LM&M December 2021

DECEMBER 2021 VOLUME 49 NUMBER 4

The magazine of the interNational Association of Lighting Management Companies, NALMCO®

Supply Chain Disruption

EVEN WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OFF, WE AREE ALWAYS ON

Enhancing spaces with advanced lighting and intelligent controls

www.gecurrent.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Scott W. Mendelsohn, CLMC Imperial Lighting Maintenance Company, Chicago, Ill. Phone: (773) 794-1150 scott@imperiallighting.com

PRESIDENT-ELECT/TREASURER

Lighting Management & Maintenance is published by the interNational Association of Lighting Management Companies (NALMCO®).

Kacie Krominga, NALMCO - Editor Tonya Vitzthum, Associations Inc. – Advertising Happy Medium – Graphic Design Cover Credit – istock.com

QUESTIONS & FEEDBACK NALMCO HEADQUARTERS 1255 SW Prairie Trail Parkway Ankeny, IA 50023 Phone: (515) 243-2360 Fax: (515) 334-1164 Email: director@nalmco.org ADVERTISING Tonya Vitzthum Phone: (515) 669-3010 tvitzthum@associationsinc.us

Randy Allen, CALT Facility Solutions Group, Dallas, Texas Phone: (214) 351-6266 randy.allen@fsgi.com

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Chris Frank, CLMC Colorado Lighting, Inc., Denver, Colo.

Phone: (303) 288-3152 cfrank@coloradolighting.com

VICE PRESIDENTS Brian Baker, CLMC, CLCP Energy Management Collaborative, Plymouth, Minn.

Phone: (612) 219-4866 bbaker@emcllc.com Scott Doll Stones River Electric, Madison, Tenn.

Phone: (615) 883-3130 sdoll@stonesriverelectric.com Monica Kristo, CALT, CLMC Rea Lighting Inc., Minneapolis, Minn.

Phone: (952) 300-7110 monica@realighting.net Rob Wilson, CLMC Stones River Electric, Madison, Tenn.

Phone: (615) 885-0019 rwilson@stonesriverelectric.com

ASSOCIATE MEMBER REPRESENTATIVES Lighting Management & Maintenance publishes information for the benefit of its members and readers.

The sponsor (NALMCO), publishers and editors of Lighting Management & Maintenance cannot be held liable for changes, revisions or inaccuracies contained in the material published. For detailed information on the products, programs, services or policies covered in Lighting Management & Maintenance, it is recommended readers contact the appropriate person, company, agency or industry group.

NALMCO®, Certified Lighting Management Consultant®, CLMC®, Certified Senior Lighting Technician®, CSLT®, Certified Lighting Controls Professional®, Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician® and CALT® are registered trademarks. Trademark filed and pending for CLCPTM.

Christina Calaway, CLMC DWM Holdings, Ashtabula, Ohio Phone: (440) 813-0957 christinac@polemfg.com David Errigo, CLMC Acuity Brands, Ridgeley, W. Va. Phone: (877) 354-6522 david.errigo@acuitybrands.com Ron Hughes Lighting Resources, LLC, Simi Valley, Calif.

Phone: (317) 513-4020 ron.hughes@lightingresourcesinc.com

EX-OFFICIO ADVISOR Erik J. Ennen, CLMC, CLCP Center for Energy and Environment, Minneapolis, Minn.

Phone: (612) 819-7245 eennen@mncee.org

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DECEMBER 2021 VOLUME 49 NUMBER 4

NALMCO®

MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES & UPDATES 05

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

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IN REMEMBRANCE

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EVENT INFORMATION

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2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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NEW MEMBERS

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES

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CERTIFICATION RECOGNITIONS

LIGHTING MANAGEMENT

SPECIAL SECTION 18

EDUCATE. NETWORK. CERTIFY. NALMCO ANNUAL CONVENTION IS A SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO EVENTS

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT CASE STUDIES 22

AN INDUSTRY LEADER RE-TOOLS FOR GREATER SCALE

ADVERTISING INDEX

FUTURE TRENDS & BUSINESS 14

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SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION

By Craig DiLouie, CLCP, LC

Genesis Lighting Solutions, Inside Front Cover

VISIONS OF LIGHTING’S FUTURE

Overdrive Lighting, 11

By Craig DiLouie, CLCP, LC

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GE Current, Inside Front Cover

LM&M | December 2021

MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES

IN REMEMBRANCE JARED JOHNSON

NALMCO EVENT

INFORMATION

In August 2021, Jared Johnson, division manager of FSG's California operations, passed away after battling COVID-19.

