ProSoft Technology works with a number of distributors worldwide. Every so often on ProSoft Insights, we will interview a distributor representative to learn more about them, their customers, and their experience with ProSoft’s communication solutions.
For this first interview, we talked with Damian Spall, Product Marketing Manager at Routeco. He is responsible for the Routeco group marketing strategy and product management of suppliers’ portfolios. He has worked at Routeco for nine years.
Q: How do you value the partnership between Routeco and ProSoft Technology?
A: ProSoft is a highly valued key supply partner to Routeco, and we have a long standing relationship that dates back for many years. As a Rockwell Encompass partner, ProSoft’s products and solutions integrate fully with the Rockwell Automation® portfolio and add value to our customers’ automation control systems.
Q: What would you say are your customers’ biggest priorities this year? Anything you’re hearing more about from them?
A: In 2016 I feel that our customer base will be working toward enabling machines that provide more data which can be turned into useful manufacturing insights to increase productivity, reduce downtime, and comply with global standards.
Q: What are the top values your clients are looking for when it comes to selecting industrial automation products or services?
A: Our OEM customers value innovative technology and products that solve problems and add value to their machine to enable them to compete in a global marketplace. Our system integrator customers particularly value the expertise that we can offer, to guide them through projects such as the migration of legacy systems and educating on the value and implementation of IT/OT convergence. Our manufacturing customers value the services we can provide to assist with asset management and energy saving, and security of their networks is a growing concern as more and more of their assets become connected to the network, something that we are well-equipped to assist with.
Q: How have ProSoft solutions improved your clients’ operations?
A: ProSoft’s wireless solutions have enabled our customers to significantly reduce cost in cabling and speed up the deployment of adding new plants in more remote locations to the main factory network.
Q: What ProSoft solutions have proven especially popular with your customers? Why?
A: The gateway family of products from ProSoft has proven especially popular with our end user customers who have started to migrate legacy control systems to newer technologies to manage the risk of obsolescence and downtime from aging equipment, and by migrating in stages they have been able to keep downtime to a minimum.
Q: What has your experience been like working with ProSoft?
A: The support that we receive from ProSoft has always been first-class and this has allowed us to confidently promote their products, knowing that our customers will always receive the highest level of service should they need any assistance with installing/operating the product. Our team of Automation Specialists receive regular training on the portfolio to ensure that we are well-positioned to offer the customers a wide variety of solutions and suggest the best fit for their application.