Transcript

00:00:02 Todd

I.

00:00:06 Todd

Pay building owners face a lot of challenges moving forward as they learn how to maintain and replace their aging infrastructure of their buildings and campuses. In this episode, I speak with Nathan Owens, the third director of US Channel Services and partner programs with Schneider, to talk through the.

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Of the NFPA 70 B and.

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Standards in.

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In addition, Nate talks me through some of the opportunities available to electoral contractors as they help their building owner customers.

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Keep the lights on.

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Nate Owens has been a with Schneider for over 19 years with experience in sales, management, operations, strategy, channel development, marketing and commercial partnerships.

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Welcome to keeping the lights on.

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I'm your host, Todd Reed, and on this show I connect with the owners pros who design, build and maintain our electrical, communications and industrial world as we explore the best ways for.

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A real real quick request here as I as I work towards growing this show.

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I would really appreciate it if you could take a couple minutes to subscribe or.

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Have your platform works to the show and also to leave us a thumbs up, five star rating stars, thumbs whatever they take.

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I really appreciate it and it does help get more people to listen to the show.

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It grow.

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Thank you for that.

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Now let's get into the show.

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I.

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While I like to start out each episode, cuz you know we're gonna talk about some topics that maybe I don't understand or it's new to me and a good place to do that is over a meal, right.

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Break bread together. You kind of relax and kind of get to know each other.

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So if I or one of the listeners out there were to visit you in your hometown, where might you take them out to eat?

00:01:44 Nate

So that's another great question. I can't make up my mind.

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I'm from Gary IN and so we always talk about Jay's breakfast fire.

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That is a.

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Place where you get wherever you want. Chicken and waffles.

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Pancakes. Omelets, but it's like the go to.

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Spot during the summer time is always best because usually have some kind of band there. Oh really?

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Helps out with the atmosphere. OK. And then there's another place.

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King Gyro or heroes essentially, but they have the best.

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Barbecue and heroes in Gary, OK.

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So tell me I built those.

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What's your favorite thing to get at each of those places?

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Seen.

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I'm a big guy, so I don't have one favorite. As you can see, but I will say.

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Pancakes. No. I'm sorry. French toast is my favorite.

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OK.

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French toast would a fruit compaz.

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Could be banana.

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Nice top of the sprinkle of sugar and then from King hero I would say it's definitely.

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Heroes.

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Do.

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Do they have different?

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I think Heroes has a specific need right that they put a name, OK?

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OK, you haven't had very many of those, but either place sounds really good and I like a good breakfast.

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I think that might be the place I'd choose first.

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Well, let's we're going to talk about something. I I really don't know much about.

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Also, it's going to be very educational for me and can you explain the significance of NFPA 70 B and 70 E for building owners and why it's become such a?

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For safety standards.

00:03:15 Nate

No, I think so. When you look at comprehensive safety, a lot of companies, a lot of end users, a lot of companies just say people are their biggest assets at the end of the day.

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And they looking at the comprehensive approach to our safety.

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It's it's really a full circle pie. People are very familiar with NEC standard codes, which is just another name for NAP A7 N OK.

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Talks about installing equipment safely. Basically, those standards in APA 70 B talks about.

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Actually the the safe work practices OK connected.

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Out there when you talk about 70 EI get that mixed up, 70 E talks about safe poor practices.

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I got 70 B talks about the conditioning of that maintenance essentially.

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And so one of the biggest things about that is that the 70 B portion of those standards and codes used to be a you should do now as of 2023 is something that you ought to do is a standard now and should be part of your.

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Play offs.

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A lot of companies are looking at their equipment and saying, hey, if I want this to if I want to prevent fires, if I want to prevent access, keep my people safe, that I need to make sure that I'm installing a certain interval of maintenance to this appoint.

00:04:31 Todd

OK, great.

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So how does the?

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How does aging infrastructure and equipment in buildings today contribute to this challenges around both 70 B and 70 E compliance?

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So.

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So here's a fun fact.

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I mentioned this yesterday at one of my presentations.

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Can you guess when was OSHA created?

