1. Collecting automation product pictures – While there are people who collect pictures of well-designed cars, beautiful boats and cutting edge aircraft as a hobby, we can mostly rule out the collection of shiny automation eye candy. We have had conversations with distributors in this narrow segment (Automation) who have already invested a half-million bucks on content. Velocity Micro is probably the company to turn to for those who are more interested in the quality of the end product then the value represented by the price tag. This hypothesis argues that brand does not dominate price by its strong main effect, but rather enhances the price effect. Quality content comes with a price. In E-commerce, content is king. To be successful, a distributor needs more than just content. This by-passes the distributor completely. A catalog number with a 25 character description, in down home, Iowa vernacular, “ain’t gonna cut it.” Sadly, the first attempts at distributor webstores where just that – catalog numbers with highly abbreviated descriptions.

Let’s do a little analysis and toss out a few numbers. Since we are all grown-up sales types here, let’s toss out a few ideas as to what these folks in Ohio (or any other state) might be doing. Many sites present difficulties with access which can prove expensive and time consuming when employing certain construction types such as modular or traditional. A new entry in the car market requires time and money to design, market, and manufacture it. The customer sees this as a waste of time so they “Google” the information on their own. For example, in number four (4) above, an existing customer searching for installation data may discover the need for a mounting bracket and, since the cost is minimal, simply place the order. The cost issue alone puts it outside the realm of most organizations. 3. Determine the total estimated cost driver. In the Production Margins Area we have listed the total unit cost and contribution margins. Of course, models with greater autonomy will cost a little more. Further, the cost is never ending.

Not a happy ending. Their search for low prices to use against value providing suppliers is never ending. Other drugs responsible for low platelet count include quinidine, acetaminophen, sulfa drugs, vancomycin, digoxin, nitroglycerine, and valium. The vision should spell out where the company sees itself reaching in terms of sales leadership in the foreseeable future. The company allows customers to build their own recipe online and then have a barista in a store make it for them. Thinking more, it seems like way more product information than could possibly be provided by every sales guy living there in a day; even if they were driving company helicopters. Using the data provided via Google Ads, formerly known as AdWords, the advertising component of Google, we did a search for automation related words searched by Google users; our customers. This means less than 10 percent of the information provided to customers comes via the traditional method.

While much of this information has been rattling around in my mind for the past few years, only recently did I come to the realization of the depth and breadth of the situation. Robotics (which wasn’t one of the search words used) draws a lot of attention, so there may have been a few teens involved in things like the FIRST Robotics Competition. 4. Existing customers searching for installation procedures – A lot of manufacturer’s have discontinued the practice of putting installation and data sheets in the box with their products. The main role of this tool is to sell and market the products through the required distribution channels effectively. However, the fact still remains that all have their own uses and are widely applied by power generation, transmission and distribution companies. A third-angle projection uses the same object-in-a-glass-cube visualization, but assumes a point of view in which the object is on the other side of the projection plane from the viewer. Today, our friends at Google provide the same service only quicker and better. 6. Potential customers researching products – The story is pretty much the same as in the description above, except you don’t know these people. The customer determines their problem and they can search the globe for potential solutions in a matter of milliseconds.