Quick Check: Who’s In The Room?

• Tell us your role and how you’ll be involved in choosing a drive + PLC platform for this project.
• Which of these people or functions influence or sign off on platform choices in your organization? Options: Controls Engineer / Developer, Engineering Manager / R&D, Plant/Operations Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Quality / Regulatory, Procurement / Purchasing, Local Distributor / Service Partner, System Integrator, C-level / Executive, Other
• Which single role typically has final authority to lock in the control architecture? Options: Controls Engineer, Engineering Manager, Plant Manager, Procurement, C-level Executive, System Integrator, Other
• Think of the last time your team picked a new control platform. Who owned that decision and how long did it take from first discussion to final sign-off?
• How confident are you that your current decision process balances technical needs, schedule, and long-term maintenance? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Unsure, Not confident

If We Keep Doing What We’ve Done…

• What’s the real cost to your operation if you keep the incumbent drive platform for the next 24 months?
• Which of these cost or risk categories hit you most from keeping the current platform? Options: Energy use / inefficiency, Reduced throughput / cycle time, Obsolescence / supplier EOL, Higher spare-parts carrying cost, Longer commissioning time, Support availability issues, Quality/acceptance failures, Other
• How often do integration or drive issues translate into production delays or failed customer acceptance tests? Options: Almost always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• Describe a recent incident where a drive or PLC problem impacted shipments, warranty claims, or customer acceptance — what happened and what did it cost (time, rework, reputation)?
• If you could eliminate one recurring pain caused by your current drive platform, what would it be?

Who Would Be On The Hot Seat If This Fails?

• Who in your organization would feel the most pressure if a platform change caused a week (or more) of downtime or required requalification across machine variants? Options: Controls Engineer, Engineering Manager, Plant Manager, Maintenance Lead, Quality / Compliance, Customer Account Manager, Procurement, Other
• What specific outcomes would be unacceptable (e.g., X hours/days downtime, Y% scrap, Z machines failing acceptance)? Please be specific.
• Which risks are you willing to accept during a pilot versus which require mitigation up front? Options: Downtime risk during pilot, Partial machine unavailability, Parallel spare inventory, Temporary quality variance, Remote-only support, No pilot risk accepted
• How many machines or lines would you consider at-risk before pausing a platform rollout? Options: Single pilot machine, A single production line, Multiple lines in one plant, Plant-level risk unacceptable, Other
• What mitigation strategies have you used before (dual-sourcing, staged rollouts, shadow runs) and which actually worked?

The Clock Is Ticking — What’s Your Non-Negotiable Date?

• If you had to put a non-negotiable date on selecting or piloting a new drive+PLC platform, when would it be and why is that date fixed?
• Which events create the hardest deadlines for you? Options: New machine product launch, Customer acceptance milestone, Supplier end-of-life (EOL), Capital budget cut-off, Regulatory / compliance change, Other
• How soon do you need a pilot to start in order to meet those milestones? Options: Within 2 weeks, This month, Next quarter, Within 3-6 months, 6-12 months, No firm timeline
• If a pilot required 2–4 weeks plus requalification, how flexible are your downstream schedules (customer deliveries, line start-ups)? Options: Very flexible, Somewhat flexible, Tight but manageable, Not flexible
• What would be the immediate consequences if your timeline slipped by one major milestone?

Training & Qualification — Who Needs To Level Up?

• What will you be willing to sacrifice in short-term productivity to retrain your technicians and controls team on a new programming/commissioning environment?
• Approximately how many people would need formal retraining for a platform change? Options: 1–2 engineers, 3–5 engineers/techs, 6–15 people, 15–50 people, 50+ people, Unsure
• Which roles require certification-level training versus a short familiarization session? Options: Controls Developers/Programmers, Commissioning Engineers, Maintenance Technicians, Operators, Quality Engineers, Spare-parts / Storeroom staff, Other
• How long does your team usually take to reach baseline productivity after adopting a new control environment? Options: Less than 1 month, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, 6–12 months, More than a year
• What training formats have worked best for your team (vendor-led hands-on, train-the-trainer, on-the-job shadowing, e-learning)? Options: Vendor-led hands-on, Train-the-trainer, On-the-job shadowing, E-learning / videos, Classroom, Other
• What would make your technicians genuinely prefer the new programming environment instead of resisting it?

