← Guidewheel
Guidewheel role-play cheat sheet
For the mock cold call at the end of most SDR interviews.
What they sell, in one line
Clip-on machine sensors plus software that shows what every machine in a factory is doing, live, and tracks OEE.
Who you'd be calling
Plant managers, operations directors, continuous improvement and VP Manufacturing leads at mid-size manufacturers.
Your opener
“Hi Dana, this is Sam from Guidewheel. I know you're running a plant, so I'll be quick: we help plants see live which machines are down or running slow, without a big IT project. Do you have a minute to see if that's a problem for you?”
Problems you solve for them
- Managers can't see which machines are running or sitting idle right now
- Downtime and slow cycles go unnoticed or get tracked by hand on paper
- Can't pinpoint where output is lost, so they can't raise OEE or avoid buying new equipment
Discovery questions to ask
- How do you find out today when a machine goes down or runs slow?
- Does anyone track downtime or OEE, and is it done by hand or in software?
- If you could get back 5% more output from your current machines, what would that mean for you?
Objections they'll throw at you
“I'm really busy right now, I'm on the floor.”
→ Totally get it, plants are hectic. I only need 30 seconds to ask one question about downtime. Is it okay if I ask it now, or is there a better time this week?
“We're not interested.”
→ Fair enough, I'm calling out of the blue. Most plant leaders I talk to aren't looking for software, they just want fewer surprise stoppages. Is that something you deal with, or is it under control?
“We already have a system (an MES or we track it manually).”
→ Good, so you already care about the numbers. A lot of teams still have gaps on older machines or rely on operators to log things by hand. How does your system cover your older equipment?
“Just send me an email.”
→ Happy to. So it's useful and not generic, what's the one thing you'd most want to see: downtime, output, or OEE? And can we pick a quick 15 minutes next week to go over it?
Competitors worth knowing
MachineMetrics, Evocon, Vorne
Interview tips for this company
- Learn the basics of OEE (availability x performance x quality) and be able to explain it in one plain sentence.
- Their pitch is that it's quick to install and works on older machines, not just new ones. Say that in your role play, and use the 'check the weather from your phone' idea from their mission.
- Talk like someone who respects the factory floor: plant managers hate buzzwords and love specific, practical examples.
Written from public information about Guidewheel to help you practice. Ask an insider what their role play looked like; it's the best prep there is.