Newsletter Insert May 2015

Drew’s Automation Insert

Drew Baryenbruch

Arby’s, It’s Over!

You have to get to know yourself before I can allow you to get to know me.

I went to Arby’s the other day and noticed something new. I was no longer a number. I was Drew. Thank you Drew, here is your cup. It will be just another minute on your fries, DREW. Thanks DREW, have a nice day.

I’m sure some guy in a big office is patting himself on the back. Empowered by some BS data stating Millennials want personalized service and yearn for acknowledgment based on their soaring social media engagement numbers, he pitched changing customers from numbers to names. I’m sure he laced his pitch with some mumbo-jumbo about all the other profound differences between a simple 2 digit number and a name. To that guy, wherever you are, I have a one finger salute with your name on it!

We had a magical secret affair slathered in horsy sauce and you ruined it! I like you Arby’s. Those curly fries are a guilty pleasure I could eat all day. The thing is, that’s what you are to me Arby’s, a guilty, convenient, anonymous pleasure. Not something I want to share with the world or be known for.

I eat at Arby’s, but in general I don’t flaunt that fact. I make it a point to put my to-go bags deep in trash so my wife doesn’t hassle me with the “fast food again!?” line. If I came back from lunch and someone asked where I was I would say “I was at lunch” not that “I was at Arby’s.” I’m not ashamed, but I’m not proud either. This all used to be OK with you Arby’s.

I used to be an anonymous‎ number in our glutinous culinary tryst. We had a good thing.

“Would you like fries with that” is really the extent of the relationship I have ever wanted to have with a person serving me at Arby’s. I’m sure this person is a swell guy. His facial piercings bring a couple of curiosity based questions to mind, but I have no interest in taking our relationship to a level that would allow me to ask those questions. I won’t deny him when he asks, but I don’t really want him to know my name.

The problem is, Arby’s, you’re trying to be something you’re not. This name vs numbers stuff may work at a Starbucks or a Panera but it doesn’t work for Arby’s. The brand isn’t there. Arby’s is not the place yuppies go to be seen and order items with Acai berries. Those are things people want to share and put their name too. Stuffing my face with an XXL order of curly Fries #fatA$$ is not a trending tweet most want to be known for.

Brands and businesses are like people. You have to be true to who and what you are. Moving your double wide to Manhattan won’t make you upper crust.

Victoria’s Secret can plaster their brand across the buttocks of the entire female population and it works. Yet you would never see Walmart or God forbid Target with that Bull’s-eye logo trying to pull off the same placement. There is a difference in who/what these companies are and what their brand allows them to get away with.

This is not to say you can’t change and evolve. As a business, most have to evolve, but you have to be cognizant of people’s reaction to those changes. And always keep in mind your goals should enforce the real value your customers gain and expect from you.

I’ll argue there is not a significant portion of the market that wants highly personal service at Arby’s. We want fresh, if even from the fryer, food. We want that food fast and we want it affordably priced. Anything done to the dining experience that does not affect those three points are a waste of time and an unnecessary change and risk.

So again, Arby’s it’s over. I’ll put your stuff in front of my apartment door. Except for your hat. I’m sorry Pharrell Williams stole it. Don’t bother to knock and say goodbye. When you figure out who you are you can give me a call.

I’ll be waiting as an anonymous‎ customer number 20097. If you want to be personal feel free to call me by my nick name, 97.

The BFR3000 Modbus Router is Here!

After months of anticipation, arguably the best Modbus router on Earth has finally been released! We spent years evaluating competitive Modbus Routers to create one we think is superior to anything else on the market.

THE BOX

The vast majority of available Modbus Routers were built around some cheap, off the shelf plastic enclosure. While many were Din Rail mountable, they had connectors and LED’s on every face making them un-panel friendly.

We fixed that with a compact, heat sinking, extremely sturdy aluminum enclosure. We used all pluggable screw terminal connections, and put the Ethernet port and 3 diagnostic LEDs on single face perfect for panel applications.

THE SOFTWARE

Many of the solutions had rudimentary, cumbersome and confusing configuration software that looked and functioned in a manor consistent with the time period it was created in – the 1990’s.

We fixed that issue by eliminating configuration software. All the configuration is Web Browser based. There is no software to lose! Simply plug a PC into the network and access the gateways configuration screens via it’s IP address. Simple modern configuration and trouble shooting diagnostics screens always at your disposal.

ROBUSTNESS

We wanted this to be the one tool you can rely on for Modbus data conversion. It has full support
for Modbus RTU, Modbus ASCII and Modbus TCP/IP. UL and CE certification. Massive data limits and in a compact box. Arguably the Best Modbus Router on Earth!

Modbus RTU Master to Modbus TCP/IP Client

The router becomes a shared block of Modbus registers and coils. Either protocol is able to read or write values to and from the shared block of data.

Modbus RTU Slaves to Modbus TCP/IP Client

Modbus RTU slaves are presented as Modbus TCP/IP servers. Requests sent to a Modbus TCP/IP node ID will be routed to the matching slave ID on the Modbus RTU network.

Modbus TCP/IP Servers to Modbus RTU Master

Modbus TCP/IP servers are presented as Modbus RTU slave. In the Gateway you define the IP address and unit ID’s of your Modbus server devices and then define what slave ID they will be mapped too.