A Heart Felt Thank You to all PlateSmart Employees
A Heart Felt Thank You
We (PlateSmart the company) have all been working long hours and extremely hard. PlateSmart employee’s dedication to our company and products, ensures an innovative approach to security solutions. While we are in this grind to the top gear, there is usually something that gets lost or confused during this time of concentrated efforts and focus.
Sounds like “feel bad for us statement” and a “blanket excuse for anything we have done wrong”
PlateSmart is always striving to create the most advanced and intuitive software on the market. As we continue our journey, we must pause and reflect on how and what excelled our success to this point.
Our willpower to dominate innovative solutions sometimes consumes us and we forget to come up for air. We must step back and look at what we have been building and how far we have come. While we take this step back, we realize that some PlateSmart’s most talented employees are not always acknowledged for their spectacular talents or determination to our company, partners and clients. Our superb work ethics allows our company, partners, and clients to lead the industry in innovation, while setting examples.
I can tell you from experience, my whole career has been centered on Manufacturers who create technology products that are rushed into the market. PlateSmart, as a whole is trying to do what so many companies before us have failed to do, make the previously impossible, possible. We are creating an Artificial Intelligence product that will save lives. Our company was created based on technology that less than 1% of the population understands and less than .05% of the population has access too, but 100% of the population will need.
I started with this company in January 2017. Once I stepped in, I saw the amount of work that has already been done. It’s GIGANTIC, from Sales and Marketing, to Engineering and Support and every job in between. I also know the amount of work that is still required to take PlateSmart further in the market. Making the previously impossible, possible is not an easy task. The technology that we are developing will live on past our lives and our grandkids lives. We are working with a technology that will challenge technical boundaries to advance technology for humans. It’s a slow process at a fast pace. We must not only sell the product but serve the needs of our clients. PlateSmart must educate the industry about Artificial Intelligence LPR and why we are much more than just an ordinary LPR company. We truly are a Vehicle Identification Recognition company, and we are here to save lives.
When we sit back and think about this, it all it boils down to one thing. We are attempting to save lives by advancing technology to a point where it can be used to keep our loved one’s safe. The by-product of our hard work and determination is measured in the amount of lives spared. Everything thing you do while at work is one more minute toward saving a life and depending on the task, it could be a direct reflection of the next life saved.
As an industry expert, I have executed many tasks and projects with my team at PlateSmart. From a Regional Sales Manager perspective, I want to highlight this PlateSmart experience and how our one of a kind company culture impacts our customers and solutions. This one of many qualities contributed from the PlateSmart team will guarantee our industry dominance. To put it another way, we are in the red zone with 7 seconds on the clock, in the fourth with zero-time outs and the team rally’s together and makes the touchdown!
We have been working on a customer the past 2 month. This customer is an extremely large retailer whom is dominating their market. We have had a good working relationship from the start but the only reason we were contacted by them was because at ISC West they sent someone to go look at EVERY LPR solution in the market. The representative I am working with looked at all possible solutions, when he came to our booth he saved us for last. He knew by research that he was in for something different with our system.
When we got done with the demo he got our info and emailed us right there in the booth. The next week we started talking about the products and how they work. Two weeks later, after all the demos and discussions they were ready to engage us. They sent us legal documents were setup as a vendor. (From what I hear, it’s supposed to be like pulling teeth to become a vendor of this retailer but, it took us exactly 1 week to complete all paper work and legal documents).
That same week, their contact reached out to me to talk because we were finally under NDA. On that very first phone call they asked me we could schedule a call with someone in Engineering. While I was on the call, I text Webb and within 3 minutes our CTO was on the phone with his top engineers and discussing our technology and how we can satisfy their desires. Needless to say, they were BLOWN away at how quickly we were able to get someone, let alone a team of importance on the phone.
Over the next couple weeks, Engineering had two more calls with the customer to talk about custom development. PlateSmart was able to deliver the software for testing 1 week sooner than the client was expecting and already started weekend testing between our API calls and theirs. Again, PlateSmart shines because of its employees and the work that is accomplished. At this point, our client has made many mentions about our company and how it has been a pleasure doing business with us while confessing that they have never had a company be so responsive.
Now it’s time for the Proof of Concept, at this point getting the product physically installed by an integrator is not going to happen because other companies will take too long to get signed up (again we have been the only company to have the process completed as fast as we did). The new obstacle we face is getting the hardware installed. This is a huge problem for us because as an integrator you know all the little pieces you are going to need to get the job done. Manufactures are not really looking at installation other than the software (and why should we, we don’t sell cameras).
Rick Shapiro, PlateSmart Systems Engineer, jumped in right away. Rick’s history put him in the driver’s seat. Once I got Rick involved my anxiety and our client’s anxiety of getting this job installed went away. Rick’s history is something that you cannot learn just from a book. It must only be earned over years of experience and physically doing the work. Our client told me that.
Rick has been a great asset in this Proof of Concept and he is super knowledgeable. I am glad he is on this project and I like how he is willing to try new things and new ideas. He was able to make things happen that we were unsure were going to be feasible. He was able to sway them towards the White Light application during the Proof of Concept…<happy tears>.
Everyone here is working their tails off. Sometimes when you are busy working your tail off you get caught up in a moment where you are unsure if your work is having any impact. The products that we have created are being noticed by everyone in the industry (especially our competitors) and the products we are working on for the future are going to keep us in that same spotlight. We are known for a quality product and exceptional customer service that is far superior in all aspects than any other option on the market today. As a Sales Manager, I can tell you that I am extremely proud of the work that we do here at PlateSmart. I am proud of the reputation that we have earned, and I am extremely proud to be working with our entire PlateSmart team that always gives 110%.
Being out in the field allows for me to meet with customers and see the results of our products and the impact they have on the community. We have the best product, backed by the best Engineers, all the while being supported by a stellar team. We are the only solution on the market that can do what we do. There is no substitute for what we have created here. You should all know about these kinds of wins because they happen every day, and they only come to fruition because of the efforts of everyone involved at PlateSmart, and their enthusiasm to win.
Our major client has so many plans that include using our products and working with our team. Great job PlateSmart! Keep up the great work!
Written by:
Preston Holder
Regional Sales Manager, West Coast Team