What do manufacturers expect from automation suppliers?

The key attributes automation suppliers should possess are to be flexible and responsive (76%) and to offer the best technical and sales support possible (71%).

That was the finding of the Annual Manufacturing Report 2017, published by Hennik Research.

Interestingly, little more than third (38%) of respondents thought it important that their supplier was a specialist or that it was even a recognised brand (9%).

Similarly, issues such as stable pricing (31%), low overall cost of ownership (31%) and the global experience of the supplier (31%) were all less significant than the ability of the supplier to demonstrate great support and flexibility.

This underscores the concern among manufacturers about the leap into what they see as the automated unknown.

Suppliers overall received the approval of their customers (90%), but this high figure should not disguise the fact that if 10% of suppliers failed to meet their customers’ expectations, then there is still work to be done.

With the financial and business investments at stake so high, automation suppliers should be aiming for total satisfaction.