It’s been a busy few months in the electrical industry, with new appointments and shake-ups across different sectors. Keep up to date with the latest movements here, as we details who has gone where…

Mike Hills

KLIPBOARD 

Klipboard has announced the appointment of Mike Hills as General Manager for the UK & Ireland. With nearly 20 years of SaaS leadership, Mike brings a powerhouse of experience in scaling software businesses, driving customer success and delivering operational excellence. His appointment signals Klipboard’s intent to deepen its footprint in the UK & Ireland and unlock new growth opportunities.

Most recently, Mike served as Chief Customer Officer at Phocas Software, a Klipboard partner, where he led global teams across professional services, customer success, support and operations.

Matthew Allen

FERGUS

Fergus has appointed Matthew Allen as its new Senior Account Executive. Allen brings extensive experience in software sales for trades businesses, having previously achieved top sales performance at Tradify.

Based in Manchester, Matthew joins Fergus at a pivotal time as the company continues its rapid expansion across the UK trades market. His appointment reinforces Fergus’s commitment to providing exceptional support and service to tradespeople looking to streamline their operations and reduce administrative burden.

Dave Dawkins

KNIGHTSBRIDGE

Knightsbridge has announced the appointment of Dave Dawkins as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Dave joins the business with over 30 years of industry experience, primarily in lighting manufacture, as well as in rail infrastructure and distribution. His career spans senior roles in international markets and leading organisations, with a proven track record in business development, strategic planning, and supply chain management.

Jennifer Walters

SAMAC FIXINGS

Samac Fixings has announced the appointment of Jennifer Walters as its West Midlands Area Sales Manager. Jennifer joins Samac Fixings with proven business development credentials and experience of managing and nurturing long-term relationships.

Jennifer is passionate about ensuring customers have access to the best solutions available and her previous role was at Harrison Wipes, where she was responsible for key distributors and end-users in the North of the UK – creating strategic business plans to deliver mutual growth.

Catch up on previous months ‘Movers and shakers’ articles here

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AI is now impacting every industry and the electrical wholesaler sector is no different. Wayne Fraser, Chief Information & AI Officer at Klipboard, looks at how AI in electrical wholesale can power smarter trade decisions.

With the rapid acceleration of EV infrastructure, the growth of smart homes, and the increasing adoption of renewable technologies, the electrical wholesale sector is becoming more complex – and more central to the wider economy. Our industry is no longer just about supplying product; we’re enabling critical national infrastructure. And with that shift, the operational pressures have grown. Businesses now face tighter margins, higher customer expectations, and a growing demand for technical expertise. That’s where AI comes in. Not as a future promise, but as a present-day necessity.

From discussion to deployment 

Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen a fundamental shift in how wholesale distributors – particularly in the electrical space – are approaching AI. It’s moved beyond boardroom conversations and into real operational impact. Across the UK wholesale distribution market, nearly 50% of businesses now rank AI as a top investment priority. And for good reason: the challenges we face aren’t getting simpler. AI isn’t hype anymore, it’s how we start to solve long-standing problems at scale.

Tackling long-standing operational friction

Electrical wholesalers, more than most, have always had to deal with intense stock complexity. Whether it’s tracking reels of cable by the metre, handling variants of the same product line with minor but critical technical differences or managing customer-specific pricing agreements across thousands of SKUs, these are problems that don’t lend themselves to manual workarounds. Historically, many of these processes were either spreadsheet-based, or bolted onto ageing ERP systems. That’s not a sustainable approach for organisations that want to lead in today’s climate.

What we’re seeing now is the market turning to the next generation of software. Platforms where AI is built-in from the ground up. Take inventory management, for example. At Klipboard, the ERP One platform integrates natively with AI tools to support intelligent stock forecasting. By combining internal sales history with external data points – such as seasonal demand, project timelines, and even shifts in EV infrastructure investment – merchants are able to make smarter decisions about what to stock, when to reorder, and how much capital to commit. 

Rethinking logistics

The benefits don’t stop at the warehouse. Logistics and fleet operations are evolving too. In distribution, the cost of delivery has always been a delicate balance between efficiency and service. Kilpboard has integrated AI-led auto-routing into its Transport Management (VIGO) platform. By using live traffic data and historical delivery performance, Klipboard helps drivers complete more drops per shift, reduce fuel usage, and improve on-time performance, all while supporting the sustainability commitments that more of our customers now expect.