Jared was an advocate for NALMCO and served in several leadership roles including the Board of Directors. His larger than life laugh and personality will be missed dearly by the NALMCO community.

Jared leaves behind his wife, Jamie, and sons Jed, Jake and Jaxon.

BILL SGRO MARCH 1–3, 2022

2022 NALMCO Spring Seminar Embassy Suites Lake Buena Vista Kissimmee, Fla. Registration to open mid-December 2021.

OCTOBER 16–19, 2022 In October 2021, immediate past president, Bill Sgro, passed away. Bill was a champion for NALMCO and served in several leadership roles including president from 2019 - 2020. Bill was passionate about NALMCO's certification programs. It was his vision and drive that led to the industry-first certification - the Certified Lighting Controls Professional (CLCP).

His humor, wit and zest for life will be missed by the NALMCO community.

Bill and his wife, Lou, were married for 59 years. His wife, six children, many grandchildren and great grandchildren will celebrate Bill's life on October 16, at St. Maximilian Kolbe in Thousand Oaks, California.

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69th Annual Convention and Trade Show Renaissance Phoenix Hotel and Spa Glendale, Ariz.

MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES

Tim Macauley, tim.macauley@light-serve.com George Manire, CALT, george@light-serve.com Robyn McKenzie, robyn.mckenzie@light-serve.com Alisha Owen, CALT, alisha@light-serve.com Shane Short, shane.short@light-serve.com Anthony Wise, Anthony.Wise@light-serve.com NEGAWATT PARTNERS, L.L.C 118 HWY 171 Hot Springs, AR 71913 www.negawattpartners.com Contacts: Jay Morris, jaymorris@negawattpartners.com Pamela Morris, pammorris@negawattpartners.com SITELOGIQ 1151 N. Del Rio Place Ontario, CA 91764-4505 www.sitelogiq.com Contacts: Brian Beltram, CALT, Brian.Beltram@sitelogiq.com Noah Edwards, Noah.Edwards@sitelogiq.com Matt Kirchwehm, Matt.kirchwehm@sitelogiq.com Andre Lopez, andre.lopez@sitelogiq.com Daniel Orellana, daniel.orellana@sitelogiq.com Jordan Reza, jordan.reza@sitelogiq.com Amy Schneidmiller, amy.schneidmiller@sitelogiq.com Scott Schroeder, Scott.Schroeder@Sitelogiq.com Jaime Tanguma, jaime.tanguma@sitelogiq.com Michael Whipkey, CSLT, michael.whipkey@sitelogiq.com Branch Contact: Mike Leptich 1820 W. Drake Dr Suite 105 Tempe, AZ 85283 mike.leptich@sitelogiq.com SPDI 2801 Rosselle St Jacksonville, FL 32205-5685 TOPSTAR INTERNATIONAL INC 291 Kettering Dr Ontario, CA 91761-8132

UNIVERSAL DOUGLAS LIGHTING AMERICAS 107 Murray Streett Sayre, PA 18840 www.douglaslightingcontrols.com www.UNVLT.co Contacts: James Borovsky, jborousky@unvlt.com Jeff Pease, jpease@douglaslightingcontrols.com Todd Smith, tsmith@unvlt.com Andrew Tyrrell, atyrrell@douglaslightingcontrols.com Branch Contact: Ronald Cattelona 1212 Bronze Oak Way Cumming, GA 30040-1836 www.douglaslightingcontrols.com www.UNVLT.com WILLDAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS 58-30 6th Street Maspeth, NY 11378 www.willdan.com Contacts: Ben Altman, CALT, baltman@energyedc.com Joseph Daniele, jdaniele@willdan.com Gerard Mondesir, gmondesir@willdan.com Shubham Salunkhe, CALT, susalunkhe20@gmail.com Branch Contact: Antuan Cannon 88 Pine Street, 10th Floor New York, NY 10005 acannon@willdan.com