Support & Local Backup — Can Someone Show Up Within 48 Hours?

• If a commissioning issue threatens your shipment, can your preferred local partner or manufacturer get a qualified engineer on site within 48 hours—or is that optimistic? Options: Yes, local distributor can, Yes, our in-house team can, Sometimes, depends on region, No, factory support needed, Unknown
• Who is your preferred on-site support provider today (local distributor, manufacturer's field engineer, internal staff, other)? Options: Local distributor, Manufacturer field engineer, Internal staff, System integrator, Other
• Which support SLAs are non-negotiable for you during pilot and rollout? Options: 48-hour onsite response, Remote response within 4 hours, Dedicated application engineer, Spare parts shipped within 24 hours, Loaner drives available, On-site commissioning support included
• Tell us about a past support experience that either restored your confidence in a supplier or made you decide to stop using them — what mattered?
• Would you expect local distributor FAE support to be included, charged separately, or provided under a service contract? Options: Included in pilot, Charged separately, Under service contract, Depends on negotiation, Unsure

Acceptance: What Single Result Will Make You Standardize This Platform?

• If you could get one measurable outcome from the pilot that would make you standardize this platform across similar machines, what would it be? Options: Commissioning time reduction (%), Improved torque accuracy (spec), Energy savings (%), Full programming compatibility with existing PLC, Local support SLA met, Spare parts availability, Warranty / RMA terms, Other
• What minimum thresholds would you set for commissioning time, torque accuracy, and programming compatibility to accept the pilot?
• Who must sign the pilot acceptance and in what order (technical sign-off, quality, operations, commercial)? Options: Controls/Technical, Quality/Regulatory, Operations/Plant, Procurement/Commercial, CEO/Executive
• If the pilot doesn't meet acceptance, what rollback or exit plan would you require before starting?
• Would you accept a staged acceptance (bench -> single-axis field pilot -> multi-variant rollout) or do you need full acceptance on first field pilot? Options: Staged acceptance preferred, Full acceptance required from first field pilot, Open to either with agreed checkpoints, Unsure

Budget, Commercials, and Long-Term Operations — Who Signs the Purchase Order?

• If cost were removed as the barrier, what remaining concerns would still stop you from switching platforms? Options: Retraining productivity loss, Requalification effort, Dual spare inventory cost, Integration complexity, Vendor lock-in, Local support uncertainty, Other
• Which budget line will typically fund the pilot and initial rollout? Options: CapEx (capital budget), OpEx (operational budget), Customer-funded trial, Project contingency, Unsure
• What commercial terms would make a pilot low friction for you? Options: Trial/loaner units, Discounted pilot pricing, Pay-after-acceptance, Fixed-price pilot package with support included, Consignment spares during pilot
• Describe your expectations for warranty length, spare-part pricing, and long-term local support during a multi-year rollout.
• Who in procurement or finance must approve commercial terms and what procurement steps typically add the most time?

Start With the Machine That Keeps You Up at Night

• Which project or machine line should we focus on in this discovery? Options: New machine design, Plant modernization / retrofit, Replacement for discontinued drive, Small bench pilot, Other
• Who on your team will own the decision to change the drive/PLC platform? (pick all who will influence) Options: Controls Engineer, Engineering Manager, Plant/Operations Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Quality / Validation Engineer, Procurement, OEM Customer, Other
• How many physical machine variants share this control architecture today? Options: 1-5, 6-20, 21-50, 51-200, 200+
• What is the annual production or shipment volume for this line? Options: 1-10 units/year, 11-100 units/year, 101-500 units/year, 501-2,000 units/year, 2,000+ units/year
• How long do you expect to run this machine design in production? Options: Under 2 years, 2-5 years, 6-10 years, 10+ years
• Briefly describe the motion profile or application this drive must handle (axes, speeds, peak torque events).

Are We Just Living With It?

