I love a good conference; one where the speakers not only have good information, but where they also dream a little bit about how the new information will improve the future. It always energizes my imagination about how we can better use technology to partner with our customers and help them achieve their goals.
Recently, I attended a tech conference in Houston where that’s exactly what happened. I came away thinking about how to help our partners decide whether to self-host their SCADA systems or to let us do that for them. All the while getting them the information they need to become more efficient.
Did you note how I referred to our customers as partners? That’s on purpose. Our DeltaV SaaS SCADA philosophy is that vendors simply deal with numbers, but partners deal with end goals. We’re passionate about being partners, not just vendors.
So when I talk to producers about who should manage their SCADA system, or if it should be a hybrid, us and them; I always want to learn about their goals first. But I ask a host of other questions to, to understand what they really need, verses what we can do to help; because sometimes it's just not the right fit.
I ask loads of questions to really get to know them, and their business:
What are they really trying to achieve for results?
What keeps them awake at night?
What's working well for them, what isn't?
What have they tried before that didn't work?
How's their team; are they stressed, collaborative, techie?
That’s because the goal is never to install a certain number of sensors or to produce more reports. The goal is to become more efficient, using field data to find or even predict problems and reduce downtime, increase production, speed the billing process or something like that.
Lots of vendors can install sensors. Only a partner can get the end results. We’re looking at the end results.
After discussing SCADA system goals and how DeltaV SaaS SCADA can help achieve them, we talk about the numbers.
The costs.
The savings.
But I also know people make decisions; numbers don’t.
I’ll readily admit I’m already convinced that if we host the SCADA system, it relieves the producer of all responsibility for maintenance, upgrades, cybersecurity, equipment additions/subtractions, and all. It lets them focus on their core business, while we give them the information they need to operate more efficiently.
And we can do it at less cost. I've seen the numbers in action; and gotta say they're pretty impressive.
But sometimes I hear, “Yes, but we have a department that does (this task) already. We don’t need you to take this over.” Well, my numbers show that, if that we took over what that department is doing, we’d do it for less cost; which would be greater savings for them.
Let me stress, we’re not here to cost anybody a job. As technology changes, it does create disruption, but most of the time employees can be retrained for the newer, higher-tech jobs. That helps them become more efficient and boosts company growth. Usually, those same people also end up happier doing work that gives them more joy, and to me that's part of everyone's end goal.
How ever the conversation resolves; with us hosting, the producer hosting or some combination—we always want it to be a conversation. There is always more than one way to handle an issue, and as I said above, we’re a partner—so we’re looking at the end results and the best interest of the producer. Vendors simply deal with numbers. Partners deal with goals. We're here to help you achieve your goals, with joy.
