Completing the Evaluation of an Industrial Automation Solution Provider
An excellent question from the hiring company for the industrial automation solution provider pertains to the experience of the provider concerning similar automation projects. The hiring company is always interested in having a provider do the work that has had direct experience with projects that are similar to, if not the same, as the project at hand. The answer to this question can have a great bearing on the decision to use or not use a given provider. Experience will usually always win if there has been a successful project like the current project, that was completed by the solution provider. It is a good idea for solution providers to have broad experience in implementing automation projects. There is a limit to this, however. Realistically providers can become experts only in a niche that is practical in size. A provider may have expert implementation capability in the area of pharmacy automation. This does not mean that the same provider would be successful in completing a project for automating a palletizing operation. It is not possible for one solution provider to be able to complete all kinds of automation projects successfully. It is the task of the hiring company to identify solution providers that are real experts in the automation area in which they require to complete a project.
Sometimes a hiring company is partial to a certain supplier of equipment or would like to use equipment that has been previously purchased to complete an automation project. The hiring company will need to make the solution provider aware of this requirement at the outset. As part of the evaluation for being hired as a solution provider, the hiring company will need to determine if the solution provider that is selected can fulfill this requirement. Most providers are used to including various types of equipment in solutions, so this should be something that a provider could do, if they are aware of this requirement at the planning phase of the automation project. In some cases the expertise of a given provider is easily transferred from one type of automation project to another. If a solution provider has work extensively in packaging automation, it should be possible for them to successful in several areas of packaging automation. It is up to the hiring company to determine how proficient a solution provider might be in relation to the project requirements.
To get the optimum result when it comes to manufacturing automation that is done by a solution provider that is not aware of the desires and wishes of the hiring company, paper trails are important. The hiring company should have formed a committee of at least two knowledgeable employees prior to approaching a solution provider. It can be even a single employee who knows in detail the requirements of the hiring company. This entity will draw up a list of requirements from their own knowledge and from knowledge gained by interviewing key employees in the hiring company. The entity will also be responsible for gathering knowledgeable employees in meetings, if necessary, to put together a complete requirements list for the to be selected solution provider. This list should include the specific goals of the automation project which should represent the expectations of the hiring company. The list should be a part of the negotiation to hire the solution provider, obviously. The hiring company should present its expectation about when they desire for the project to be completed. This time frame, however, should not be hard and fast, until the solution provider has had a chance to determine what its schedule for project delivery will be.
The hiring company should always ask what the cost of the project will be. This is a question that is always difficult to answer exactly. Some solution providers would rather do the project for a fixed price. It is important for a hiring company to remember that getting a competent automation solution provider that is determined as an expert in the area required may cost slightly more than others upfront, but this experience will pay off in the long run in dependability and quality results. If the solution provider has been determined to be an expert, this should go a long way toward a positive hiring decision, provided the provider does not quote unreasonable cost to do the project.
For an automation project to be successful it is imperative that the hiring company have a very definite goal that is to be achieved by the completion of the project. Planning and knowledge gathering before the solution provider is on the scene is one of the best actions that a company can take to get the optimum result from an automation provider.
John Mitchell is President of Provision, Inc, an online publisher of information about the uses of automation in manufacturing. The company website, http://www.provinc.net, assists companies in evaluating the capabilities of automation solution providers. Requests for quotes can be submitted to manufacturing automation specialists.
