[ Report: The Electric Event ] CHANGING TIMES
move forward,’ ECA group chief executive offi cer Steve Bratt told delegates. It was critical to identify and fi nd out more about opportunities to grow your business. Having taken time out to attend the conference, he urged delegates to make a commitment to learn from the event and turn good intentions into
‘Contractors must keep ahead of the game, learn and get information to help
something useful to benefi t their business. He pointed to one member company
Auto home maker
The home automation market off ers big opportunities for electrical contractors to fi nd new business as homebuyers’ increasingly require the connectivity to meet their technology demands in smarter, better-connected homes, Geoff Meads from CEDIA told delegates. The next generation of homebuyers
is likely to require more sophisticated connectivity to use connected devices and home automation technology, Meads said. From smart TVs and other home entertainment devices to telehealth applications, future smart homes will require integrated systems for managing technology. Smart homes will require connectivity, with energy saving a key element – off ering contractors further opportunities to sell services. In 2012, the smart home business was
already worth more than £1bn and was growing fast. However, Meads said: ‘A lack of simple cabling is the single biggest barrier to getting all of that technology facilitated easily in the average home.’ He identifi ed this as an area of opportunity for electrical contractors. Meads also proposed
that all new homes should be constructed with suffi cient cabling to enable this smart home technology.
that had been inspired to move into a new area of work by a presentation at a recent ECA conference and now turned over £1.8m from this sector. Bratt opened his address
to delegates at the fi rst ECA Electric Event by looking back at the purpose of the fi rst ECA conference in 1926, held in Brighton. The more things change, the more they stay the same, he suggested. While technology moves on, some
of the key issues facing electrical contractors both now and in 1926 remain the same – such as the impact of technological change, the importance of cooperation with the supply chain and the need for more apprenticeships. Bratt urged delegates
to spend time fi nding out about what was being discussed in order to keep ahead of the game. ‘It’s critically important,’ he said.
MODEL APPLICATION
One of the hottest topics of the moment – building information modelling (BIM) – was covered by David Philp , head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Offi ce. His presentation outlined the government’s view of BIM, providing delegates with an insight into the value it could bring to their businesses – and the wider building services industry. He urged delegates to start their BIM journey and to see where the value of BIM was for their business. He said now was the perfect climate for BIM: ‘We have to innovate, we have to be more effi cient.’ It was a great
communication tool for all stakeholders and clients, he said, from which contractors could make smart decisions. ‘It’s not just about the technology, but also about the process – how you work with that,’ Philp explained. ‘BIM is all about bringing people together, and working in a collaborative manner with other teams.’ Philp explained why government
was engaging with BIM, highlighting the cost, time and sustainability agendas underpinning the drive to bring BIM into the project process to make smart, early collaborative decisions.
BIM for contractors
Looking at how BIM will impact on electrical contractors – and how they can embrace it to enhance the profi tability of their business – was the focus of the keynote presentation by consultant Paul Zuccharelli, director and partner of Alinea consulting. ‘It’s more than just a 3D tool or a
bit of technology – it’s about driving organisational change and how we all work together and interact.’ The use of BIM will soon become standard practice within the industry – and, increasingly, the price of entry to certain markets – such as UK government projects by 2016. BIM also off ered the opportunity for contractors to become more integrated into the project process and to become
34 ECA Today September 2013
more engaged both up and down the supply chain, he said. Zuccharelli looked at where the value
in BIM was for businesses and discussed how the process was enabling design and construction teams to have a better understanding of the integrated project and make a lot more decision-making upfront, early in the process. Zuccharelli stressed the importance
of contractors engaging with BIM now rather than waiting for others to take the lead. ‘If you don’t worry about it, it will just overtake you,’ he warned. As the adoption of BIM gathers pace,
companies who don’t embrace BIM will increasingly face being excluded from certain types of projects, he warned.
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