Annoyed with Allen Bradley / FactoryTalk Alternatives ?

[Ken Roach]

The outcome of the outsourcing (it's not even offshore; it's New Hampshire !) for DVD production and licensing has been the opposite of successful. But they've committed to it and they're stuck.

Actual shipments work faster; the two weeks is a default worst-case number that the shipping system generates. But the order passes through at least three different organizations and that's just a recipe for delays.

The way I used to work around this was by burning CDs for my customers and having them run the software in the Grace Period mode. If they needed more than the seven day Grace Period, we could usually get a Temporary License generated in one or two days.

Evaluating other software platforms has really given me some good perspective on how easy FTView ME is to use, and how tightly it's bound to the A-B controller platforms.

Your choice, to be sure. And make sure that you have a frank conversation with your local RA office about software delivery, so that your voice gets added to the chorus to help push them into canning their delivery vendor or getting them to actually deliver what they promised to deliver.

 

[OkiePC]

But they've committed to it and they're stuck.

Well this sounds so familiar, like many (most?) large corporations, the red tape has exaggerated inertia, and rapid redirection is thought too difficult.

You should be able to sell license numbers upon PO approval, and download immediately thereafter, no matter what happens to the disc burning process or procedure. Sure, many will want a burned backup, but making the customer wait two weeks in this era of online sales it really going to shoot A/B in the foot.

 

[jkerekes]

Sometimes you have to wonder how someone comes up with these ideas. RA is an automation company, it should have a modern software delivery system.

 

[roburn1]

2 weeks for AB, sounds quick to me. I ordered RSlogix500 micro and that took 7 weeks. Really great support or should I say lack of.

 

[The Plc Kid]

Well this sounds so familiar, like many (most?) large corporations, the red tape has exaggerated inertia, and rapid redirection is thought too difficult.

You should be able to sell license numbers upon PO approval, and download immediately thereafter, no matter what happens to the disc burning process or procedure. Sure, many will want a burned backup, but making the customer wait two weeks in this era of online sales it really going to shoot A/B in the foot.

I agree Okie and even with the backup cd thing thats old times. I mean any company worth it's salt now days has some sort of broadband connection and all rockwell has to do is put the disc ISO file on the site instead of a bunch of files in a zip archive. I mean it's just old ,outdated and plain stupid to do this in 2011.

Hundreds of free programs to burn ISO files out there and put all the manuals on the image too. Thes user downloads and saves that with his license info and burns to disc if he wants. Cheaper and easier to manage.

Just like Okie said it should be ready for the custmer soon after a order from the distributor is placed.

 

[BryanG]

Archies' Advanced HMI was designed with AB stuff, is programmed in Visual Basic so linking in to Excel is no problem. Delivery depends on the speed of your Internet connection. And the price is free.

http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=42656&highlight=advancedHMI

 

[hazey]

I second Inductive automation option.
thanks

hazey

 

[JesperMP]

A relatively long lead time cannot be enough reason for such a strategic decision as switching brands. Contactors and limit switches, yes. Software products, no.
I think Ken summed up what one can easily do.

But snafu alert: Not sure about the legality of installing the software on a computer without actually having received a license yet. If you have a support contract with RA you can basically do anything with the software as long as only the number of licenses covered by the contract are in actual use.
Shipping to an endcustomer without a support contract, and without a license yet (regardles of that one is ordered), I am afraid that is no-no.

So I am saying that one could theoretically install the software on the end-customers PC before the license has arrived. And then activate it at a later time. One shouldnt give the customer any home-burnt CDs or DVDs though.
(of course I am not suggesting to actually doing the above. This is just discussing what someone could theoretically do in an alternate dimension).

 

[ndzied1]

The outcome of the outsourcing (it's not even offshore; it's New Hampshire !) for DVD production and licensing has been the opposite of successful. But they've committed to it and they're stuck.

Horse hockey! They are not stuck unless they want to be. Bosch Rexroth tried outsourcing the warehousing and shipping of their linear rail division with similarly dismal results. Although it was painfully slow for us, in what was fast for a company of their size, they pulled the plug and took the logistics and fulfillment back over, licked their wounds and are now digging out of the mess.

Like I have said before, hire a consultant and go down in style.

Bean counters seem to think that warehousing and shipping are "no brainers" and that any monkey can do it.

 

[rstech]

Maybe its an issue with your Rockwell distributor. When I've been in a similar situation my distributor has offered temporary licenses as soon as I issue the PO. You can get the software very quickly if you need it but your distributor needs to go to bat for you.

All that being said I agree that in this day and age you should be able to purchase the software and have the license instantly. Send an e-mail with the license number instead of that little red envelope.

 

[OkiePC]

Maybe its an issue with your Rockwell distributor. When I've been in a similar situation my distributor has offered temporary licenses as soon as I issue the PO. You can get the software very quickly if you need it but your distributor needs to go to bat for you.

All that being said I agree that in this day and age you should be able to purchase the software and have the license instantly. Send an e-mail with the license number instead of that little red envelope.

Got Techconnect?

Without that, I am not sure the distributor can help, but I have known a distributor who'd bend over backwards to loan you a license in an emergency, but that still an hour or more wait and is simply non-competitive when compared with what the rising stars like Red Lion and Automation Direct can do for you instantly with a mere download.

 

[exabmorgan]

The company I work for makes an HMI/SCADA. Every time a customer orders it the production department has to print a serial number onto a avery label. Absolutely no way around it, the sticker must be printed and shipped. Since it is literally shipping via a slow boat from china, the customer gets to wait weeks for a freaking serial number that could be delivered via email. (there is no requirement that the customer place the sticker on a piece of hardware permanently)

 

[digita7voic3]

Open your web browser, google 'inductive automation',
download Ignition (only about 80MB),
Request a FREE CD-Key for Vision Panel Edition (did I mention that its FREE?),
install it on your vanilla Windows PC with win xp OR win 7 (takes less than 5 min),
open up the web server, start developing,
serve with a side of fries and a can of mountain dew, enjoy!

If you want to get fancy later on with data logging, database connections and transaction groups... well just buy the additional modules that you need!