We've now tabulated the Readers' Choice Awards 26 times, for more than a quarter century, and we're starting to see it as an institution—more than a habit, at least a tradition, and we think, a trusted repository of valuable information for process automation professionals who want to know which companies offer the best technology, according to their peers.

We owe the success of the awards to an esteemed subgroup of those same professionals, the ones who take the time and make the effort to complete our lengthy, fill-in-theblank surveys. For each of more than 80 categories, they decided whether or not they had the experience to name up to three suppliers who, in their opinion, deliver the best technology. If so, they decided who those suppliers would be, ranked them one to three, and typed in their names. 

What does it take to deliver the best technology? No respondent was able to fill in all the blanks—many felt qualified to fill in less than half the categories. Clearly, naming the best supplier isn’t a casual decision. Today’s industrial facilities increasingly rely on vendors to not only deliver high-performance, rugged, durable equipment and expert services at rock-bottom prices, but to back those products and services with competent, immediate, 24/7 support. Only the strongest suppliers can generate the loyalty that leads to a place in our Readers’ Choice Awards.

Read last year's Readers' Choice Awards to compare