Offering your customer a variety of options is crucial in order to attract business in an industry that innovates new products regularly, and puts heavy demand on specification. NET LED explains how you can help your customers whilst making life easier for yourself.
When considering a lighting project, the customer is spoilt for choice with all the luminaires available on the market. A one-size-fits-all supplier is likely to lose the business, so for an electrical wholesaler, it is important to be able to provide choices of different manufacturers, with different luminaire designs, specifications and price points.
A branded CREE luminaire with 10 paint guarantee and colour rendering index of greater than 90, will have a very different application and price tag from a basic, every-day, commodity fitting, even though both have their respective niches.
All the options
Then there are types of luminaires to choose from and computer modelled lighting designs will help show the resultant illumination likely to be achieved by the different options. For example, choices of panel lights, downlights, pendent and wall lights could all be used within a design to provide the requisite light level at a work surface. However, the possibilities don’t stop here!
Having decided on the types of luminaires appropriate for the job, further considerations are needed, such as the brightness and colour temperature of the light. Does the application suit more fittings each with lower light output, or fewer fittings of higher output? Should the colour temperature be warm white for a relaxing lounge or canteen setting, or a cooler white for a working environment?
Wholesaler challenge
Whilst the number of possibilities encourages a buoyant lighting industry, it presents challenges to the wholesaler and contractor. Having to stock similar luminaires of different wattages or colour temperatures ties up capital and warehouse space, and typically the colour temperature in stock won’t be the one the customer needs! Even more frustrating for the wholesaler and contractor is when the fitting is installed on site and the customer then decides that a different colour temperature would be preferable!
Fortunately, the latest generation of LED lighting products solves some of these issues. Tri-colour luminaires, allowing the colour temperature to be switched to 3000, 4000 or 5500K at the time of installation, can significantly reduce wholesaler stock holding requirements.
The reason the stock holding pressure is relieved is because the one model has all three colour temperatures built in. Furthermore, the end-user can choose which colour temperature is favoured at the time of installation, which makes life easier for the contractor and reduces returns.
As well as providing ranges of Tri-colour LED battens, wall packs, panels, bulkheads and downlights, the latest catalogue from the company includes luminaires with switchable wattage, allowing the power consumption and brightness to be selected at the time of installation too.
This provides the choice demanded by the customer, without increasing the number of different fittings needed by the wholesaler.
Staying in control
Another choice which LED technology allows, and which can add significant value to the end-users’ lighting projects, is controllability. Universal lighting controls, including microwave motion and daylight sensors, allow automatic on/off and dimming control to be added to most LED luminaires.
These may be incorporated inside the luminaire or mounted separately according to the application. The project may be further enhanced with the addition of a wireless control system to manage and automate light levels in a room, warehouse or entire building under set conditions. Users can also have control over their own lighting for optimal working settings.
The possibilities provided by LED lighting today offers customers lighting solutions previously never imaginable. Opening market opportunities for electricians and wholesalers, cutting through all the options and being able to offer products that consistently deliver the desired results and value for money can be difficult.
Working with suppliers who can provide luminaires with the latest technology and controls to meet project requirements within budget is key to success in today’s competitive market.
Company Focus:
NET LED was specifically established to provide a choice of quality commercial and industrial LED lighting from reputable manufacturers, allowing wholesalers to offer a single, stand-alone, Tri-colour luminaire, through to a fully wireless networked smart lighting solution to suit their customers’ specific requirements.
For Further Information
To discuss the lighting specifications of your project, get in touch with NET LED on 01223 85105 or email: sales@netled.co.uk.
