Automation Remote Support & Guidance Service
Experienced PLC support, available when your team needs it
A retained support package gives your maintenance team access to experienced automation guidance on demand. No callout fees, no explaining your system from scratch, and no waiting days for an integrator to become available. Just pick up the phone.
What This Service Is (And What It Is Not)
This is a remote support and guidance service. It provides your team with experienced diagnostic thinking, structured troubleshooting support, technical advice, and a second pair of eyes when things go wrong or decisions need making.
This is not a site attendance or fix-on-demand service. Your team remains in control of the hands-on work. I provide the expert support that helps them work faster, smarter, and with greater confidence. Think of it as having a senior automation engineer available at the end of the phone whenever you need one.
How It Works
Each retainer includes a monthly pool of support hours. Use them for live fault diagnostics, second opinions on planned modifications, help interpreting diagnostic information, or simply talking through a technical challenge with someone who has seen it before. Hours are available on demand with no booking required for standard support.
Over time, I build familiarity with your specific systems, your control philosophy, and the history of issues at your facility. That accumulated knowledge means every support interaction becomes faster and more effective. When you call about a fault, we skip the introductions and get straight to the problem.
What Your Retainer Hours Can Be Used For
- Live fault diagnostics: Phone or video call support while your team investigates an active fault
- Guided troubleshooting: Working through diagnostic processes together to identify root causes
- PLC and IO diagnostic interpretation: Making sense of fault codes, status LEDs, and diagnostic buffers
- Remote review: Reviewing PLC projects, logic, or configuration where remote connectivity is available
- Modification review: Checking planned changes before they go live to catch potential issues early
- Technical advice: Hardware selection, architecture decisions, best practice guidance
- Knowledge building: Helping your team understand your automation systems more deeply over time
Small Plant
Ideal for facilities with a handful of PLCs and a small maintenance team. Covers occasional faults, periodic advice, and general technical support for straightforward automation systems.
- Phone and video call support
- Fault diagnostic guidance
- Email support between calls
- System familiarity built over time
- Everything in 4-hour plan
- Remote PLC review where possible
- Modification review before deployment
- More capacity for complex investigations
- Everything in 8-hour plan
- Priority response over standard retainers
- Proactive system health discussions
- Significant capacity for ongoing work
Medium Plant
Suited to facilities running multiple PLC-controlled processes with a broader range of equipment. Typically involves more complex diagnostics, more frequent support needs, and systems with greater interdependency.
- Phone and video call support
- Fault diagnostic guidance
- Email support between calls
- System familiarity built over time
- Everything in 6-hour plan
- Remote PLC review where possible
- Modification review before deployment
- More capacity for complex investigations
- Everything in 10-hour plan
- Priority response over standard retainers
- Proactive system health discussions
- Significant capacity for ongoing work
Large Plant
For facilities with extensive automation infrastructure, multiple control systems, and regular support requirements. These packages provide the volume of hours needed to act as a genuine extension of your engineering team.
- Phone and video call support
- Fault diagnostic guidance
- Remote PLC review where possible
- System familiarity built over time
- Everything in 10-hour plan
- Modification review before deployment
- Substantial capacity for ongoing work
- Deeper system familiarity and documentation
- Everything in 20-hour plan
- Priority response over standard retainers
- Proactive system health discussions
- Effectively an embedded remote resource
Why a Retainer Works Better Than Ad-Hoc Support
No Starting From Scratch
Every time you call an unfamiliar contractor, you lose time to introductions and system explanations. A retainer means your support engineer already knows your plant, your equipment, and your history.
Predictable Cost
A fixed monthly fee replaces unpredictable emergency callout invoices. You know exactly what support costs each month, making budgeting straightforward.
Faster Response
No waiting for integrator availability or scheduling callouts. Pick up the phone and the conversation starts immediately. Priority clients are served first during busy periods.
Team Development
Every support interaction builds your team’s capability. Guided diagnostics and explained reasoning transfer knowledge naturally over time, making your engineers more confident and capable.
Not Sure Which Category Fits?
The Small, Medium, and Large plant categories are guidelines, not rigid rules. The right package depends on how many automation systems you run, how frequently you encounter issues, and how much of your maintenance activity involves PLC-controlled processes. If you are not sure where you sit, get in touch and we can work out the best fit together.
Retainers are also flexible. If your needs change over time, packages can be adjusted. The goal is to provide the right level of support for your facility, not to lock you into something that does not fit.
About Priority Support
Priority packages guarantee that your issues are handled ahead of standard retainer clients on a first-come, first-served basis among priority clients. During periods of high demand, this ensures your team gets the fastest possible response.
Standard retainer clients still receive responsive support, but priority clients are always served first when multiple requests arrive simultaneously.
Platform Experience
Support covers a range of PLC platforms and automation technologies:
- Siemens (TIA Portal, SIMATIC Manager, Step 7)
- Allen Bradley / Rockwell Automation
- Schneider Electric
- Mitsubishi
- CODESYS-based platforms
- General industrial networking and IO diagnostics
Let’s Talk About Your Support Needs
Whether your team needs occasional backup for tricky faults or regular access to experienced automation guidance, there is a retainer package that fits. The first step is a conversation about your facility, your systems, and where support would make the biggest difference.
To get started:
- Book a free 30-minute onboarding call to discuss your facility and current challenges
- We will work out which package best suits your needs
- Support begins immediately once the retainer is in place
- System familiarity builds with every interaction, making support increasingly effective over time
No long-term contracts. No callout fees. Just experienced automation support, available when you need it.
✓ No Long-Term Commitment
Retainer packages run month to month. If your needs change or you want to adjust your package, you can do so at any time. Unused hours do not roll over between months.