PROFESSIONAL MEMBER Nenni & Associates 5757 Wickfield Drive New Orleans, LA 70122 Contact: Jim Schafer jim@nenniandassoc.com

Contact: Kevin Trask, kevint@topstarintel.com LM&M | December 2021

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MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES

LED LIGHT ENGINE

TECHNICAL CERTIFICATIONS

CALT

™

CERTIFIED APPRENTICE LIGHTING TECHNICIANTM

MULTI PURPOSE LED RETROFIT (MPLR)

Overdrive Light Engine MPLR is the world’s fastest installing LED engine retro t: Our MPLR’s are a simplistic yet ‘Installation friendly’ way to convert older xtures to state-of-the-art Energy Star LED xtures.

Basic lighting terminology and lighting management operations.

Prerequisite to the Certified Senior Lighting Technician (CSLT).

11W-25W >80 lumen/Watt 3000K/4000K/5000K Dimmable

CERTIFIED SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIANTM

CSLT

™

CLCP

CLMC

®

C

US

Patent No.: 201621098755.0

Experienced technicians reinforce the principles of basic and advanced lighting and lighting management operations. The Certified Apprentice Lighting Technician (CALT) is a prerequisite.

PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS ™

CM

ENERGY STAR

CERTIFIED LIGHTING CONTROLS PROFESSIONAL®

Patented simple mounting system which supports ‘Plug n’ Play’ Maintains original UL certification of retrofitted fixtures.

Please visit www.thelightengine.com

Assures that experienced professionals are highly educated about lighting controls based on curriculum designed by the Lighting Controls Association.

CERTIFIED LIGHTING MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT®

Lighting management professionals who have demonstrated superior knowledge and technical expertise in the areas of design, lighting, controls and sustainability. *Qualifies for Certified Lighting Efficiency Professional (CLEP) reciprocal certification through partnership with Association of Energy Engineers (AEE).

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MEMBERSHIP RESOURCES

CERTIFICATION

RECOGNITIONS Congratulations to the following individuals for earning their professional designations between June 2–October 26, 2021.

CERTIFIED APPRENTICE LIGHTING TECHNICIAN™ (CALT™)

CANDELA SYSTEMS CORPORATION Joseph M. Bernardo, CALT Alexander Talledo, CALT Astrit Zyberi, CALT ENERGY MANAGEMENT COLLABORATIVE Christopher Henningsen, CALT Hongzhi Wu, CALT FACILITY SOLUTIONS GROUP Archie Jackson, CALT FACILITY SOLUTIONS GROUP NATIONAL ACCOUNTS Nicole Austin, CALT Sarah Clark, CALT Bailie Dulaney, CALT Courtney Fulgham, CALT Rolando Gutierrez, CALT Lori Holloway, CALT Andrew Morgan, CALT Ashley National Myers, CALT Sara Ralstin, CALT Marissa Rodriguez, CALT GREEN TECH LEADERS Clayton Gregory, CALT MCBRIDE LIGHTING, INC. Zach Cabell-Kluch, CALT Michael Keisling, CALT PEARLWIND LLC Hilary Papaleo, CALT SITELOGIQ Sergio Davila, CALT Noah Edwards SUPERIOR LIGHTING INC. Mike Merrick, CALT

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TRC COMPANIES, INC. Stephanie Jaramillo, CALT Brandon On, CALT

