Standards don't solve everything. There is always a change management component, and nothing is free. To use the tractor example, Kubota may offer to provide to

Standards don't solve everything. There is always a change management component, and nothing is free. To use the tractor example, Kubota may offer to provide tooling and training for "free", but they're not eating the cost. It's built in to their price. Say they still come in at a price lower than the incumbent. There are still going to be unforeseen variables. I'm not saying the incumbent should always win. Far from it. We've bult a business on disrupting that exact scenario, but you'll find that your customer relationships are short lived if you treat vendors as universally interchangeable cogs. You have to listen carefully to the vendors and the stakeholders inside the purchasing organization, and make sure you hold the challenger accountable for their promises.