"In God we trust; all others must bring data.” W. Edwards Deming’s quote is more relevant than ever. Approximately 90% of global data has been generated in the past two years and doubling every four years, driven by the internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing. Electrical contractors see this data explosion as a game changer. Leaders such as J. Kyle Williamson, president of Shawver and Son Inc., Oklahoma City; Bryan Larson, vice president of integrated services at Pro Electric LC, Kansas City, Kan.; and Fred Sargent, president of Great Service Forums, Pittsburgh, agree: IoT and artificial intelligence (A.I.) are transforming electrical maintenance from reactive fixes to proactive, data-driven service.

Evolution of service work

Traditional maintenance depended on scheduled checks and reactive repairs, offering only limited insight. But electrical service is undergoing a major shift. Contractors are no longer just “fixers”—they’re becoming technology advisers and data stewards.

“We are moving our clients from reactive work to predictive maintenance. We’ve transitioned from ‘fix it when it fails’ to data-driven predictive diagnostics,” Williamson said.

Electricians are evolving into energy consultants, trained not just to repair systems but to analyze data, assess risk and guide decisions. 

“Technicians are becoming data advisers,” Williamson said. “They interpret diagnostics and advise clients on the smartest path forward.”

The term “client” marks a shift from transactional work to long-term, collaborative partnerships built on insight, strategy and service.

Adoption of IoT and smart technologies

The driving force behind this evolution is IoT. 

“There’s an old adage that 80% of solving a problem is simply defining it,” Sargent said. “A little more technology to support problem-­solving comes into our lives every day in the form of sensors.” These sensors now deliver live data on current, voltage, temperature, vibration and environmental conditions—enabling precise diagnostics and faster response.

While adoption is growing across sectors, industrial clients lead. 

“Most of the demand for smart solutions has been in our industrial space—where customers are requiring smart meters and advanced monitoring,” Williamson said.

Many IoT tools can be retrofitted, which can bring connected maintenance to existing facilities. 

“Installation of smart meters is the mainstay right now. For most clients, that’s their first leap into connected maintenance,” Williamson said.

Predictive and preventative maintenance

Modern data analysis is transforming electrical maintenance by improving mean time between failures. With real-time insights from sensors, IoT and industrial IoT platforms, contractors can identify root causes of failure, optimize maintenance schedules and shift from reactive to predictive service models. The result is reduced downtime, longer equipment life and improved operational efficiency.

As the U.S. power grid strains under increasing demand, efficiency has become the new form of energy. We may not be generating enough electricity fast enough, but we can “find energy” by eliminating waste, tuning system performance and leveraging data to balance electrical loads in real time.

This isn’t just a technical win. For clients, it’s a strategic value proposition—unlocking savings, uptime and sustainability through smarter, data-informed electrical operations. The shift to predictive and preventative maintenance is delivering measurable results. 

“We actively use predictive maintenance tools like thermal imaging and current monitoring to manage electrical assets and prevent failures as part of our electrical asset-management strategy,” Williamson said.

How does this translate into action? 

“Trend-based interventions are now the norm,” he said. “If a breaker or motor control center shows elevated temps over two or three cycles, we proactively replace it.”

This intelligence feeds directly into client dashboards. “We prioritize work orders by severity and projected impact, helping facility managers plan service more strategically,” Williamson said. “As buildings age, assets with repeated alerts can move to capital replacement plans. This data turns service into strategy—shifting clients from reactive repairs to condition-based decisions that boost uptime, safety and long-term ROI.”

Maintenance hosting and remote monitoring

Remote monitoring isn’t new—it began long before IoT. Sargent recalled that more than 40 years ago, contractors used the public telephone network to monitor private branch exchange systems remotely. 

“We could fix some issues without rolling a truck,” Sargent said. “We had someone on duty 24/7 in our service center—back when that phrase was just catching on.”

Today, IoT has matured beyond IT systems, converging OT onto the network and enabling contractors to offer remote maintenance hosting.

“We use the TEGG online electrical asset management platform,” Williamson said. “Our customers can log in anytime to view maintenance reports, dashboards and recommendations.”

Field teams now rely on laptops, tablets and mobile apps to access cloud-based reporting in real time. 

“All our techs use laptops, iPads and phones in the field,” Williamson said. “Our ITS team uses workflow tools like Monday.com to coordinate across states.”

By shifting from periodic site visits to continuous data access, contractors are delivering more efficient, proactive service and deeper client engagement.

Training and workforce skills

As systems converge, traditional silos are breaking down. The required skillset is expanding rapidly. 

“Bridging the skills gap means pairing senior techs’ experience with the digital fluency of newer employees,” Williamson said. “Our goal is to upskill field teams so everyone is comfortable with both traditional craft and smart system literacy.”