Supporting the frontline with smart tools

At the same time, we’re seeing AI enhance the customer experience, both online and at the trade counter. AI-powered assistants, like Klipboard Copilot, are helping branch staff and customer service teams to quickly answer common questions about stock availability, pricing, and delivery updates. These tools aren’t designed to replace people, they’re there to support them. By handling repetitive or routine requests, AI frees up teams to focus on what really matters: building customer relationships, solving more complex problems, and driving additional value through every interaction.

There’s a lot of noise about AI – but in many cases, it’s just old automation with a new label. What has changed is the processing power availability has grown year on year and also LLM’s capability and availability, thus enabling a much richer experience.

Scaling for the future

For electrical wholesalers, the stakes are high. The product catalogue is expanding. Customer demand is rising. And the old ways of working simply don’t scale. AI offers a clear path forward. It enables leaner operations, reduces overstock, improves fulfilment accuracy, and supports better service delivery – without the need to grow headcount.

Final thoughts

AI won’t transform the industry overnight. But the shift is already underway. It’s already transforming from what used to be just a buzzword, to now cementing itself as a business-critical function in the distribution sector across the board. The businesses that act now, and who invest not in buzzwords, but in capability, will be the ones that have the greatest chance of success in the future.

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Kilpboard explain why now is the time for UK electrical wholesalers to digitise

​The UK electrical wholesale market, valued at £4.28 billion in 2024, is experiencing significant shifts driven by digital transformation and sustainability initiatives (AMA Research, 2024).

To remain competitive, electrical wholesalers are increasingly adopting digital technologies to enhance operations and customer service. By integrating advanced technologies, wholesalers can streamline operations, reduce errors, and enhance customer satisfaction, positioning themselves competitively in a rapidly evolving market.​ The timing has never been better for electrical wholesalers to embrace digital transformation.

What is digitisation?

Digitisation describes how companies can improve their processes and operations through digital technologies. For example, digitisation could involve implementing a new ERP system to streamline inventory management. Alternatively, it could provide real time stock visibility, helping electrical wholesalers in preventing costly overstocks.

In either case, such innovations are no longer just nice to have. These days, industry leaders see digitisation as essential to a successful, modern electrical wholesale business.

The evidence why speaks for itself. Early adopters routinely report that digitisation has helped them increase productivity, reduce operational costs, and quickly adapt to market changes ‘on the fly’ while having fully comprehensive control of their stock.

Should wholesalers invest in digital transformation today, or take a wait-and-see approach?

At klipboard, the new name for Kerridge Commercial Systems, we think the time to act is now, and for the following reasons:

Enhanced efficiency and productivity

Electrical wholesalers dealing with complex inventory and high-demand supply chains can replace inaccurate and labour-intensive paper-based systems with precise, real-time digital solutions. By adopting mobile technology on the shop floor and in the warehouse, businesses can eliminate paper duplication, streamline order processing, reduce costly errors, and improve stock management. This not only enhances overall efficiency but also cuts processing time, reduces waste, and helps wholesalers save thousands on administrative overheads.

Real-time data and analytics

Digital ERP systems provide instant insights and snapshots into a wholesaler’s daily operations. As a result, there’s no longer any need to spend days or hours running reports. All the data they need to make better decisions and improve performance is at their fingertips.

Also, using an ERP system makes identifying emerging trends much easier. When stock and balance sheets are input digitally, sophisticated algorithms make it much easier for users to successfully forecast demand.

Total inventory management

Keeping accurate stock records is crucial for electrical wholesalers, especially during busy periods. Digital ERP software gives wholesalers a suite of tools to manage every aspect of their inventory, helping them maintain optimal stock levels.

Additionally, by ensuring the right products are always available when customers need them, a fully digitised wholesale business is better able to maximise its sales all year round.

Enhanced customer service

In business, building trust through professional relationships is key, and today’s digitised electrical wholesalers can offer a seamless and personalised customer experience that their paper-based rivals can’t. For example, a digitalised wholesaler’s system will have customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities that help them see client preferences, purchase history, and overall engagement.

