The Connected Electrician

Sean Miller, Electrician Programme Manager at Schneider Electric, talks connectivity and contractors.

The benefits of a digital approach

Competitive prices, expertise and unbeatable customer service make a successful electrician. Yet, in today’s day and age, being connected is your killer advantage. Digital is big business, with McKinsey predicting it to generate $11.1 trillion a year by 2025.

If a contractor can adopt digital products and offerings, they have an edge on the competition and success will follow.

However, a connected future isn’t always an easy one. Connectivity has made unprecedented services possible, but it also places a big responsibility on electricians to get things right.

If you want to provide the best, most competitive service today you need to do your homework on what technologies are out there and how to install them.

Connectivity in context

As technology evolves so do customer expectations. That’s true of both the commercial and residential sectors.

Building managers want complex systems with connected sensors that feed them real-time updates on equipment health; homeowners are demanding smart home heating systems they can control from their smartphones. That’s a far cry from just wiring a fuse box.

The electrical industry is no stranger to change, but will everyone be able to keep up?

Change is happening now, it’s happening to everything, and it’s happening faster than ever. By 2025 an estimated 26-36 billion devices at home and in the workplace will be equipped with sensors, processors and embedded software. Technology can be disruptive, and disruption can sometimes be frightening if you’re just trying to hold on.

Yet while connectivity has a learning curve, it opens new doors for those willing to buy in.

So how being connected help you become a better electrician?

You have to remember that every stage of the customer journey now has a connected component. Your customers will find you online while browsing on their phones, but it doesn’t stop there. By using connected devices in your installations, you become more connected to the customer, and when they realise the benefits of your connected offering, they will come to you again and again. It’s the foundation of a long-lasting customer relationship.

The main benefit of connectivity is insight. Depending on where it is installed in a circuit, an IoT-connected sensor can tell a building manager or homeowner many things, from their energy consumption to the health of their equipment. Having this information saves money, reveals opportunities and stops problems before they happen.

As a result, there are great opportunities for digitally skilled electricians in commercial buildings. The buildings and construction sectors account for 36 per cent of global energy consumption – over the next 20 years, there is the potential of savings of over a quarter in space heating and more than 20 per cent in water heating. This means that if your commercial customer isn’t thinking about insight-driven efficiency now, they will be very soon.

To make the most of this opportunity, you must remember that your role as an electrician doesn’t have to be just giving customers electricity. You can increase your value-add as a connected consultant able to empower them with insight and optimise operations for the better.

Work smart, work fast, work safe

Connectivity and insight don’t just benefit the customer, they benefit you. For example, when you’re called in for maintenance or repairs, having a pool of data to draw from the connected devices you installed will drastically speed up your workflow. Hours of manual inspection can be replaced by minutes of reading a series of data points.

When supported by insight, you can isolate and resolve a problem much faster. You’ll develop a reputation for speed and efficiency – and make it more likely that the customer will call on you again. By working smarter, you work faster. This means you can get more work done is less time, offer more competitive prices and focus on what matters most – growing your customer base and business.

Schneider Electric’s Acti9 Isobar P distribution board is a good demonstration of how connectivity saves contractors time. With a plug-in RCBO, the board demands much less wiring, cutting installation times by around 50 per cent, ensuring a faster, more competitive job.

Ultimately, connectivity is king. It brings the ability to improve efficiencies, and therefore the quality of service offered to customers. Mastering connectivity gives you a clear advantage as an electrician, so make sure you get on board and stay ahead.  

This article originally appeared on Sparks Magazine