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E L E CT R I C AL CONNE CT I ON
S P R I NG 2 01 5
s 3TATE AND AGE INmUENCES PERSPECTIVE OF
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
s ,ESS INCIDENCE OF ,%$ AND HIGHER
INCIDENCE OF RENEWABLES MENTIONED IN 1,$
AUTOMATION AND WIRELESS HIGHER IN 6ICTORIA
s 7HILE TWO THIRDS OF RESPONDENTS ARE
RESEARCHING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES ONLINE
SOME STATE BASED DIFFERENCES EMERGED
s /WN ONLINE RESEARCH HIGHER INCIDENCE IN
.37 AND 1,$ MANUFACTURER WEBSITES
MATERIALS AS IMPORTANT IN 7!
Areas of speciality
s 4HE MAJORITY OF CONTRACTORS WORK ACROSS A
VARIETY OF AREAS WITH MAINTENANCE WIRING
AND TESTING AND DOMESTIC LIGHTING LIKELY TO
MAKE UP THE BULK OF THE WORKLOAD
s 3OME INCREASED FOCUS SPECIALISATION IN
MAINTENANCE AND DOMESTIC LIGHTING AS
WELL AS DATA NETWORKING AND GREEN ENERGY
MANAGEMENT
s !T A TOTAL LEVEL MORE BUSINESSES ARE WORKING
IN GREEN ENERGY MANAGEMENT THAN IN
s !REAS THAT REQUIRE PARTICULAR TECHNICAL
EXPERTISE REMAIN LIMITED TO SPECIALIST lRMS AS
WOULD BE EXPECTED
Skills and training
s .EARLY
BELIEVE THERE IS A LACK OF SKILLED
LABOUR IN MAINTENANCE REmECTING INCREASED
FOCUS FOR BUSINESSES THIS YEAR
s !ROUND SEE SHORTAGES IN AUTOMATION
AND CONTROL AND DATA lBRE CONNECT AND
NETWORKING
s 4HERE IS A DESIRE FOR TRAINING WITH NEARLY
HALF INTERESTED IN TRAINING ON EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES 'REEN ENVIRONMENTAL AND
SMART NETWORKING ARE AREAS OF INTEREST
s 4ECHNICAL TRAINING IS DESIRED BY NEARLY FOUR
IN RESPONDENTS /N AVERAGE PEOPLE ARE
INTERESTED IN TWO TO THREE DIFFERENT AREAS FOR
TRAINING
s )N AN IDEAL WORLD MORE TRAINING WOULD BE
PREFERRED n AROUND TIMES A YEAR &INDING
TIME HOWEVER SEEMS TO BE THE BIGGEST
OBSTACLE FOR MOST
s &ACE TO FACE TRAINING DURING THE DAY IS
PREFERRED
s 9OUNGER CONTRACTORS ARE DOING LESS TRAINING
THAN
YEAR OLD CONTRACTORS AND THEIR
LEVELS OF INTEREST IN TRAINING ARE LOWER THAN
THEIR OLDER COLLEAGUES
Grey market
s !S SUSPECTED COMPETITIVE PRICING IS THE KEY
DRAW TO GREY IMPORTS
s 7HILST THE ABILITY TO ORDER ONLINE AND A GOOD
WEBSITE IS INTERESTING IT ISN T A KEY DRIVER
s !ND WHILST PRODUCT QUALITY DOES BECOME A
CONCERN IT IS CLEAR THAT THERE ARE OTHER WAYS
THAT LOCAL BUSINESSES CAN ALSO DIFFERENTIATE
THEMSELVES TO KEEP BUSINESS ONSHORE n KEY
DRIVERS SUCH AS QUALITY OF SALES STAFF ON TIME
DELIVERY AND GOOD COMMUNICATION
s )N GENERAL MANY CATEGORIES ARE VULNERABLE
TO LEAKAGE BUT AUTOMATION AND DATA
COMMUNICATIONS ARE MORE AT RISK THAN OTHERS
s #OMPLIANCE AND WARRANTIES ARE THE BIGGEST
CONCERNS WITH OVERSEAS IMPORTS n A
CONCERN SHARED BY THOSE WHO CLAIM TO HAVE
PURCHASED OVERSEAS
s )T IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS A LOT OF CONFUSION ABOUT
WHERE THE LEGAL LIABILITY FOR COMPLIANCE LIES
The role of digital
s 7HILE BANKING AND EMAIL DOMINATE THE
)NTERNET IS BEING USED BY MANY RESPONDENTS
AS A PLACE TO RESEARCH PRODUCTS AND PRICING
IN PARTICULAR
s &INDING PRODUCT AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION
IS THE KEY DIGITAL OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE WORK
EASIER
s -OST OF THIS IS HAPPENING ON AN OFlCE 0#
ALTHOUGH ABOUT A THIRD OF RESPONDENTS ARE
DOING THESE MORE POPULAR ACTIVITIES FROM A
SMARTPHONE
s 7HEN LOOKING FOR THE NEAREST ELECTRICAL
SUPPLIER HOWEVER THE SMARTPHONE IS THE
MOST COMMONLY USED DEVICE AS IT IS OFTEN
DONE FROM THE JOB SITE
s #LIPSAL CONTINUES TO DOMINATE AS THE KEY
INDUSTRY APP AND OF USERS RATING IT AS
@QUITE USEFUL BUT COULD BE BETTER
s 4HE OTHER TOP INDUSTRY APPS RECEIVE A SIMILAR
RATING
s 4HERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
AVERAGE HOURLY RATE ACROSS AUSTRALIA
Average 2013
Average 2015
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
80
89
80
85
80
94
84
87
84
89
85
98
94
101
SA
NSW TAS
VIC
QLD
NT
WA
ACT
98 97
AVERAGE RATES CHARGED
Average call
out fee
inc. GST
Average 2013
Average 2015
Average hourly
rate tradesman
inc. GST
150
100
50
0
91
83
128
90