FACILITY SOLUTIONS GROUP NATIONAL ACCOUNTS Forrest Sprague, CSLT

WILDAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS Elliott Gelpis, CALT Garry W. Smith, II, CALT Ben Altman, CALT William Andrews, IV, CALT Robert Petillo, CALT Luis R. Rivera-Sanchez, CALT Shubham Salunkhe, CALT Karina Sandoval Sanchez, CALT Janik Somaiya, CALT

SUPERIOR LIGHTING INC. Dan Irons, CSLT

YESCO Greg Renner, CALT INDEPENDENT Edward D. Behn, CALT Angela Blaize, CALT Shawn Gregory Bowman, Jr., CALT Wilmer Cabrera, CALT Brad Copp, CALT Marlon Daniels, CALT Jose Mario Gonzalez, CALT Julian Harris-Taylor, CALT Peter Hartfiel, CALT Mark Higgins, CALT Luis D. Lozada, CALT Deepak Sai Mahabashyam, CALT Allasia Mcpherson, CALT Alexander Carter Miller, CALT Ryan Primm, CALT Nathan Sheward, CALT Amresh Sieunarine, CALT Adrian I. Tabullo, CALT Destiny Anne Tafoya, CALT Sarah Velez, CALT Anthony Williams, CALT

CERTIFIED SENIOR LIGHTING TECHNICIAN™ (CSLT™)

ENERGY MANAGEMENT COLLABORATIVE Rosen Slavov, CSLT

VIVID LIGHTING SOLUTIONS Andre McMurray, CSLT INDEPENDENT Peter Dalbey, CSLT Lathan Franey, CSLT Jimmy D. Malone, CSLT Billy P. Mason, CSLT Donavan T. Rekdahl, CSLT

NEW CERTIFIED LIGHTING CONTROLS PROFESSIONAL® (CLCP™)

GRAYBAR ELECTRIC Matt Gilbertson, CLCP POWERDESIGN Maria Sapene, CLCP

GRAYBAR Carly A. Quezada, CLCP SESCO Lighting ATL Rachel Mentzer, CLCP THE LIGHTING GROUP Cameron Michael Eccles, CLCP INDEPENDENT Binh Thanh Le, CLCP

NEW CERTIFIED LIGHTING MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT® (CLMC®)

MIDSTATE ENERGY Robert Coy, CSLT, CLCP, CLMC, LC THE RETROFIT COMPANIES Reid Anderson, CLCP, CLMC

SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION

BY CRAIG DILOUIE, CLCP, LC

FUTURE TRENDS & BUSINESS

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global LED supply chain in 2020 and 2021, resulting in product delays and higher costs. To understand why, we can look at how the supply chain has changed over the past decade.

First, a closer look at the problem. Shortages and delays of components like integrated circuit chips extended lead times for many LED products. Meanwhile, manufacturers faced higher shipping costs, unstable logistics, raw material shortages, unfavorable exchange rates, and supplier price increases. The good news of projects resuming and demand increasing only exacerbated these problems.

Looking at three metrics, we get something of a picture. In the fourth quarter of 2020, one out of 10 surveyed building contractors reported shortages of lighting products, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Construction Index.

In the first quarter of 2021, a number of U.S. LED product manufacturers announced price increases on luminaires and drivers. In the second quarter, manufacturers participating in NEMA’s Electroindustry Business Confidence Index largely cited labor and materials shortages and resulting inflationary pressures as being restraining factors on growth.

So back to our main question: How did this happen?

with LED lamp manufacturing specifically dominated by China. LED luminaire manufacturing is comparatively diversified. In the United States, there is a large number of manufacturers participating in a $10+ billion market (2019).

Looking at a typical LED 2x4 troffer, DOE estimated its cost as being about five percent for the LED package, 10 percent for the printed circuit board, and the rest being the driver, optics, housing, and so on. The package cost has fallen significantly in recent years, driving overall costs down. As 75 percent of the value of an LED troffer goes to the U.S. economy, DOE stated the luminaire market represents the best opportunity for domestic manufacturing.