00:04:52 Todd

Oh, gosh, when OSHA was created, I said in 1920s nineteen.

00:04:56 Nate

Oh wow.

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Under Richard Nixon.

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Oh wow.

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Chris created OSHA in 1970, and so OSHA takes a look at the whole safety practice from that standpoint. Obviously, when you think about that with age, infrastructure and the and how.

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The equipment has basically been in, in in place for like 40 years and a lot of this equipment has not been maintained. And so now we're talking about we're not putting in new buildings, we basically upgrading new buildings.

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So what does that look like?

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That's where 70 B of 70 E comes into play.

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Not only will talk about again.

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The state practices of upgrading equipment, but also to maintain maintenance of that equipment and what customers are asking for. A lot of these buildings are becoming more digital buildings.

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Customers are asking for more.

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You know, I want to detect leak detection or I want to get data if I if my water levels go a certain way or if I have a BFD that goes down in CC that gives me power to the build.

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They will often know that kind of information, sure.

00:05:55 Todd

So you kind of started with some of the challenges, but what are some other challenges the building owners are facing and maintaining compliance with these, you know evolving standards and their their their buildings.

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So some of the challenges, either they don't have the right people, there's not enough resources and we do the maintenance on this equipment is an industry where they say it's not sexy, so to speak.

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So everyone is trying to find a lot more people to get out here to actually work on this equipment. Not only are you also looking at people that does install, which is also limited, but some of those people.

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So limited amounts. What does it come with?

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Best veteran practice, best, better and best when it comes to maintaining that equipment.

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So what? In what ways have let's move from the kind of the building owner end user however you want to phrase them to the contractors. And so in what ways have the updates to 70 B and 70 E standards affected the day-to-day operations of electrical cont.

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So ideally.

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It basically gives them more.

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It gives them value added to some of their customers from from that perspective.

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As I mentioned earlier, the NSC these clothes and standards are very well known.

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OK, we have to all follow.

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It's not just A to go opposite position, it's also a legal requirement of some NSC standard. And it's 7070 B.

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When it comes to 70 E, as I mentioned before, because that became a.

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Now they have to figure out how to maintain that equipment. A lot of folks don't.

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A lot of end users or people that own the buildings, they don't have people that can do like arch flash assessments.

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Or people that.

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Equipment instead of the old contractor who's basically coming in installing equipment and then all to next project they have, they can provide a basically another revenue stream for themselves and really be a front face and start recommending recommendation for that equipment and get it for projects on how.

00:07:42 Todd

Well.

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Upgrade the equipment.

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OK.

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Like.

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So kind of it's it gives them another inroad with their end users about how they can help.

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Them and they become a trusted value.

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Trusted advisor from that standpoint.

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If I'm having.

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With a customer and yes, they already trust me to install the equipment.

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I'm actually embedded on their sites as like when their employees half the time. By the way, here's how these these are my recommendations based on what we can do as far as maintain this equipment.

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One of my colleagues reminded me of this phrase.

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You get the last.

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So now you specify the opportunity that you can actually accomplish for that customer.

00:08:30 Todd

Well, it's awesome. So.

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Let's talk about how both parties can start thinking about these.

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And maybe can you discuss the role of predictive maintenance in addressing the challenges posed by these two new standards?

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So the challenge is really taking a look at.

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Connected products from that standpoint.

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Some of the infrastructure today, like I said, has been around for the last 40.

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From that standpoint, there's been so many advances when it comes to this technology and around.

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So the challenge is, how do you go from basically designing what needs to be modernized to the point of data collection?

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Now I will say that to get to.

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Alternative, which is predictive. You got to get to the point where.

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How you design and what products that you can connect in that field and have the capability to do that, not everyone is looked at as a a person that can just run a CAT6 wire from that standpoint, sure.

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Again, there's a lot of folks that's looking for people that they compliment in those services and to address those needs going forward.

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Are contractors able to be a part of?

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That information or data stream to help with that predictive maintenance. Oh yes.

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So that one of the things that contractors can do is basically be in a position where they're monitoring that equipment, they can partner with likes of others and and basically monitor that equipment from their site. They can get the reports.