• What hidden compromises in your current drives or PLCs are you defending as 'good enough'?
• Which of these pain points costs you the most operationally or emotionally? (select up to 3) Options: Long commissioning time, Inconsistent torque/position control, High energy use, Frequent unplanned failures, Slow spare availability, Vendor support delays, Incompatible programming environment, Other
• How often do drive failures or commissioning issues cause a production stop or delayed shipment? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly, Never
• Tell us about a recent incident where drive performance or vendor support affected a delivery—what happened and how did it feel?
• Which supplier-relationship issues worry you most right now (select all that apply)? Options: Single-source drive supplier, Multiple vendors to integrate, Distributor response inconsistency, Discontinued product risk, In-house control code dependency, None of the above

When Switching Feels Like a Full-Time Job

• What would make you risk retraining 50 technicians and stocking duplicate spares to change platforms?
• Estimate the training ramp-up time for technicians if you adopt a new programming environment. Options: Less than 1 month, 1-3 months, 3-6 months, 6+ months
• On average, how many spare drives / critical parts do you keep per machine variant today? Options: None, 1 spare, 2-4 spares, 5+ spares
• What increase in parts budget would you accept during a transition year? Options: No increase, Up to 10%, 10-25%, 25-50%, 50%+
• Which requalification steps must be re-run for each variant when swapping drives? (select all that apply) Options: Torque accuracy tests, Commissioning time validation, Safety interlock checks, EMC / EMI testing, End-customer acceptance tests, Regulatory certification, Other
• Who at the end-customer signs off requalification and what are their primary acceptance concerns?

How You Actually Measure Success

• Which single metric would make you standardize on a new drive-and-PLC platform? Options: Commissioning time reduction, Torque/position accuracy improvement, Measured energy savings, Fewer support incidents, Faster time-to-market, Other
• What target for torque control accuracy would be compelling on bench tests (e.g., ±X% or ±X Nm)?
• What reduction in commissioning time versus your incumbent would you consider a success? Options: No change, 10-20%, 20-30%, 30-50%, 50%+
• What energy savings target at the machine or line level would justify the change? Options: No target, 5-10%, 10-20%, 20-40%, 40%+
• Which measurements or logs will be required during the pilot for acceptance? (select all that apply) Options: Torque trace plots, Position error logs, Power consumption logs, Commissioning step timers, PLC program compatibility report, Support response time logs, Other
• How many bench runs or cycles do you consider statistically meaningful for acceptance? Options: 1-10, 11-50, 51-200, 200+

Show Me the Bench (No Surprises Allowed)

• Can your test bench faithfully reproduce the most challenging motion and fault scenarios you see in production?
• Do you have a dedicated bench for drive evaluation today? Options: Yes — fully equipped, Yes — limited setup (missing axes or loads), No — we use field machines, Planning to build one
• Are the PLC program and native motion profiles available for bench testing, or will they need to be recreated? Options: Fully available, Partially available, Need full recreation, Other
• Who will run the bench tests and who must be present for pilot acceptance? (roles and names if possible) Options: Controls Engineer, Application Engineer / FAE, Maintenance Lead, Quality / Validation Engineer, OEM Customer Rep, Other
• Which safety interlocks, protective devices, or failure modes must be replicated on the bench to validate real-world behavior?
• How do you prefer to receive test results and evidence of acceptance? Options: Raw data files (CSV / logs), Graphical reports, Side-by-side video + logs, Automated pass/fail report, Formal validation pack

Who Will Be On The Hook When Things Go Wrong?

• If a machine stops shipping because of integration errors, who carries the reputational and financial risk for your team?
• Do you have local distributor or FAE coverage that can respond within 48 hours today? Options: Yes — internal FAE, Yes — external distributor within 48h, No — factory-only support, Sometimes (region-dependent)
• What on-site SLA do you require during pilot and rollout? Options: Same day, 48 hours, 72 hours, One week, No on-site required
• Who is responsible for PLC code changes versus drive firmware/configuration in your projects? (select all that apply) Options: Controls Engineer (internal), Third-party System Integrator, Distributor / Local FAE, Supplier (factory)
• What warranty length and coverage terms do you expect for drives in production? Options: No warranty / self-service, 90 days, 1 year, 2 years, 3+ years
• Describe your ideal spare-parts strategy during the first two years after rollout (stock levels, regional distribution, obsolescence plan).