When the pandemic struck, the biggest impact was to produce shortages of LED packages, materials, and driver components due to manufacturing shutdowns in China, which rippled down the supply chain. On the U.S. side, manufacturers faced shortages and delays, falling sales and demand, and a combination of inventory shortages and surpluses during the first six to nine months. As the pandemic ground on, declining sales and demand took precedence. As demand covered, continuing disruptions pressured the supply chain to adapt.

Download 2020 LED Manufacturing Supply Chain at https://bit.ly/2Sr5TeN

In March 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published 2020 LED Manufacturing Supply Chain. This publication characterizes the global manufacturing supply chain for LEDs and LED products.

It shows a supply chain that like other industries has become heavily globalized, leaving it vulnerable to macroeconomic shocks like the Trump Administration’s tariffs and the pandemic.

The manufacturing process begins with an LED or chip that is typically mounted in a package that may include phosphors that convert the LED emission into visible white light. The package is in turn mounted on a printed circuit board for integration into an LED product along with other heat sinking, optics, driver, sensors and controllers if applicable, and housing.

Craig DiLouie, CLCP, LC, principal of ZING Communications, Inc., is a consultant, analyst and reporter specializing in the lighting and electrical industries, and a regular contributor to LM&M. You may contact Craig at cdilouie@zinginc.com.

LED product manufacturing has become diverse and specialized. LED die and package manufacturing is dominated by Asia with its lower manufacturing costs, LM&M | December 2021

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VISIONS OF LIGHTING’S FUTURE

BY CRAIG DILOUIE, CLCP, LC

What will lighting look like in 10 years and beyond?

This is a big question the Illuminating Engineering Society tackled with Beyond 2030: What Do You See? Written by industry experts, these essays look at what challenges the industry will face and where it should focus its energies. Overall, it’s an engaging and insightful collection taking on the challenging task of predicting possible futures for light.

Major topics include integration of light sources and building materials, advanced lighting controls, lighting design, energy codes, DC microgrids, renewable energy, lighting and health, and more. Many of these topics stem from today’s trends but are projected forward where they are imagined as coming to fruition.

FUTURE TRENDS & BUSINESS

Architecture. Among six disruptive trends in architectural lighting, Brad Koener (“Welcome to the Luminous ’20s”) identifies lighting embedded in architecture as being realized in the next decade. He says architecture will increasingly serve as a delivery platform for data-driven experiences and buildingoccupant interactions.

Advanced lighting controls. Many of the articles focus on this important topic. Lawrence O. Lamontange Jr., LC, CLCP (“The Future of Lighting Controls”) sees controls transitioning from the energy code to the Internet of Things era, shifting from emphasizing energy savings to generating useful data.

While control system interfaces are becoming simpler, the systems themselves are becoming more complex, incentivizing contractors to develop their knowledge and capabilities to gain discretionary, high-value business. Education will key, as expertise is pushed down the purchasing chain, along with potential relationships with low-voltage specialists, commissioning agents, and distributors.

Joseph Gulyab (“Advanced Lighting Controls Will Unlock Dynamic Lighting”) goes further, stating that controls are capable not only of producing data but enabling all lighting to be highly responsive (light, spectrum, time) to individual users and their specific needs. Key to this will be advances in 5G and machine learning that bring individual luminaire control together with user data to create dynamic, real-time, and individually tailored lighting environments.

Lighting design. Christopher Cuttle (“A Redefined Purpose for Indoor Lighting Practice”) believes lighting design will shift from an emphasis on lighting the workplane to lighting the volume of a space. He proposes a method based on identifying lighting design objectives specific to the application and producing an optimal target/ambient illuminance ratio, which accounts for light falling on target surfaces and resulting interreflections. Rather than focusing on vision, the ultimate goal is satisfying or exceeding user expectations based on 1) identifying how bright or dim the ambient lighting appearance should be, and then 2) determining which objects and tasks require more illumination to establish a visual hierarchy.

Wenye Hu, Dorukalp Durmus, and Wendy Davis (“Beyond 2030: Beyond Luminous Efficacy”), meanwhile, believe that by focusing on application instead of product efficiency, additional energy savings can be gained. Potential ideas, they state, include smarter dimming (high-end trim), automatic adjustment of spectral output to minimize absorption by objects without affecting their perceived color, and sensing that automatically illuminates the field of view and minimizes what isn’t.