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Today, their technology that exists today, that they can get those reports they can get in front of a customer say, hey, I think I need to come out, take a look at record number 10 or I need to take a look at your VFD in this cabinet.

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Starting to see things spike up just in case something goes down.

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Could be the first line of contact.

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Get to the customer.

00:10:16 Todd

Yeah, that'd be.

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It's better to prevent it from.

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Being a bigger problem down the road.

00:10:22 Todd

So obviously there's a lot of people that can offer solutions for this, but you know, like so one of the benefits of partnering with a company like Schneider for for building owners and contractors is kind of navigating compliance with these as.

00:10:36 Nate

Far as like you know navigating.

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Would say companies like Schneider, of course we got offers around Eco tier.

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Was basically a service maintenance a Gray bat, but it also includes the digitization of that said equipment from that standpoint.

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And so contractors usually partner with Schneider, work with us to actually come up and consult on what that design needs to look like to modernize.

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At the end, again, everything is set up where we have.

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A hub.

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That's basically doing the dashboarding and monitoring of that set equipment, keeping the contract in the loop and saying giving those person, giving that contractor report so they can have a very intimate conversation with the customer on their equipment.

00:11:17 Todd

OK, how do you how?

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You see the future.

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I'm asking you get your crystal ball out and kind of figure see some things how what you think you're seeing. But how do you see the future of building management evolving with advances in predictive maintenance?

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The AI and compliance with.

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Tandards.

00:11:32 Nate

Oi think one of the biggest deal, it's really around 70 E and making sure that people make that a standard from that standpoint.

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A lot of it is around the best possible scenario is predictive buildings will be connected. So that means like in my own home I have Google lights all over the place.

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I have smart lights.

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I have a smart garage.

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Have smart appliances.

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I can look at my phone and find out what's working.

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Not working loads and.

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That all of that really contributes to a couple of things.

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Sustainability, which is a big on a lot of people's minds, a lot of customers minds insurability basically I can see what I can do.

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In real time and then really address it as as quickly as I can and also it just it brings more capability on what we bring into the environment from that standpoint.

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A lot of it is really about staying up, staying up and running.

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Being sustainable and having the ability to actually work on data in real time.

00:12:39 Todd

So what kind of what kind of let's let's talk about both building owners and contractors.

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Start with building.

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What? What are maybe some beginning?

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How should a building owners start to think about this, and what can they start to? What can they do to kind of move down the road?

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They're compliant and you know I will say.

00:12:54 Nate

If.

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One step one is always about getting the console essentially.

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And they can work with a contractor from that standpoint or they can work and then they can start the process on really saying this is step one.

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Assess.

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What you have in your facility today, what are the challenges from that set equipment and then once you have the data on what you what your install base look like from building management operations?

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Perspective. Then you have a conversation or.

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Here's the solutions that we can do based on the business outcome. A lot of people is going away from have a conversation around products.

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What's the business outcome that you want to establish that could be? I want to reduce my my wages, my water, air and gas electricity.

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By so many percentage points, it's not really looking at a product and so we take a look at and assess based on all the install base and really come up with a.

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Solution that makes sense. OK. And now from the contractor perspective, what what can they do to?

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Start down the road.

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More benefit to their end user customers.

00:13:51 Nate

Yeah, though. So when it comes to contractors, contractors can basically say here are the options that we can do. They can guide that building management customer, that customer in general.

00:14:02 Nate

On the path to modernization, they can talk about the standards that's in place, making sure things are up and running, and then they are if some of them who which a lot of them are embedded, they can start filling out what exactly does that install base needs to.

00:14:15 Nate

Like and what they need to accomplish.

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Then they're working with other partners to really deliver.

00:14:21 Todd

Does Schneider provide training or how do they get?

00:14:23 Todd

Do those how does a contractor start to?

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About cognitive reach up.

00:14:27 Nate

Definitely. So I'm responsible for our ecosystem partner program for the US, OK.

00:14:32 Nate

So we have training available for our partners, really talk about digitization.

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Modernization of equipment.

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And so they go through a course with us over over a few weeks.