Accordingly, it’s easy for digitised wholesaler to offer customers tailored promotions. And, of course, faster and more accurate order processing is another example of how digitisation can help improve electrical wholesaler’s overall level of customer service.

Streamlined financial management

Wholesale businesses embracing digitisation can also optimise cash flow with integrated accounting and financial reporting features. It’s also possible to automate whole processing tasks, such as the administration of accounts payable, removing the need for paper administration, meaning wholesalers can now redeploy valuable resources where they’re needed most.

Enhanced supply chain management

Effective supply chain management is critical for electrical wholesalers’ reputations and cash flow. However, digitising this process through a cloud-based ERP system makes it easy to optimise procurement processes, manage supplier relationships, and ensure timely delivery of materials.

Compliance and risk management

One regularly overlooked but critical part of modern business is complying with industry regulations and standards. One of the easiest and most reliable ways of doing this is by digitising how your electrical wholesale business administers sensitive information. Users scan documents onto a secure, cloud-based ERP system, where they’re available for audits and inspections.

Integration with ecommerce

As the electrical industry increasingly moves online, ERP systems’ integration with ecommerce platforms means that wholesalers can tap into new revenue streams. By offering online ordering and customer self-service options, businesses can expand their reach and access new markets at any time.

Sustainability and waste reduction

Digitisation contributes to sustainability by optimising resource usage and reducing waste. Fully digital ERP systems encourage their users to send PDFs instead of printing and collating their user manuals online, again dramatically helping cut carbon usage. Further reductions occur in the full digitisation of paper-based processes and monitoring systems that help wholesalers eliminate unnecessary fuel waste with their deliveries.

Maximise sales

The Luckins online catalogue is an essential sales tool for electrical wholesalers, offering up to date product information, on over one million items from hundreds of manufacturers. With detailed specifications, images and related accessories, it helps wholesalers better meet customer needs.

By integrating Luckins enriched product data in to their ecommerce and in store experience through ERP software, electrical wholesalers can now see another benefit of digitisation and offer comprehensive product information, enhanced ecommerce capability and improved customer service.

Conclusion

Going digital is the only way electrical businesses can stay successful in an increasingly demanding and competitive marketplace. Those businesses that have yet to enjoy the benefits of digitalisation should act before they are left behind.

To learn more about how the ERP solutions and integrated apps from klipboard can help your business trade more profitably, click here

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klipboard, previously known as Kerridge Commercial Systems prior to a company rebrand, recently hosted its Konnect 2025 Customer Conference, welcoming hundreds of customers and industry peers.

Once again taking place in Stratford-upon-Avon, the event gave guests an opportunity to hear about klipboard’s latest advancements relating to cloud, mobile and online technology.

Following an opening address by James Mitchell, CEO Europe, members of the klipboard leadership team discussed the need to modernise and secure your business, technology futures, R&D innovations, the future of field service, customer successes and payment solutions. There was also discussion around the company’s recent rebrand, industry adoption of AI and insight into the future direction of technological advancements.

The event took place over two days – 20^th and 22st March – with the first day centred around a packed conference session, followed by a networking dinner in the evening. The second day was dedicated to customer product workshops and meet the expert sessions with kilpboard experts on hand to field questions from delegates.

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Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) has completed the acquisition of Klipboard. KCS’s strategy is to further develop its suite of vertical specific cloud software solutions and this acquisition marks a significant step forward in KCS’s commitment to delivering innovative field service management software globally.

Klipboard enables field service businesses to schedule and manage jobs with ease, provide superior customer experience whilst enabling them to streamline operations, make smarter decisions and supercharge their team with an all-in-one field service platform. Klipboard’s modern, user friendly, cloud-based field service management software gives an office and field team everything they need to manage operations and grow their business.

Draven McConville, CEO of Klipboard said: “I am thrilled to announce our acquisition by KCS. This significant milestone is a testament to our team’s hard work and dedication to bringing innovative technology to the field service industry. By joining forces with KCS, we are excited to leverage their extensive experience and resources to accelerate product development and market reach.”

Ian Bendelow, CEO of KCS said, “We are excited to welcome Klipboard to KCS. This acquisition enables us to empower businesses to manage jobs and streamline communications with personnel in the field. Klipboard’s expertise in field service management is particularly relevant for our customers who increasingly go to market with mobile work forces.”

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