And Mark Lien (“Lighting Forecast by the Decades”) foresees augmented reality being increasingly used to visually preview lighting in a space before final selection and installation. Energy standards, meanwhile, will be consolidated or eliminated, with only a minimum and a stretch standard offered; government will shift from focusing on maximizing energy efficiency to minimizing carbon.

Light and health. Several of the articles look at how the lighting industry is evolving in its ability to help create healthy building environments. Douglas Steel (“Beyond 2030”) anticipates the industry will transcend its current focus on circadian health to regarding lighting as a modular system for numerous health-related functions.

These and many other essays provide interesting reading about possible lighting futures. Once a slow, plodding field, lighting has become a dynamic practice that is continuously evolving and in which change is rapid.

Download Beyond 2030: What Do You See? free at https://bit.ly/3zrHZkg

Craig DiLouie, CLCP, LC, principal of ZING Communications, Inc., is a consultant, analyst and reporter specializing in the lighting and electrical industries, and a regular contributor to LM&M. You may contact Craig at cdilouie@zinginc.com.

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EDUCATE. NETWORK. CERTIFY.

NALMCO ANNUAL CONVENTION IS A SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO EVENTS NALMCO was excited to meet in person at ChampionsGate, Florida, in October. Our goal was to gather 100 members for three days of professional development and networking. Nearly 180 members attended this year’s event!

Thank you to all the members for their time and commitment to attending the Annual Convention and Trade Show.

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SPECIAL SECTION

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

AN INDUSTRY LEADER RE-TOOLS FOR GREATER SCALE Submitted by Associate Member Eco Engineering The commercial lighting retrofit industry offers an estimated market opportunity in excess of $200 Billion in the US alone, with industry-wide LED lighting technology market penetration still below 30%. In 2020, the global pandemic introduced a myriad of challenges that temporarily slowed growth while the industry recovered.

With the pandemic on the wane, the retrofit opportunity has never been better as more retrofit service providers prepare for the explosive growth ahead. Read on to learn how an industry leader re-tooled their operation to remain on the cutting edge of growth.

A lighting-focused engineering firm, Eco Engineering has delivered leading edge lighting system upgrade solutions since 1993, which result in ideal energy efficient and visual environments precisely matched to the unique needs and budgets of their clients. Offering services ranging from standard LED lighting retrofits to a fully integrated IoT systems, Eco Engineering has historically conducted its project services using an internally built software platform In 2020, Eco Engineering sought to utilize a commercially developed lighting retrofit software application as they had outgrown the capabilities of their internal software.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Eco Engineering optimized their internal operations and ultimately made the switch to SnapCount lighting retrofit software, as it created the most natural transition from their internal software and offered the most complete solution for Eco Engineering.

BACKGROUND A full turnkey lighting retrofit provider, Eco Engineering takes great care in conducting detailed building audits, engineering best-fit lighting solutions and implementing projects with speed and precision. To accomplish this, they utilized an internally developed, web-based software system to automate their tasks. The system was developed over multiple years through a number of different development iterations, redesigns and working out bugs through actual field usage. “Our software was developed by us in-house and we were pretty happy where it was from a development standpoint.

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however, it didn’t possess the power needed to meet the expectations of our company’s new direction”, said Brad Dulle, Director of Engineering at Eco Engineering.

In early 2020, the Eco Engineering team, led by CEO Tom Kirkpatrick, established a new vision and goals that would transform the company around 4 strategic drivers: 1. Standardize: Adopt more standardized process and methods to improve efficiency and reduce the time-wasting one-off exceptions.

2. Digitize: Re-engineer core business processes away from manual to automated/digital methods 3. Decentralize: Move decisions to the point of execution so they may be executed with more precision and autonomy 4. Collaborate: Enable more fluid interaction with team members and partners to enhance the quality of outcomes Strategic drivers in hand, the Eco Engineering team evaluated each internal system and process in light of their enhanced operational imperatives. This included a review of their internal retrofit software, as growth and new functional needs were testing its limits.

