Albert Einstein once said: “If you can’t explain it Simply; you don’t understand it well enough.”
Albert Einstein once said: “If you can’t explain it Simply; you don’t understand it well enough.”Well… no one will ever explain it to you more “simply” than J.C.!
With More than 23 years of experience as a Technical Sales and Analyzer Specialist; J.C. Arènes is a very talented, experienced and focused professional.
In the next lines, he will be taking us through his journey from Engineering school to Novatech and how he sees the future of the Analytical Instrumentation.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into engineering?
I went into Engineering school (Western in London, ON) with little understanding of what Engineers did, or what I was really getting into – it seemed to be a logical choice based on my aptitude in math and sciences in High School. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was much harder than what I had ever experienced in High School, but I persevered and did eventually graduate from the Biochemical Engineering program.
Q. Can you describe your role as an Analyzer Specialist at Novatech?
I work in support of our salespeople across the country, providing assistance on more complex applications and projects. I also work directly with our VP Business Development and VP Sales to help promote Novatech’s unique solutions and capabilities in an effort to drive our sales and raise our profile throughout the analytical instrumentation community.
Q. What kind of challenges are your customers facing and how does Novatech help to address those challenges?
Across every market segment, people are being asked to do more with less. The process analytical knowledge that used to reside within every plant is becoming more and more scarce, and so our clients rely on our expertise and guidance to help them with their applications. The need to optimize efficiency and productivity is greater than ever, and we have the products and expertise to help our clients achieve those goals.
Q. From an “Analyzer Specialist” point of view, what unique technology does Novatech have in Analytical measurement?
I think the combination of the breadth of analytical technologies we can offer, coupled with the engineering expertise within our walls is unmatched in our market. The analyzers only represent a portion of the solution for most applications. Very often, an engineered solution is required in order to integrate the analyzer into the client’s plant. This is where Novatech excels, as we can take responsibility for the complete system, from the process interface to the output signal.
Q. What is the difference in process automation today compared to years ago?
The big change in recent years has been the desire to improve the reliability and availability of analyzers and sample systems through the use of intelligent components. Giving operators and technicians the ability to “see” the health and performance of analyzer systems without the need to walk out into the plant is a boon to productivity and safety.
Q. What gives Novatech products an edge over its competitors?
Novatech’s reputation within the analytical community has allowed us to partner with the best analyzer manufacturers in the industry. For any given technology, I can point to our partners and confidently say we sell the best one on the market. It’s an enviable position that we’ve worked very hard to achieve in our 30+ year history.
Q. From your experience, what is the most common concern among customers?
Customers want to know that we stand behind our products and solutions, and that we will support them over the long term. We have a team of factory-trained service technicians for that very reason. In our business, reputation is everything – we can’t afford to let our customers down.
Q. Do you consider Novatech as a “Solution provider”? how is that?
Absolutely. Most of the analyzers we sell aren’t suitable for installation in outdoor locations or connecting directly with process piping. It’s our responsibility to design, engineer, fabricate, test and commission the complete system that allows the analyzer to integrate with the client’s facility/process. In addition, our expertise is such that we have developed an impressive portfolio of in-house techniques and systems to take on some of the most challenging applications.
Q. The world is completely changing these days, some sectors are slowing down while other sectors and industries are booming; where do you see Novatech in this changing world? Can Novatech provide any solution for the rising sectors / industries?
Fortunately, the Canadian industrial landscape is a diverse one. While some industries may be in a decline due to the extraordinary circumstances we are living today, others are doing very well. We have to adapt to these ever-changing circumstances.
Q. In these unprecedented times where almost everybody is working from home and many sites are even closed, how do you keep connection with your customers?
It’s never been as easy to stay connected with our clients. We continue to communicate with them regularly and take advantage of modern web-based platforms to offer virtual meetings and seminars. We see the current situation as an opportunity to promote our online technology seminars and invite anyone to contact us if they would like us to offer one for their company.
Q. How do you see the future of the Analytical Instrumentation business after the COVID-19 crisis?
I am very optimistic about the future of analytical instrumentation. The need to optimize production, ensure environmental emission compliance and personnel safety will not go away, and in will likely increase over time. The startling data that we’ve seen over the last few weeks in reduced pollution due to isolation protocols around the world give me hope that small changes in our behaviour can have a meaningful impact on the environment. I expect we will see governments and industry be motivated to achieve similar results in the near future, and analytical instrumentation and systems will play a key role in those efforts.
Q. What motivates you everyday?
It may sound like a cliché, but I really do love my job. Being part of thriving, motivated, energetic company like Novatech is exciting, and I’m not afraid to admit that I am an analyzer nerd. I get a kick out of understanding the intricate details of how these amazing devices work and how we can apply them to assist our clients.