Win-Win situation
Speaking about the arrangement, Pankaj Gauba, Head - Digital Manufacturing - India & Middle East, Autodesk India Pvt. Ltd. said that "Autodesk is committed to increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of cutting-edge manufacturing solutions that can help customers transform their businesses and value proposition."
"It's making a lot of sense for us right now to talk to machine tool builders because the offering has become very affordable. Our new model that we have set in motion makes it very easy for machine tool builders to really move from a box selling to a solution selling. Today, when a machine tool builder is in the market and the way he is differentiating in the sales is based on some features, some performance parameters and so on and so forth. This adds a new dimension. So, what we plan to do as we move forward is to more and more work together and try refining the stuff. We will try and come out with models and moulds which will catch the attention of the customers." Gauba believes that the subscription-only model provides greater flexibility and affordability for businesses in adopting advanced CAM solutions.
According to Shan, a key reason why his Company got aligned with Autodesk is because of S&T's philosophy of making reliable technology affordable to the customers. "That is part of our company's DNA. Earlier, when we imported these machines, they were not affordable but now that we are manufacturing them here makes the machines affordable to our customers. So, what Autodesk pitched in to us was in alignment with our philosophy. They have come with a new subscription model which is affordable. That is what appealed to me. We internally discussed the idea and said why not integrate the software with the hardware. And we decided that every machine of our swill come with this integration as a standard," he said.
Appropriate training will also be provided to the users of the machine to address the skill gap and help the customers make the most of the machine and software.
Gauba added that the whole approach to the customer changes - it's a win for Autodesk, it's a win for S&T but the biggest win is for the customers because it's a single window. "STM is positioning both the hardware and software together. More importantly, customers are now not going to rely on manual programming."
While STM's key focus is the tool room industry, Shan wants to reach out to all relevant sectors. "Whether it is for the tool room or for the production house, our machines will be available to all."

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