This study analyses the impact of singularities caused by the automated fiber placement manufacturing process on the compression behavior of composite coupons. Compression tests are performed on plain and open-hole coupons with standard aeronautical stacking layups, featuring various configurations of gaps and overlaps. A rich multi-instrumentation is used for monitoring and better understanding the effects of singularities on the damage and failure scenario. Micro-computed X-ray tomography (CT-scan) observations performed at different loading steps allow the monitoring of damage within the core of the coupons. The failure scenario is characterized using acoustic emissions sensors and computed tomography observations. The instrumentation helps to understand the effective local loading state at the coupon-scale and highlights the necessity of numerical simulations for better understanding the effect of singularities.