Jeff Payne, Director of Business Development
It is a premier distributor of a wide array of industrial automation products for electrical control systems. The product lineup spans programmable logic controllers (PLC), operator interfaces, AC drives, motors, stepper systems and motor controls. What sets AutomationDirect apart is not only an expansive inventory but a smart pricing strategy, coupled with an emphasis on efficiency. Its products are always in stock and ready for immediate dispatch. A 30-day money-back guarantee on most products gives buyers additional flexibility to make last-minute changes, without penalty.
Consider the words of a customer who initially approached AutomationDirect with skepticism, eager to discover potential shortcomings in their service. Instead, they ended up being pleasantly surprised.
“Today, even thinking of ordering from somewhere else gives me a headache. With AutomationDirect, it’s such smooth sailing every time, I find myself wishing they sold everything because it would make my life so much easier.”
Similar sentiments echoed by numerous customers validate AutomationDirect’s exceptional level of service within the automation industry.
Jeff Payne, director of business development, captures its ethos, stating, “Our philosophy is all about delivering unbeatable value. We ensure our clients get a lot more than what they pay for. For us, it’s not about the price tag on our products but the whole package. Our top-notch services and industry-leading customer support go a long way in proving the real value of choosing AutomationDirect.”
By offering a B2B shopping experience that matches the convenience and ease typically found in B2C transactions, the company is setting a new benchmark for customer satisfaction and engagement in the industrial automation sector.
Quality Matched by Affordability
Navigating the intricate balance between quality assurance and cost management is a perennial challenge in the sector. This challenge is particularly pronounced when clients specify certain brands for components in their control systems.
AutomationDirect’s broad and diverse inventory of primary control components with an array of ancillary products—like enclosures, power supplies, terminal blocks, circuit breakers and signaling devices—address these challenges head-on.
It provides high-quality yet cost-effective alternatives that can be used to customize the power control systems instead of being constrained by pre-configured systems and associated cost implications.
Other pervasive pain points that the company tends to are the costs associated with software licenses, service contracts and hidden fees. These expenses can even exceed the initial hardware investment, posing a formidable barrier, particularly for new operations or entities with limited budgets.
What defines our success is the continuous refining of processes, striving for excellence and never settling for ‘good enough'
The problems are addressed by offering PLC programming software free of charge.
This practice, maintained for the last 15 years, starkly differs AutomationDirect from its competitors, who often impose charges ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for the necessary software subscriptions and programming suites to operate PLCs.
Eliminating this cost barrier has made the company more accessible to customers as a beginner-friendly company.
Customers also highly value its commitment to transparency, especially in terms of pricing changes. The team proactively informs them about any impending price adjustments, providing a detailed Excel spreadsheet listing the old and new prices. Such straightforwardness not only distinguishes AutomationDirect from its competitors but deepens the trust and appreciation of its customers.
Optimizing the Purchase Experience
Although AutomationDirect made its mark at the start with PLCs—the heart of any industrial automation control system—it quickly expanded its product range to include sensor lines, power products, communication capabilities, pneumatics hydraulics and mechanical components. Today, its website features over 40,000 part numbers, with new products introduced weekly. The ease of purchase is guaranteed through a customer service team that is readily available to assist with orders via multiple channels, including phone, email and fax.
After the sale, a team of documentation experts and marketing professionals continues to enhance customer knowledge through extensive training materials and videos available on the website and YouTube. Should the need arise, they also offer complimentary technical support.
“For us, it’s not about the price tag on our products but the whole package. our top-notch services and industry-leading customer support go a long way in proving the real value of choosing automationdirect”
“We have been conducting our business with the same intensity since our first day. It’s not just a trend for us. It is one of the foundational principles we have upheld—supporting our customers through both prosperous times and challenging economies,” states Payne.
Driving Sales through Customer Product Ratings
Incorporating a rating and review system on the product pages significantly enhances the fairness of the buying process. Often, within a single category, there are two or three competing brands. The rating system is an invaluable tool for users to make informed purchasing decisions. It also provides AutomationDirect with critical insights into how each brand’s products are performing.
Root cause analysis then plays a crucial role by leveraging product reviews. It allows product managers to comprehensively evaluate a brand and its product quality.
All the positive feedback is a vivid illustration of what AutomationDirect stands for and how it assists customers in navigating challenges and achieving success.
Pushing the Boundaries of Success
At the heart of such an illustrious growth journey is the visionary leadership of founder Tim Hohmann, who has always championed teamwork.
He introduced a culture of servant leadership from the get-go, placing a strong emphasis on the idea that everyone, regardless of their role, is committed to serving each other in the pursuit of customer satisfaction.
This dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. For over 15 years, AutomationDirect has been celebrated for its exceptional service, securing the top spot in Control Design’s Reader’s Choice Awards for PLC and HMI programming, among other accolades.
Payne sums it up well. “What defines our success is the continuous refining of processes, striving for excellence and never settling for ‘good enough.'”