Pilot Plan That Doesn’t Fail

• If we could guarantee one thing to make the pilot pass, what should that guarantee be?
• Preferred pilot duration and setting? Options: 1 week (bench only), 2 weeks (bench + limited field), 3-4 weeks (full field integration), 1-3 months (extended durability run)
• Pilot scope — which outcomes must the pilot absolutely demonstrate? (select all that apply) Options: Torque accuracy to spec, Commissioning time targets met, PLC programming/environment compatibility, Local FAE response within SLA, Measured energy savings, Durability / failure-mode run
• Who signs off the pilot at your organization and at your end-customer (roles and approval gates)?
• Please list the non-negotiable acceptance tests and their pass criteria for bench and field.
• What training cadence would help your team adopt the platform during pilot and the first month of rollout? Options: One-time workshop, Weekly sessions during pilot, On-demand remote support, Embedded FAE onsite, Combination
• What would you consider a deal-breaker discovered during pilot? Options: Fails torque spec, Programming incompatibility, No local support, Excessive commissioning time, Unexpected safety/regulatory gap, Other

If This Works: How Fast Do You Move?

• If pilot results exceed expectations, how quickly would you expect to standardize across machine variants? Options: Convert a few pilot lines only, 1-2 years for broad adoption, Full switch within 12 months, Unsure / depends on customer approvals
• Realistic rollout speed in units or variants per year? Options: 1-5 units/year, 6-50 units/year, 51-200 units/year, All within 12 months, Unsure
• What internal approvals are required for platform standardization? (select all that apply) Options: Engineering, Operations / Plant, Procurement, Quality / Validation, End-customer sign-off, Finance
• Which benefits must be demonstrated to secure rollout budget? Options: CapEx reduction, OpEx / energy savings, Reduced downtime, Faster commissioning, Simpler support model, Other
• How should spare parts and training roll out regionally (phased, simultaneous, distributor-led)? Options: Phased by priority lines, Simultaneous across sites, Distributor-led with kit shipments, Customer-stocked central hub, Other
• Are there customer specs, certifications, or contractual constraints that would slow adoption? Please list.

What Keeps You Up at Night (Really)

• If you had to name one unspoken fear about changing drives and PLCs, what is it?
• How would overcoming that fear change your day-to-day responsibilities or stress levels?
• What small proof point would most quickly build your confidence in a new platform? Options: Short bench demo with my profile, Guaranteed commissioning time, Local FAE guaranteed response, Extended trial warranty, Initial spare parts provided, Other
• Who else should we include in follow-up conversations to remove blockers (names/roles)? Options: Controls Engineer, Maintenance Lead, Operations Manager, Quality / Validation, Procurement, End-customer Rep, Other
• Anything else we haven’t asked that would be critical for a successful evaluation or rollout?

Quick Snapshot: Where Are We Today?

• Who from your team will be actively involved in the pilot and what are their primary roles?
• Roughly how many distinct machine variants do you intend to include in this pilot? Options: 1, 2–3, 4–6, 7–10, More than 10
• Do you currently have a test bench that matches the mechanical and electrical characteristics of the target machine(s)? Options: Exact match (mechanical + electrical), Partial match (electrical or mechanical only), No, but we can build one quickly, No dedicated bench available
• Which PLC programming environments do you use today (select all that apply)? Options: Rockwell / Allen-Bradley, Siemens (TIA Portal), Beckhoff (TwinCAT), Omron, Mitsubishi, Other

If We Ship the Hardware Tomorrow, What Breaks First?

• What single operational risk would most likely derail this pilot within the first week?
• How often have past pilots stalled due to missing spare parts, paperwork, or shipping delays? Options: Never, Rarely, Occasionally, Often, Almost always
• When pilot issues occur, which team is typically forced to stop work first (controls, mechanical, QA, production)? Options: Controls/Automation, Mechanical/Maintenance, Quality/QA, Production/Operations, Procurement
• Tell us about a recent pilot or commissioning that failed—what happened, and how long did recovery take?

Who Can Fix Things Within 48 Hours?

• If a critical failure happens during the pilot, will you have someone onsite within 48 hours—or are you resigned to waiting for factory support? Options: Yes — internal field engineer available, Yes — local distributor/partner available, No — depends on factory support, Depends on location / shifts
• If you rely on a distributor or partner, what is the guaranteed onsite SLA today? Options: <24 hours, 24–48 hours, 48–72 hours, 72+ hours, No SLA / ad hoc
• What concrete certifications, tools, or qualifications must the responding engineer have to avoid delaying rollout?
• How confident are you that your local support can resolve commissioning, programming-compatibility, and torque-tuning issues without escalating to the factory? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Unsure, Not confident

Are Your Test Profiles Truly Representative—or Just Hopeful?

