Soſtware & Apps There’s an App for that
As the number of smartphone users grows year on year, so too does the popularity and use of apps. Marie Parry, Group Marketing Director, Scolmore Group, takes a look at some of the statistics revealing how apps are making life easier for contractors and installers.
I
n 2015, 52.7% of the global mobile phone population accessed the internet from their device, and this figure is expected
to grow to 61.2% in 2018. In 2020, the number of smart phone users worldwide is projected to reach 2.87 billion, up from 2.1 billion in 2016. Global estimates pitch that in 2017, a total of 178.1 billion mobile apps were downloaded to connected devices, and again, in 2022 this figure is set to jump to 258.2 billion. It’s easy to see why; in the first quarter of 2018, Android users were able to choose between 3.8 million apps, and Apple’s App store had 2 million apps of its own. The fact that mobile apps are relatively easier
to create than computer apps, as well as their considerable lower price, has translated into a growing industry.
Best for business Using an app to help with electrical work may have seemed unlikely a few years ago. However, electrical professionals are increasingly using apps that deliver quick answers, manage and customise information consumption, and hasten communication.
Now, with information at their fingertips,
professionals are armed with ever more powerful on-demand IT capabilities. Tasks that used to demand laborious hand calculations or time- consuming diversions to consult hefty codebooks – and the conveyance of information via face-to-face meetings, phone conversations and emails – have been sped up and simplified. This bounty of apps and a wealth of
information available means that electricians will be looking for the ones that communicate as much material as possible, however, making their working life easier, and eliminating the need to search through a number of different sources. When developing an app, the most
important consideration is the end use; what does the user want and need in order to get the best experience? When Scolmore set out to produce its original app back in 2016, the first task was to talk to electricians for a first-hand account of what features and information they would value in an app to help them at work. Once it was developed, Scolmore was keen to ensure that it worked exactly to those electrians’ specifications, and so put the app to the test prior to launch,
soliciting feedback and suggestions from the industry with a competition targeting a dedicated Facebook forum of 7,000 electrical contractors. The feedback was taken on board and used to
update the original app, incorporating a number of tweaks and improvements, as well as some valuable additional features.
Functional features Scolmore’s aim when launching the app was to provide pertinent information on products and their applications, as well as the latest company and industry news, into the hands of both qualified and apprentice electricians, to provide them with the vital tools and knowledge that will help them perform efficiently on the job. What sets the Scolmore app apart is its free
‘Tool Kit’, which includes a selection of valuable calculators, designed to make it quick and easy for electricians to make essential calculations on the job. Included are Zs values; Cable Selection and Voltage Drop; Power Factor; KVA Convertor;
26 | electrical wholesalerDecember 2018
ewnews.co.uk
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