A system which automatically locates a part assembly task in a robot's workspace is described in this paper. The system determines the manipulability of a robot at points during the assembly operation. The assumption is made that the location of the assembly task within the workspace that results in the highest manipulability for the robot is a locally optimal position for performing the assembly. A path from assembly point to assembly point is also calculated to ensure that all motions necessary to perform the assembly operation are possible. In addition, a comparison of a manipulator's ability to perform a specific assembly operation in different workspace regions may be displayed graphically. Examples of various placements of an assembly task in a workspace and the placements' corresponding manipulability ratings are given, along with a graphical display of the comparison of manipulability in the different workspace regions.