Technology for Electricians

I admit that I am no expert in electricity, but I have learned a lot from reading certain trade magazines in an effort to keep up with what is going on in the industry. One magazine that I just discovered, that most of you are already aware of, is EC&M. In case you don’t know, it is the technical authority for 140,000+ electrical professionals.

In this month’s issue I was particularly interested in how much technology was featured. With the record gains in sales due to new construction, the workforce has been spread pretty thin. It is not so surprising then that companies are looking towards new technologies that will help to make employees more efficient and save time and money. In the article “Record Gains Bring Labor Pains,” the author speaks of how automation is helping companies keep up with the new demand. Technology has helped them to remotely monitor their sites and to track maintenance. In “The Changing Face of CPM,” the author wrote about software tools that help relieve contractors of the tedious tasks like bookkeeping, taxes, and estimating.

So it seems to me that all of the technology mentioned in this month’s issue points to ways to make life easier for the electrical contractor. This is how I see 360institute fitting in. With online Electrician CE, we make it easy for electricians and contractors to get their CE when it is most convenient to them. This helps to decrease time taken off of work, which helps productivity.

How has technology helped you in your working life? Have you found that technology saves you time, which helps you to be more efficient? If it does, how do you spend your free time? More work or play?