You don’t have to look very far on the SL Controls’ website or any other material we produce to see we are vendor neutral. What does being vendor neutral mean, however? More importantly, what benefits does vendor neutrality bring to your business?
What Does Being Vendor-Neutral Mean?
Vendor neutrality is both a business approach and an approach to designing software, including automation and controls solutions. Therefore, becoming vendor neutral is a deliberate and important business decision. It’s not something that happens by default.
From a business perspective, it means not going into partnership with one or more vendors. Of course, there are advantages to having partnerships, but the benefits of remaining independent are much more compelling.
Primarily, without the restriction of partnerships, it’s possible to offer a broader and more comprehensive range of solutions.
From a design point of view, vendor neutrality means using standardised methods and design principles that are non-proprietary. This enables us to work on all systems, platforms, and equipment.
Benefits to You of Having a Vendor Neutral Software Provider
How do you benefit from using a vendor-neutral software provider? Here are the main advantages:
1. Complete focus on your success
Partnerships with vendors usually have a financial element. This can influence decisions by software providers and the approach they take to delivering your solution. Being vendor-neutral results in a solution that is genuinely aimed at achieving your goals rather than doing something that is also beneficial to the provider-vendor relationship.
2. Enhanced capabilities
A vendor-neutral software provider can deliver regardless of the machines, systems, or platforms you currently use. This means you won’t have to purchase new equipment to make everything work. You won’t be asked to compromise on features and/or functionality either.
3. You’ll get a holistic solution
Following on from the last point: when a software provider is vendor-specific, the solution may not be complete. This is often because of the limitations of a particular vendor. This situation doesn’t arise when you work with a vendor-neutral provider, resulting in a more holistic solution.
4. The team will have greater experience
A team that takes a vendor-neutral approach to software development for the manufacturing industry will have much greater experience of machines, systems, and platforms. They will also have more experience achieving results even when the tools they must work with don’t fit neatly into a pre-defined, vendor-specific box.
5. You’ll have more choice regarding your equipment and machines
Using a vendor-neutral software provider means you can continue using vendors you are familiar with and trust. You can also choose to move to other vendors too – there are no restrictions.
6. You’ll get ongoing budget and efficiency savings
You’ll get these savings in many ways. For example, the solution will deliver maximum efficiency savings because it is holistic. Also, you will save when upgrading, expanding, or replacing your machines or equipment because you won’t be tied to a particular vendor.
Being vendor neutral is critically important to SL Controls and helps us optimise OEE, achieve systems integration, and more for our clients. The benefits of using a vendor-neutral software provider are significant for you too. To find out more, contact us today.
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