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Get them trained on our different products, not only technically, but also commercially.

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And it really gives them the breadth of knowledge that they can have a very comprehensive conversation with their, with our mutual customers anyway.

00:14:55 Todd

OK. And so this is done through Schneider, is it?

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It virtual or is it in person or?

00:14:59 Nate

How the folk could be virtual and in person.

00:14:59 Todd

Does it work?

00:15:02 Nate

Sometimes the commercial is done virtually, but we also have pubs where we invite the partners down to the the technical training has definitely done it.

00:15:10 Todd

First, OK, so and you said weeks worth of training, yes, OK.

00:15:15 Todd

Well, that's.

00:15:16 Todd

Well, I always like to close the conversation by refocusing on the why of what we do. And So what motivates you to do this day in and day out.

00:15:23 Todd

Keeps you excited and passionate about what you do.

00:15:27 Todd

Deep.

00:15:29 Nate

You know.

00:15:31 Nate

I I am a natural problem solver.

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I keep my head to the stars. I, you know, I'm amazed about technology, you know, and and what it can, how it could benefit us.

00:15:43 Nate

You know, the latest thing now is AI, you know.

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And.

00:15:47 Nate

I'm a component on technology will help us get to the next level as humanity or society.

00:15:52 Nate

And so Schneider Electric really brings to the table not only what we can do from an energy management perspective or industrial automation perspective, but how we can contribute to the broad society when it comes to sustainability and things of that nature, so.

00:16:05 Nate

If I can have those conversations on how I can make someone like better through technology or make them.

00:16:10 Nate

A.

00:16:10 Nate

Bit better I guilt.

00:16:12 Nate

I'm responsible for entire us, so the stories change and that.

00:16:17 Nate

Keeps him.

00:16:17 Nate

I don't hear the same story day in, day out.

00:16:20 Todd

OK, great. And I assume there are resources on Schneider's website that they can go to.

00:16:25 Todd

Find how to oh, you hurt this process. OK? Yeah.

00:16:27 Nate

Ww.se.com look for.

00:16:30 Nate

Essa partner search for Eco essential partner you can definitely find more information for.

00:16:34 Todd

OK, we'll put those.

00:16:35 Todd

Put those on the show notes so they can go straight to that from the show.

00:16:38 Todd

Nathan, I you know, we're at the Nika show in San Diego.

00:16:41 Todd

You're having a good time and you're great.

00:16:43 Todd

I know you're speaking and busy, so I really appreciate you taking a little bit of time out kind of share some new thoughts on the, you know, building standards and all that for our listeners and viewers. And I look forward to visiting you so I can go eat.

00:16:54 Todd

That great restaurant? That breakfast club.

00:16:56 Todd

Thanks. Thanks a lot for being on the show.

00:16:58 Nate

Appreciate it. Thanks.

00:17:01 Todd

Well, that was my conversation with Nate Nathan Owens, the third director of US Channel Services and partner program with Schneider.

00:17:09 Todd

You can connect with Nate and what he's working on by heading to the links in the show notes.

00:17:13 Todd

Yeah, I would hear to you know, what challenges you face.

00:17:17 Todd

As you work towards maintaining and improving your facilities infrastructure, shoot me an e-mail at podcast@graybar.com.

00:17:25 Todd

Hey, if you enjoyed this episode, you can help us grow the show by subscribing and leaving a five star rating in your favorite podcast player.

00:17:32 Todd

Thanks for listening to this episode of keeping the lights on.

00:17:36 Todd

We'll see you next time.

00:17:37 Todd

I.

00:17:43 Todd

What advice would you give to 18 year old Nathan?

00:17:48 Nate

Oh, that is a great question.

00:17:50 Nate

Stay the course, OK?

00:17:52 Nate

Oftentimes we work.

00:17:54 Nate

I have worked in ambiguity and used to question the next steps and I have older years become more confident in that. So I would say.

00:18:03 Nate

Stay the.

00:18:04 Nate

Feel that confident?

00:18:05 Nate

You don't know everything, but you're doing the right thing, OK?

00:18:08 Todd

Well, that's great.