A progressive company is one that not only has a breakthrough product but looks at every part of its operation, including sales, and poses the question: “How might we do this better?”.
A brand synonymous with progression, Tesla, makes a great example of how an ingrained behavior of the way we buy cars may not be the most optimal way to do it, yet we continue to.
Most of us reading this have been through the laborious process of purchasing a car. Research shows that it takes on average 6 months to go from having the idea to actually signing the papers. Months of online research and comparative shopping that lead you to your dreaded meeting with the car salesman, in which the only reason you are there is to test drive the car.
Tesla saw this and took the brave leap of removing the dealership in its entirety. Standing by the quality of their product, they made it possible for users to not just buy the car online, but even pre-order it at a fraction of the price and configure it to their exact needs. Now, the rest of the category wants to follow suit trying to remove the costly middleman.
Likewise, the purchase cycle of mining software can also be a lengthy one. From the initial meeting to delivering value could take six to 12 months (you could have bought two cars by then). With many painful steps in between, it often results in operators not changing their provider due to the high switching cost in time and effort. This is leading many operations to stick with suppliers who are frustrating them and not delivering on their needs.
We are seeking to challenge this. We are in the final stages of developing an online marketplace for its products. This includes incorporating trusted partners who work alongside AVA, providing clients with a single place to understand, configure, cost, and begin the buying process. Drastically simplifying the purchasing process and driving transparency in the category.
Our marketplace is designed to be accessible by anyone across the globe, providing solutions to operations of all sizes. Gone are the days of the select few having access to the best and latest technology. Part of our strategy is to democratize mining software.
Keep an eye on our page over the next few weeks in which we plan to share more details on our marketplace and its release.