When it comes to providing engineered solutions for our clients in the manufacturing segment, Optimation recognizes that the most effective approach maybe require us to engage the assistance of subject matter experts and OEM equipment providers beyond our own stable of excellent technical folks. While we thrive at engineering, designing and building custom designed process equipment to meet our customers’ unique needs, occasionally we find that certain system components are more cost-effectively integrated into our solution by reaching out and asking other equipment builders to source their pre-engineered product into our project.
Building Trust
In a competitive business environment, we need to take advantage of cost saving options such as utilizing other companies’ products that will meet our solution specifications. The objective then must be to build collaborative and friendly relationships with other machine purveyors who are incented to participate openly. When we can win our suppliers’ trust, they overcome their reluctance to work with another company that could be viewed as a competitor. Once the foundation of mutual trust is in place, a free flow of technical information, along with creative equipment applications and suggested value increasing options to the end customer can result. This approach allows us to provide the best collection of system components, carefully crafted around the client’s requirements, whether they be Optimation designed and built custom pieces or OEM machine builders existing designs.
We therefore pay particular attention to the manner in which we do business with our collaborating machine/equipment providers. We work hard to create a project environment that is viewed as a “win-win” for suppliers we partner with. This means that we are circumspect in the terms and conditions that we apply, we carefully consider a reasonable mark-up or handling fee, and we allow these participants access to our clients. We also respect their territory and client opportunities, as we ask them to respect ours. This is all done to foster open participation and a long-term friendly association.
Win-Win
This project construct might appear to be counterproductive towards maintaining our client base and maximizing our own project content. However, if our goal is to execute our turnkey solution projects in a way that delivers maximum value to our customers, it is our belief that the best solutions are ultimately hybrids shared between a select team of qualified suppliers with the most suited technologies. In order for Optimation to then capitalize on this mix of companies and their respective capabilities, and provide a holistic and seamless system to our shared client, we create a positive and worthwhile experience for all stakeholders.
The benefits to our customers that creating this “win-win” project environment produces are multiple. First and foremost, it fosters open communication between all players. In the capital project business, accurate and timely data is invaluable…and working with team mates that share both technical and administrative information helps with planning, troubleshooting, progress tracking, and risk management and mitigation. Second, it plays to the strengths of each participant, and allows them as individual companies to work within their wheel house. Third, it promotes creativity and thus more robust machine and equipment designs. Fourth, it encourages collaborating players to assist each other at shared interfaces, which reduces errors and saves project schedule. At Optimation, we structure our project teams so we can concentrate on what we do best and, and we set the stage so folks who can help us build better systems are also poised for success and healthy, long term relationships with us and our clients.