We talk a lot about the changing workplace and how technology is connecting us in increasingly sophisticated ways. Well, our workplace is changing and we wanted to let you know about it.
Raymond Gaynor, President and CEO of EPLAN Americas, who has led us since 2011, retired earlier this year and Bruce Rodewald was chosen to replace him.
Rodewald brings to EPLAN more than 24 years of experience in industrial business development and corporate sales leadership. A mechanical engineering graduate of Western Michigan University and former captain with the US Army Corps of Engineers, he has taken on progressively more important leadership roles in the field of industrial software and information technology since moving from the military to the private sector in 1991.
“As a degreed mechanical engineer, I’ve always surrounded myself with technology,” Rodewald said. “The companies that I’ve worked for over the years of my career have been technological companies, so moving to EPLAN was a great fit for me.”
From his vantage point of watching and working with evolving technologies, Rodewald has first-hand working knowledge of what these technologies offer manufacturers. He especially appreciates the needs of working in an IIoT environment.
“EPLAN positions their design group for success in the emerging Smart Factory environment,” he said. “Design automation is the present and the future and EPLAN products deliver a significant advantage to our clients. They provide solutions to master all critical stages of a project in the most productive fashion, from quoting and pre-planning, through all aspects of product design, then on through the product’s final assembly and delivery. EPLAN’s demonstrated ability to shorten our industrial partners’ time to market is providing them with rapid payback of their investment and lower operating costs on a continual basis.”
We have been writing extensively about how working within a Smart Factory is creating collaborative opportunities. Rodewald sees this as of primary importance and sees the EPLAN Experience as a conduit to maximizing that potential.
“Collaboration between partners is critical. Partnerships using advanced technologies these are all the EPLAN way. We are involved with many of these aspects as a company and partnering advanced engineering concepts and innovation is what EPLAN represents. It’s a very fast-moving environment and EPLAN is up for that challenge.”
EPLAN is embracing what collaboration can mean within our own ecosystem and how it benefits our customers.
“We currently have some significant collaboration going on with big data PLM companies such as Siemens PLM and SAP, said Rodewald. “This is really where the industry is driving us and we’re along for the ride. This is something that has to happen and we’re embracing this with our partners. As a good example we have our Data Portal, which encompasses 137 current suppliers that offers ease of access to all of our customers worldwide to access their components.”
Of course, it takes more than software to help businesses navigate these waters. Which is why EPLAN offers more than just tools, but our expertise as well.
“We have world class software tools, but it’s also about services,” said Rodewald. “Engineering services are a critical process within our organization and we put great stock in delivering the best in class for our engineering capabilities. So it takes two; it takes a world-class CAE software tools as well as engineering expertise and solid consulting services.”
