When you are seeking an electrical engineering consultancy service for your business, it is vital to make a reasoned and informed selection, or else run the risk of hiring a partner who fails to meet your expectations and may even make inaccurate or unsafe recommendations. EPS (Engineering Power Solutions) prides itself on developing great working relationships with its customers in the process of gaining a deep understanding of the client’s pinch points and technical issues.
Electrical engineering is a highly specialised area, and the consequences of a poor contracting choice could have long-lasting effects for your business. So, when you are weighing up the options, make sure you base your decision on the following key questions:
1) How Important Is Cost?
As in all occupations, the services provided by different electrical engineering consulting companies vary in terms of cost. For price-conscious businesses keen to minimise their expenditure, the temptation to hire a cheaper option is sometimes overwhelming, but to do so risks making a fundamental mistake: not considering the scope of the work and the engineer’s capacity to devise the most appropriate solutions. Electrical engineering is a broad subject; we only place our consultants on projects where they have vast experience in your industry and/or equipment type.
Selecting an electrical engineer should always be based on their experience and expertise. Consider whether the company offers the services your business needs and seek references or impartial recommendations from previous customers to build confidence in your decision.
2) What Area of Expertise Does Your Business Need?
Hiring the right electrical engineer for the needs of your business is critical to ensuring that their recommendations and solutions are exactly what your organisation needs. Engineering is a broad spectrum term with many specialisations, so you are likely to encounter many consultants with different areas of expertise in your search.
The key question you should consider is: What are the areas of expertise that your business requires expert advice on from an electrical consultant?
For example, at Engineering Power Solutions (EPS), we have engineers that specialise in grid connections, power system studies, high-voltage (HV) design, and electrical consultancy reports within manufacturing, offshore wind, offshore Oil & Gas, renewables, water treatment, Transmission and Distribution, power generation and petrochemicals industries.
3) Does My Chosen Consultancy Have The Correct Certifications?
Certifications and accreditations are an invaluable way of assessing a consultancy’s areas of expertise and quality. Certifications are earned through expert training and professional practice and are usually awarded only when testing standards have been demonstrated and achieved.
An ISO9001 certification, for example, is evidence that a consultancy meets high standards of quality control to meet the needs of customers, while demonstrating consistency and transparency in its work.
Understanding specific industry best practices and engineering standards for example is important. This ensures that the consultant is aligned with your expectations to deliver and understand the project to those industry standards and the way it is undertaken in a particular industry.
4) Does the Electrical Engineering Consultancy Have a Clear Understanding of Our Needs?
Any external provider who works with your business should ensure that it understands the unique needs of your organisation at the outset of the project. Without a clear insight, a consultancy is unlikely to be able to provide the incisive advice and recommendations you need.
Not all our customers provide EPS with a detailed scope of work document, at EPS however we will guarantee that you receive a detailed quotation explaining the scope of work and what information/data EPS expects to receive from the client so that there are no surprises. The scope of work document will be checked and approved by our client prior to receiving a Purchase Order.
As well as understanding the extent of the services you require, your chosen consultant should also be familiar with relevant regulatory and legal rules affecting your business.
Contact EPS To Discuss Your Electrical Engineering Requirements
Engineering Power Solutions is committed to working closely with you to ensure your goals are addressed through targeted and appropriate solutions. To find out more about our technical consulting services, please get in touch.