When I started El-O-Matic in the 1990s, the process of acquiring the components needed to automate a valve was inefficient, costly, and time-consuming. It required getting quotes from multiple suppliers for each individual component, paying for assembly, testing of the automated valve package, and covering additional shipping costs.
What also complicated the process was the “phone tag” required to follow up and coordinate the delivery of each component from different suppliers. This often extended the delivery time to several weeks, even months – if not longer – in some cases.