Last week, something different happened.
You spoke up – not with outrage or finger-pointing, but with clarity, honesty, and a collective sense of “finally, someone said it.” Whether it came through a comment, a DM, a text message, or just a quiet nod while reading, your message was clear: you’ve had enough of automation suppliers who no longer treat you like partners.
And that’s not because you’re difficult to work with. It’s because you’re the one building the machines. You’re the one designing, assembling, wiring, programming, tweaking, debugging, commissioning, and working with your customers throughout the whole process. You’re the one holding the whole thing together, and you can’t afford to keep working around outdated models, closed platforms, and support teams that you can’t access without a contract or a credit card.
You’ve already started choosing better. You’ve already started moving your business to companies that earn your trust instead of assuming they deserve it. So let’s call that what it is: momentum. And let’s turn it into something even more powerful.
Because the old supplier model isn’t just broken – it’s being replaced.
And you’re the one doing the replacing.
You’re Not the Problem. The Model Is.
Let’s be clear. This isn’t about one manufacturer, one brand, or one bad experience (I guess it is a little bit). It’s about a way of doing business that simply doesn’t fit the world you operate in today.
You’re under more pressure than ever. Your customers want smarter machines, faster installs, tighter footprints, and zero surprises. You’re juggling on-again, off-again tariffs, skilled labour shortages, and rigid “out of date” specs that hold innovation back. And through it all, you’re expected to deliver faster machines, often with fewer resources and shorter timelines than ever before.
So when an automation supplier still plays pricing games, limits who you can buy from, locks you into a proprietary ecosystem, and charges you for basic support, it doesn’t just slow you down. It undermines the whole point of automation. That model doesn’t fit anymore.
And let’s be honest, it’s not your job to work around your supplier. It’s their job to work around you.
The New Standard Is Already Emerging
You’ve already started defining what better looks like, through your buying decisions, your feedback, your “deviation from specification” requests, and the quiet way you stop inviting certain suppliers to the table. You’re not shouting. You’re voting – with your time, your trust, and your projects.
You want clarity. Pricing that is consistent, transparent, and fair, no matter who the supplier is. The days of last-minute price increases and threats to reduce discounts are over. You don’t have time for games. You need to quote confidently and move.
You want open platforms. You don’t want to be boxed in. You want to choose the right tools for each part of the job, and you want those tools to connect without a battle. Whether it’s an IO-Link device, a PLC, an HMI, or a variable frequency drive, it should just work. And it shouldn’t matter who made it.
You want support that respects your time. If something goes wrong, you shouldn’t need a support contract, a PO, or delays while they check if you qualify. You need answers fast. You need a real person. You need someone who understands the urgency, not someone who asks you for your support contract account number.
You want to work with people you trust. If you’ve built a relationship with a rep who understands your machines, your process, and your needs, why should a territory map take that away from you? Your loyalty belongs to the person who shows up, not the zip code they report to.
And most of all, you want innovation that actually moves you forward. Not new labels on old part numbers. Not marketing-first feature launches. You want products that enable you to take your machines to the next level, are easy to configure, faster to build, let you program the way you want to, and make life easier for your team. You want technology that shortens install times, cuts down skilled labour, and takes all the risk out of commissioning. Real innovation shows up on the shop floor, not just in a sales presentation.
This Is Where the Manifesto Begins
You’re already building the new standard through the choices you make. What we’re doing now is giving it a name and writing it down.
I’m calling it The Automation Supplier Manifesto. And it’s not coming from a corporate strategy team. It’s coming from you.
From machine builders. From OEMs. From integrators, electricians, millwrights, engineers and purchasers who have had to work around bad documentation, unclear quotes, territorial rules, and last-minute scrambles far too many times.
This manifesto isn’t a complaint. It’s a compass.
It’s a set of expectations, grounded in real-world experience, for what a good automation supplier looks like in 2025 and beyond. And if you’re reading this, you’re invited to help shape what that looks like.
Here’s What Comes Next
Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be collecting your input, comments, stories, frustrations, and private DMs. All of it. Because you’re the ones building the machines, solving the problems, and making the deadlines. You know what works and what doesn’t. And you’ve got ideas that others need to hear.
I’ll turn the best of it into something we can all use, a shared resource. Something automation manufacturers and distributors can reference. Something every machine builder, OEM and integrator can align with. Something teams can point to when they’re evaluating who to bring into a project.
It won’t be perfect at first. But it’s a start, and something real.
And it will come from the people who live this every day.
You’re Already Leading. Now Let’s Put It in Writing.
If you’ve ever been burned by pricing games, had to get your credit card out for support, locked into a system that slowed you down, or been told who you were “allowed” to buy from, then you’ve already earned a voice in this conversation.
You’ve seen what isn’t working. Now let’s define what should.
What do you want automation suppliers to stop doing? What do you wish they’d start doing? What does a true partner actually look like in your world?
Send me a message. Leave a comment. Tag someone who’s got a strong opinion and needs to weigh in.
This is your opportunity to shape the supplier relationships of the future, not just for your business, but for the industry as a whole.
Because the future of automation isn’t just about new technology. It’s about trust, relationships and better partnerships. And the automation suppliers who will help you win tomorrow won’t be the loudest or the biggest.
They’ll be the ones who listen. Who Show up, Serve, and Share. Who help you build machines better, faster, and with fewer headaches.
This is your chance to shape what supplier relationships should look like from here on out. Leave a comment, send me a message, and let’s make this the industry benchmark, built by the people who live and breathe it.
