the service obligation with it — if the robot is not running, the provider is not delivering.
- Not the cheapest over five yearsYou are paying for support, updates and risk transfer. Outright purchase costs less in total.
- Not a staff replacement schemeIt automates repeatable work. Detail work, judgement and customer contact stay with your team.
- Not open-endedIt runs for an agreed term with a defined end position — upgrade, extend or hand back.
Cost considerations
Fixed monthly fee
One number covering hardware, service and support for the term.
Consumables quoted separately
Brushes, pads, filters and solution are usage-driven, so they sit outside the fee.
No capital approval
Sits in operating expenditure alongside cleaning or logistics labour.
Term length
Longer terms lower the monthly figure; match the term to the contract or tenancy it supports.
Scaling cost
Each additional unit is a known monthly cost, which makes multi-site rollout planning straightforward.
Typical use cases
Cleaning contractors
Price robotics into a tender at a known monthly cost matched to the contract term.
Care groups
Add cleaning or logistics capacity without a capital business case per home.
Hotels and leisure groups
Consistent public-area presentation across sites at a repeatable per-site cost.
Warehouses and 3PLs
Cover floor care and internal transport without diverting capital from racking or MHE.
Schools and academy trusts
Revenue-funded, inside the existing cleaning budget.
ROI examples
RaaS on a hotel public-area clean
- Monthly fee fixed for the term
- 2 hours per night of scrubbing displaced
- Weekend agency cover removed
Cash-flow positive from month one, with the gap widening at each National Living Wage uplift.
RaaS across a three-site care group
- Identical monthly fee per home
- Support and maintenance included
- No capital request
Rollout becomes a single repeatable decision rather than three separate capital cases, and inspection evidence improves at every site.
How a Fresh Mango Robotics RaaS deployment runs
We survey the site and measure the actual areas and routes, then specify a machine and model the labour it would displace. If the numbers do not work, we say so.
On agreement, we install and map the site, set no-go zones, and train each shift team. The robot then runs its schedule autonomously and reports coverage per run.
Throughout the term our UK service desk monitors and supports the deployment, applies updates, and reviews run data periodically so routes and schedules keep pace with changes to the building.
Frequently asked questions
What is Robotics as a Service?
Robotics as a Service is a subscription model in which a business pays a fixed monthly fee for a commercial robot plus everything needed to run it — survey, installation, mapping, staff training, software updates, monitoring, maintenance and UK-based support. There is no capital outlay, and the provider carries the risk of keeping the robot working.
How is RaaS different from leasing a robot?
Leasing finances a machine; RaaS delivers a working capability. A lease may leave maintenance, updates and downtime with you, whereas a RaaS fee bundles support and service obligations so the provider is accountable for uptime.
Is Robotics as a Service available in Yorkshire?
Yes. Fresh Mango Robotics is based in Ripon, North Yorkshire, with a second office in Skipton, and offers RaaS across Leeds, York, Sheffield, Bradford, Wakefield, Doncaster, Hull, Harrogate and the wider region, as well as nationwide.
What is the minimum term for RaaS?
Terms are set to match the operational need and the contract or tenancy behind it. Shorter terms carry a higher monthly figure; longer terms reduce it. We agree the term and the end position — upgrade, extend or hand back — before you sign.
Does RaaS include consumables?
Usually not, because consumable use varies with running hours and floor conditions. Brushes, pads, filters and cleaning solution are quoted separately so you only pay for what the site actually uses.
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