• Do the motion/torque profiles you plan to run on the bench reflect worst-case production conditions or optimistic averages? Options: Reflect worst-case, Mostly representative, Optimistic averages, Unknown / undocumented
• How were the motion profiles created: logged from production, simulated, or estimated by engineers? Options: Logged from production machines, Generated by simulation, Estimated by controls engineers, Other
• For each machine variant, do you have exportable profile files (trajectories, setpoints) ready to load into a vendor’s commissioning tool? Options: All variants ready, Most variants ready, A few variants ready, None ready
• When was the last time those profiles were validated against the actual production line? Options: Within 3 months, 3–12 months, 1–3 years, Never

What Would True Bench Success Look Like?

• If bench results look perfect but field integration creates the real problems, should the pilot be considered successful? Options: No — field translation required, Yes — bench-only acceptance, Depends on variance between bench and field, Unsure
• Select the measurable bench acceptance criteria we must validate before authorizing a field pilot (choose all that apply). Options: Torque accuracy within specified %, Commissioning time under target hours, Network determinism / jitter within bounds, Programming compatibility with existing PLC toolchain, Repeatability / positional error threshold, Other
• Which single metric is non-negotiable — if it fails on the bench, we stop the rollout? Options: Torque accuracy, Commissioning time, Programming compatibility, Repeatability, Network determinism, Other
• How do you want bench test results documented and shared for joint review (format and cadence)? Options: Shared cloud folder (CSV/plots), Formal PDF report, Live demo + recording, Entry in joint test system, Other

Spare Parts and Inventory: Insurance or Afterthought?

• How comfortable are you carrying parallel inventory of legacy and new drives during the pilot and initial rollout? Options: Very comfortable — we budget for it, Somewhat comfortable, Not comfortable — budget constrained, Can't carry dual inventory
• How many spare drives per family do you currently stock per 100 active machines? Options: 0, 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, More than 10
• Who owns spares procurement, and how quickly can they approve funds or release stock for a short pilot?
• Would a consignment or distributor-managed spare program for the pilot reduce your rollout risk? Options: Yes — ideal, Maybe — depends on terms, No — prefer to control spares

PLC Access and Programming: Is Tool Switching a Dealbreaker?

• If the drive required a different programming tool for commissioning, would that alone block your standardization decision? Options: Yes — tool switch is a dealbreaker, No — acceptable for a pilot only, Maybe — only with clear training and ROI, Unsure
• Which PLC toolchains must remain compatible for you to approve pilot-to-rollout (select all that apply)? Options: Rockwell / Studio 5000, Siemens / TIA Portal, Beckhoff / TwinCAT, Omron, Mitsubishi, Other
• Can your controls team provide secure remote access (VPN/remote desktop) to PLCs for vendor engineers during commissioning? Options: Yes — secure remote access available, Yes — but with approvals and delays, No — security prevents remote access, Need to arrange case-by-case
• What compliance, security, or customer constraints would limit third-party access to your PLCs or network during the pilot?

Who Signs Off — And How Fast?

• If bench acceptance is achieved but QA/production refuses to requalify quickly, whose decision will block rollout?
• What timeline between bench acceptance and full-field rollout would avoid disrupting production planning? Options: <2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–3 months, More than 3 months
• Which stakeholders need to approve pilot acceptance (select all relevant roles)? Options: Controls Engineer, Engineering Manager, Maintenance Supervisor, Production Manager, Quality/QA, Procurement, Other
• What specific documentation or deliverables will each approver expect to sign off (test logs, training certs, spares plan, SLA)?

Next Steps: How Do We Make This Low‑Risk and Fast?

• What single change or reassurance would make you comfortable saying 'yes' to this pilot tomorrow?
• Which risk-mitigation options would you prefer for the pilot (select all that appeal)? Options: Local engineer on consignment, Distributor-managed spare parts, Short intensive training bootcamp, Extended pilot warranty, Joint on-site kickoff, Guaranteed 48-hour remote support
• How soon can your team commit the necessary engineering hours for commissioning and validation? Options: Next week, Within 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, Longer than 2 months
• Are there any hard scheduling constraints we must avoid (production freezes, audits, peak seasons)? If so, please describe dates and impacts.

