From Winter 2022 of Connected.
In this Specialist Spotlight, Automation Consultant Michael Sulit answers some of the most popular questions regarding Connected Enterprise and what it means here at Kirby Risk.
WHAT IS CONNECTED ENTERPRISE?
Connected Enterprise means something a little different for everyone. In my role, Connected Enterprise means reviewing the plant floor’s production equipment and information to devise solutions that help the plant become more efficient. I help our customers on their digital journey by consulting with them on where they are in their digital maturity and where they want to be. At that point, we can discuss specific software and hardware solutions, as well as services that will help our customers reach their goals.
WHAT’S AN AUTOMATION CONSULTANT?
An Automation Consultant is a domain expert for the automation products and services that Kirby Risk sells and supports. Kirby Risk has Automation Consultants that are responsible for our entire automation offerings and cover a specific geographic area. We also have Automation Consultants with a focus on more specific products and services that cover a larger geographic area. Our Automation Consultants work with our Account Managers or directly with our customers to provide solutions that will help their business succeed. The Automation Consultant role is responsible for the sales of our Rockwell Automation products and services, as well as supporting our automation partner vendor’s products. The Connected Enterprise role supports networking hardware and software as well as services such as network designs and network security.
HOW DO YOU HELP THE CLIENT?
I educate them on available technology that will solve their application needs. I also help troubleshoot any problems that may be happening with their current applications. Most of the clients I work with don’t necessarily have the time to research these problems themselves or time to stay educated on the latest and greatest technology that may help improve their situation. For the sales side of my role, I can be involved from start to finish or just the product demonstration phase. Our Account Managers or other Automation Consultants often identify a specific challenge a customer is having and invite me into the discussion to help provide our best options for a solution.
CAN YOU SHARE A SUCCESS STORY WITH US?
I do have a story about a recent customer issue focused on the company’s existing software and hardware application. The software application they were using would crash on a regular basis and the hardware was not always reliable. I assisted this customer with installing and configuring a software solution that we offer as a trial. Within 15 minutes of the software being configured on their system, the issues they were having disappeared. Our solution worked so well that, within three weeks, the customer issued a large PO with more orders to come soon!