The electrical industry is right in the middle of digitalisation. Many businesses have already taken first steps, an app here, a cloud solution there. And yet most do not feel like they have truly arrived. A recent study by EIT.swiss and Sparkner shows why: the knowledge of what needs to change is present in most businesses. What is missing is time, resources and the right tools. Not the insight.
What the Study Shows
The survey of managers in the electrical industry paints a clear picture. Strengths such as quality, customer relationships and stability are widely recognised. At the same time, a lack of transparency in projects, unclear resource management and the implementation of strategic plans are holding back growth. And this, even though managers know exactly where they need to act. This is not a knowledge problem. It is an execution problem.
Why Resource Planning Is So Hard to Get Right
Workforce and resource planning is one of the areas that, despite causing significant pain, often gets addressed too late. The reason is understandable: planning in the electrical industry is complex. It can change daily, sometimes hourly. Skills shortages make it even harder. And when capacity is already tight, there is rarely time to fundamentally rethink one’s own processes.
In many businesses, planning has been done in a certain way for years. It works, more or less, and the willingness to change is often only there when the pain becomes obvious enough. Often it is younger employees who trigger the shift. They are more comfortable with digital topics and can bridge the gap between what is possible and what the business is ready to do.
What a Realistic Starting Point Looks Like
The biggest mistake in digitalisation is trying to change everything at once. Starting with one concrete pain point, such as workforce scheduling or time tracking, and implementing a working solution there builds trust within the team and demonstrates internally that digitalisation does not mean more effort, but less.
Three principles have proven effective. First, goals before tools: before introducing a new system, it should be clear what problem it solves. More transparency? Fewer back-and-forths? Faster reactions to changes? Without that clarity, it is easy to choose the wrong tool. Second, start small: a pilot area or a small team is enough to begin. That keeps the effort manageable and the learnings concrete. Third, bring the team along: digitalisation rarely fails because of the technology. It fails because of acceptance. Involving the team early and making the benefits tangible significantly reduces resistance.
Digitalisation as a Competitive Advantage
Businesses that digitalise their internal processes do not only gain efficiency. They also become more attractive employers, an increasingly important factor in a market where qualified specialists are scarce. Offering staff modern tools, clear communication and reliable planning makes a business stand out. Not just for clients, but also in recruiting.
The electrical industry has enormous potential to become more efficient and more attractive through digital processes. The first step does not have to be a big one. It just has to be the right one.