Quick Snapshot — The project that brought you here

• What is the primary trigger for evaluating a new drive/PLC platform right now? Options: New machine design requiring higher precision, Plant modernization / energy savings, Legacy supplier discontinued, Serviceability / parts availability issues, Customer request / compliance, Other
• How many machines (and distinct variants) would this platform decision affect in the next 12 months? Options: 1–5 units, 6–20 units, 21–100 units, 100+ units, Unsure / Need to calculate
• Typical timeline: when do you need a validated option chosen and a pilot running? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–3 months, 3–6 months, Longer / exploratory
• Who is doing the hands-on evaluation on your side (role/title)? Options: Controls engineer / lead, Engineering manager, Plant engineer / maintenance, Integrator / system house, Procurement, Other
• Which current drive and PLC platform are you standardized on today, and what versions/tools are in use?

Are you settling for 'good enough' on motion and control?

• When you look at the machines where precision or energy is an issue—what problems have you been tolerating because changing the platform felt too risky?
• How frequently do these tolerated issues cause a missed shipment, a rejected part, or an unplanned downtime event? Options: Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Rarely, Don't know
• Which symptoms do you see most: poor torque accuracy, long commissioning time, intermittent communications, or maintenance complexity? Options: Torque accuracy, Commissioning time, Network determinism / jitter, Programming environment mismatch, Spare parts availability, Other
• Tell us about a recent moment when the control platform limited what your machine could do—what happened and how did it feel for the team?
• If you kept the status quo, what would you expect production quality, throughput, or energy consumption to look like a year from now?

What keeps your team awake at night about this change?

• If adopting a new drive/PLC could fail, what single outcome would be the worst for you—lost shipments, requalification headaches, long downtime, or staff overload? Options: Lost shipments, Requalification delays, Extended commissioning time, Field support gaps, Increased OPEX from spare parts, Other
• How much disruption (in days per line or percent productivity) would you tolerate during a pilot or initial roll-out? Options: None / Must be zero, Minimal (hours per line), Moderate (days per line), Significant (up to weeks)
• What are your internal constraints for requalification or safety acceptance when a control architecture changes? Options: Full requalification per variant, Partial testing only, Customer-specific acceptance required, Regulatory recertification, Unsure—need help defining
• How many people on your team can be dedicated to a pilot (bench and field) without impacting other projects? Options: 1 person, 2–3 people, 4–6 people, More than 6, None available right now
• Describe past platform switches (if any): what went well, what went wrong, and what lessons should guide this project?

Show me the numbers — measurable success and unavoidable limits

• What measurable outcomes would make this evaluation an unequivocal success? Name up to three (e.g., torque ppm, % energy reduction, commissioning time saved).
• Please provide your current baseline metrics (if known): torque error, average commissioning time per axis, and typical energy use per shift.
• What minimum improvement would justify the switch for you (choose the most critical metric)? Options: Torque accuracy: X% improvement, Commissioning time: X% reduction, Energy: X% savings, Support responsiveness: response within 48 hours, Other
• How will you measure pilot success—what test methods, data capture, and acceptance thresholds will you use? Options: Bench with real motion profile, Field machine acceptance tests, Third-party verification, Vendor-provided test scripts, Custom in-house tests
• Who signs off on the pilot data and what evidence do they require (raw logs, video, formal report)? Options: Controls engineer sign-off, Engineering manager sign-off, Quality/QA sign-off, Customer/end-user sign-off, Procurement sign-off

Who must be won over—and who could quietly block this?

• If we look at the decision map, who has final authority to approve a platform standard for your machines? Options: Controls engineering manager, Plant manager/operations, VP of engineering, Customer/end-user, Procurement, Other
• Besides the approver, who are the influencers that must feel confident (choose all that apply)? Options: Controls engineers, Maintenance techs, QA/inspection, Integrators/system houses, Spare parts/logistics, Sales/customer success
• Who do you expect to champion the new platform internally, and what incentives or concerns shape their support?
• Where is resistance most likely to appear—training time, toolchain changes, parts inventory, or customer acceptance? Options: Training time, Programming tool change, Dual spare inventory cost, Customer requalification, Other
• How do you prefer to involve end customers (if applicable) during pilot and acceptance testing? Options: Full customer witness tests, Periodic updates only, Provide recorded results, Customer on-site commissioning, Not involving customers

What would a real win look like for your team (and why does it matter)?