That literacy includes a range of training and certifications: “ASNT for thermography, TEGG for predictive maintenance, BICSI/RCDD for low-voltage systems and OEM integrations with platforms from Lutron, Crestron and Schneider. We also train on Fieldwire for digital collaboration and follow NFPA 70B/70E for safety,” he said.

Digital savviness is no longer optional. “We ensure hands-on exposure to ticketing platforms and analytics dashboards in the training environment first,” Williamson said. “Our ITS and service divisions train in tandem because today’s systems demand knowledge across electrical, IT and controls."

“We’ll always need people who know how to turn a wrench—but now they also need to interact with software, interpret data and manage connected infrastructure,” Larson said. “That evolution is already underway, and smart contractors are helping clients prepare for it now.”

Client education and communication

Communicating the value of smart maintenance is essential, but often challenging. Clients frequently say they don't see the value, their equipment runs fine, it is too complicated or just a way for contractors to upsell them.

Overcoming these objections means meeting clients where they are and tailoring programs to their needs. 

“We emphasize the true cost of failure versus prevention. Downtime is expensive, and regulatory pressure is rising—NFPA 70B now mandates electrical maintenance programs,” Williamson said.

Data builds trust. “Scans, logs and monitoring tell a story that reactive maintenance misses,” Williamson said. “Predictive tools help clients budget better and plan ahead, turning objections into interest.” 

Customized maintenance programs with cost justification, safety and arc flash recommendations are designed to stay in budget.

“Building smart platforms reveals how nuanced connected devices can be,” he said. “When systems integrate via APIs and webhooks, clients get a centralized, transformational view of their building ecosystem, spotting things like low battery alerts or wireless coverage gaps before they cause failures.”

On a needed industry shift in mindset, Larson emphasized, “Technology shouldn't just be a line-item cost; it's a long-term tool for serviceability and efficiency. Too often, design prioritizes aesthetics or upfront budget, ignoring future maintenance. Devices get installed with little regard for accessibility, and critical systems remain siloed, when converging them onto one platform could pay for itself over the building’s life cycle.”

Challenges and risk management

Interoperability and cybersecurity are at the forefront. Preplanning is key. 

According to Williamson, “We’re preparing our team, tools, and workflows for these challenges. We now flag smart systems early during bid review and coordinate with vendors throughout the preconstruction process. We have had cybersecurity concerns, especially with our government clients. We coordinate with our clients’ IT departments to ensure proper security measures are in place.”

“Customers must be convinced they’re not opening themselves up to a cybersecurity problem,” Sargent said.

The Department of Defense integrates risk management framework (RMF) activities from a project’s outset, ensuring security considerations are addressed throughout the entire system life cycle. There’s a growing trend toward implementing robust cybersecurity RMF across civilian industries.

Business impact and opportunities

The business model is evolving. Offering recurring maintenance services, even in targeted ways, opens new doors. 

“We offer our preventive maintenance on a subscription basis, which helps clients with budgeting,” Williamson said.

These services have fostered long-term client relationships, often leading to additional work.

“In the next 5–10 years, electrical service contractors won’t just respond to failures—they’ll partner with clients to manage power systems as long-term, data-driven assets," Williamson said. "This shift will be driven by technology, compliance and customer expectations.”

The future of smart electrical service

The industry is moving toward greater sophistication in technology and client demands. 

“More projects are now engineered from the start with smart devices,” Williamson said. “This will bring intelligent electrical panels, IoT-based condition monitoring, NFPA 70B compliance, connected emergency systems, building integration via PoE and BAS, and eventually A.I.-powered maintenance forecasting.”

The service technician of the future will blend data expertise with mechanical skills, Larson said. “Techs won’t just turn wrenches—they’ll use dashboards, data logs and breaker reports to diagnose and advise. Communication and technical literacy will be as important as mechanical know-how. Maintenance managers will need to be as comfortable navigating software and analytics as they are with tools in their hands.”

Clients’ expectations are shifting toward multiyear preventive maintenance, life cycle planning and compliance reporting. Contractors offering comprehensive, proactive programs, not just reactive fixes, will thrive.

Smart versus sensible 

The idea of smart buildings often conjures images of high-tech automation and futuristic features. Smart isn’t enough—buildings need to be sensible.

“The phrase ‘smart buildings’ has been around for over 40 years,” Sargent said. “It’s a tired term. Sensible buildings don’t just collect data, they use it practically—identifying energy waste, predicting failures and aligning electrical loads with real-world occupancy.”

In a grid-stressed world with rising energy demand, sensible buildings optimize use, lower peak loads and extend asset life without sacrificing performance.

This data-driven shift from reactive to predictive makes sense. Contractors embracing this change gain fewer emergencies, stronger client relationships and opportunities for recurring maintenance services.

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