While the solar energy workforce has experienced significant job losses due to COVID-19, the industry is primed to enter a new phase of post-pandemic growth. This growth will be driven largely by increasing customer demand, cost, innovation, and collaboration. According to Deloitte’s mid-pandemic assessment of the industry, the low cost of “renewables” will likely continue to usher in a new era of competition, intensified by COVID-19 impacts.
There are many variables in the solar energy industry making operational synergies critical. Efficiently managing multiple installations at once is both a requirement and a challenge. Project managers need to take a systematic approach to delivering on-time and high-quality service, while operations groups need a way for different stakeholders to measure and track critical metrics across projects.
In an industry where competition is increasing, companies must do everything they can to differentiate themselves and increase their market share. Solar companies looking to succeed in a post-pandemic competitive environment should begin assessing their current project management tools and processes now.
Here are three ways the right project and task management system can help solar companies succeed:
In a business where many workers are in the field, it is best practice for the systems your sales and project management teams use to integrate with one another (and even better if both teams are using the same system). This way, there is one repository of data that is always up to date, allowing for accurate tracking of information and recording of metrics.
With a collaborative tool in place, solar companies will be able to run leaner teams and increase their competitive advantage.
Being competitive in the post-pandemic environment will require a clear view of timelines to enable solar companies to intelligently assign resources. An integrated project management system allows solar teams to set and communicate clear handoff points as well as manage and track key milestones and timelines.
In order to capitalize on the expected surge in growth, companies will also need to create repeatable and scalable processes through thoughtful collaboration and project management tools, empowering their teams to do more and eliminate costly errors due to tasks falling through the cracks.
One mistake some solar companies make is focusing on sales and neglecting the customer experience, which includes everything from installation to customer surveys to support. While solar installations have a long lifespan, many new customers come through referrals. Therefore, a good or bad onboarding experience can greatly impact future sales.
A successful onboarding operation has specific characteristics and stages, from the first interaction post-sale through adoption of your product.
In a competitive environment, companies can ill afford to be without a comprehensive onboarding strategy that is an integral part of their customer lifecycle. Because, the companies who deliver a seamless onboarding experience will be in a better position to increase customer satisfaction and grow their business.
How does your solar company stack up when it comes to onboarding? Take our free assessment and receive a customized report with actions to improve your customers’ onboarding experience.