• If the pilot exceeds expectations, how would you scale deployment across machine lines—phased, big bang, or hybrid? Options: Phased by variant/line, Big bang (all at once), Hybrid (pilot then batches), Undecided
• What business benefits beyond the test metrics matter—reduced spare parts, faster new-machine onboarding, customer satisfaction, or service margins? Options: Reduced spare parts, Faster onboarding of new machines, Higher customer satisfaction, Better field service margins, Other
• What is your acceptable ROI timeline for a full platform change (payback period)? Options: <6 months, 6–12 months, 1–2 years, 2–3 years, Longer / strategic investment
• Emotionally: how would your team feel if this change reduced commissioning headaches and returned months of lost productivity?

Pilot reality check — can we prove it in your context?

• Would you be able to provide a bench with the actual motion profile and PLC access for a two‑ to four‑week pilot? Options: Yes, fully prepared, Yes, but needs setup, Only partial (no PLC access), No bench available
• Which machine variants should be included in the pilot to represent your breadth of risk (pick up to three)?
• Do you have sample motion profiles, torque curves, and failure-mode history that we can use during bench testing? Options: Yes—available immediately, Yes—but needs formatting, Partially available, No
• How quickly must local field support respond during the pilot to be acceptable (response time SLA)? Options: Same day (8 hrs), Within 48 hours, 72 hours, One week, No expectation defined
• What spare parts strategy would you run during the pilot—use current inventory, vendor loaners, or buy pilot spares? Options: Use current inventory, Vendor loaners, Purchase pilot spares, Combination
• Who will own day‑to‑day coordination for the pilot (name and role)?

If we move forward commercially, what must be true?

• Which commercial terms matter most to you: warranty length, local application engineering SLA, spare parts lead time, or training included? Options: Warranty length, Local AE SLA, Spare parts lead time, Training package included, Price / discounts
• What warranty duration and coverage would you expect for drives and servo systems (years and what it must cover)? Options: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, More than 3 years, Custom coverage required
• How do you prefer training to be delivered for your team: vendor-led onsite, remote hands-on, train-the-trainer, or recorded modules? Options: Vendor-led onsite, Remote hands-on sessions, Train-the-trainer, Recorded modules, Combination
• Describe your procurement/approval process and typical lead times from pilot acceptance to purchase order.
• What pricing or commercial flexibility would make a large standardization decision easier (volume pricing, staged payments, test‑to‑buy)? Options: Volume discounts, Staged payments, Test-to-buy, Consigned spares, Other

Risks you expect — and how you usually manage them

• Which switching costs concern you most: training downtime, dual spare inventory costs, requalification per variant, or loss of productive hours? Options: Training downtime, Dual spare inventory costs, Requalification effort, Loss of productive hours, Other
• Have you ever rolled back a platform change? If yes, why, and what would prevent a rollback here? Options: Yes—technical issues, Yes—stakeholder resistance, No, never rolled back, Not applicable / unsure
• What contingency plans would make you comfortable during rollout (dual-run parallel support, vendor onsite during first cutover, extended SLA)? Options: Dual-run parallel support, Vendor onsite for cutover, Extended SLA, Spare pool buffer, Other
• If a critical pilot test fails, what threshold would trigger pausing the rollout versus iterating quickly? Options: Fail any acceptance test = pause, Minor deviations allowed with plan, Decide case-by-case, We require retesting only
• What internal metrics or dashboards do you need to watch during rollout to feel confident? Options: Commissioning time per axis, Torque error histograms, Downtime events, Spare parts usage, Support ticket volume, Other

Deciding together — next steps and commitments

• What is the earliest realistic date your team can begin a hands-on bench pilot? Options: This week, Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–3 months, Later / planning only
• What evidence would you need from us to move from pilot to a standardization decision (e.g., test report, on-site demo, signed SLA)? Options: Independent test report, On-site demo at customer site, Signed SLA and warranty, Reference site visits, Other
• Who should be the primary point of contact on your side for scheduling, data exchange, and acceptance?
• Are there procurement milestones or budget windows we should align with (capex approval date, budget cycle)? Options: Immediate budget available, Next monthly cycle, Quarterly approval, Annual budget window, Undecided
• Finally, what would make you say 'yes' after the pilot—one clear, non‑negotiable criterion?