The Eco Engineering team was faced with the decision to continue to invest in their in-house software platform or partner with a commercial provider that would better align with their vision and goals. Also considering the expense and maintenance associated with maintaining an internal software, they ultimately decided to investigate third-party providers.

“One fundamental question we had to ask ourselves was ‘Does Eco Engineering want to be a software developer and own that process? Do we want to reinvent the wheel that third-party solutions had spent years developing?’” said Frank Agraz, Director of C&I Engineering at Eco Engineering. “There is a risk with gambling that we could play catch up with something that was equal or better than software packages that were made by actual software developers. It made perfect sense to make the leap.”

EVALUATING SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS Eco Engineering began the evaluation of software solutions with three potential providers. Requiring a solution that would provide increased functionality

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT over their in-house system and bolster their project management capabilities, Eco Engineering conducted a deep dive of each contender.

Ultimately, Eco Engineering chose SnapCount as the solution most capable and aligned with their vision and goals. The team moved forward with SnapCount because of its robust functionality and the operational improvement it offered over their in-house solution. “I was paying attention to all the players within the market throughout the years. Some of them are no longer with us today, and so not only is the decision to build versus buy, but if you do decide to go third party, which one of those providers is most likely to be with you in the long term? SnapCount, as it turns out, has the lion's share of the market and has the platform and the vision to be a long-term partner. That was also a very important decision point of who to pick”, said Dulle.

As a full turnkey retrofit platform, SnapCount’s operations module provided the functionality that Eco Engineering required to execute projects with the required digital speed and precision and propel the organization to the next level of performance.

Given the goal to achieve exponential growth, SnapCount’s track record of innovation and market leadership factored heavily on their decision. As Dulle stated, “As we focus on standardization, simplification, and automation at Eco Engineering, SnapCount is the only software that I could see us moving forward with a clear path to do just that.”

Additional factors that the Eco Engineering team considered in selecting SnapCount included the SnapSource Service Marketplace, a service connecting retrofit players to extend their core teams when resources are tight. The marketplace would also enable Eco Engineering employees to become certified in various aspects of the software. Eco Engineering also valued the SnapSource Product Hub, a service digitally connecting them with lighting suppliers for product information, pricing quotes and order submission. “While we looked at three total platforms, SnapCount was the only company that did everything we wanted and never said ‘it’s coming soon’. It was an easy choice to make the leap of faith to SnapCount given all of the features it possesses” said Dulle.

RESULTS • 20% Increase in audit speed: Compared with the more traditional data collection method, SnapCount empowered the Eco Engineering team to complete audits 20% faster, while collecting more data with improved organization.

• 100% reduction in post-audit organization: In the “old days”, the traditional audit method typically included several hours of “post audit” organization before the completed audit was ready for proposal development. Now with SnapCount, the auditor can sync a completed audit to the cloud that pushes all project data and media back to corporate for immediate processing.

• 1 Week auditor training & onboarding: SnapCount’s standardized method of data entry, coupled with hard and soft required fields forces auditors to collect data in a very methodical way. On-boarding times for new auditors have improved due to the intuitive nature of the app, which enforces process adherence without weeks of training. The auditor can focus on gathering quality data instead of trying to understand how to correctly fill out a form.

REACTION “While we were evaluating the choice between updating our in-house software or switching to SnapCount, we needed to make sure that we were comfortable with taking the leap of faith. While our legacy system was good, SnapCount gives us infinitely more functionality at a fraction of the fully loaded cost of a long-term inhouse build, and we still wouldn’t have had everything we wanted” said Dulle.

In the end, SnapCount was the only option that met the requirements of the leadership team as well as the engineering team and bolstered the functionality that we could acquire. I think whether you’re a large or small organization, software like SnapCount is a no-brainer, and if you’re not moving forward with a software like SnapCount you’re being left behind,” added Dulle.

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