Zai
I think you and your boss need to sit down and think this thru.
I think the major questions are
1. Are you in the automation business or are you in the XXXX business. Where is your expertise??
2 How soon do you need this?
3. What are cost savings when you have it working
4. What are the costs to put it in -
If you do it yourself and ASSUMING you have the ability to figure it out get all the right components do you have the money for teh learning curve AND do you have the money to pay for accidents and breakage that are a normal part of the learning curve (YES YOU WILL SCREW UP).
You have had two people offer to set your system up. They want the work. I would sure take a look at them and see what the have.
This is one of those systems that I believe you CANNOT afford to do on your own.
1. Come up with a specific list of needs and wants (tons per load, speed, travel distance, heights, safety considerations, average temperature and extreme temperatures in work area etc etc. Do not worry about time to do this you have to do it if you do it yourself OR they become part of contract.
2. Submit this list to vendors and see what they say.
3. Pick one that you are most comfortable with ie best reliabillity (NOT least cost) and have them come and do a demo.
4. Write contract with all performance needs and wants.
5. Authorize work
6. Install
7. Test to each of the performance criteria in contract.
8. Pay for satisfactory completion of each performance criteria.
Dan Bentler