GLOBAL CIRCUIT #3

GLOBALCIRCUIT A PUBLICATION OF THE WORLDWIDE IMELCO NETWORK DEDICATED TO THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE ELECTRICAL CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONAL ALL OVER THE WORLD

2016 ISSUE 3

MARKETING

TV CAMPAIGN RAISES CONSUMERS' AWARENESS OF INTELLIGENT MODERNIZATION IN GERMANY

OPPORTUNITIES

POTENTIAL OF E-MOBILITY

NETWORKING

GROUPE SOCODA (FR) CELBERATES 70 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE

BUSINESS

THE RISE OF THE

FOURTH

INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION 1

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IN THIS ISSUE

3

Stay on the move

The future starts today, by Elena Reignier

MARKETING

4

9th IMELCO Convention

5

e-masters TV campaign in Germany

Event program

1000 spots on 6 TV channels on "intelligent modernization"

BUSINESS

6

"Industrie 4.0" Change and opportunity

7

"Industrie 4.0" Change and opportunity

Interview with Prof. Dr. Wegener, Speaker "ZVEI Führungskreis Industrie 4.0" (ZVEI Management team "Industrie 4.0") Interview with Mr. Joern F. Sens, Siemens Distributors Account Management Department

Industry 4.0 concrete

8

Weidmüller increases the reactivity of its customers with solutions for Condition Monitoring

FrontCom® Vario

A compact service interface with a future-proof design for switch and control cabinets from Weidmüller

9

ABB focuses on improving the customer experience Aiming to simplify organization to make it easier for customers

10

Philips: Update on "Brighter Future Today"

12

OBO Bettermann : the underfloor inventor...

13

GE Industrial Solutions. Simpler. Smarter. Faster

14

GE Lighting

2016 edition of the joint campaign with IMELCO ... celebrates 60 years of underfloor systems

Delivering an Enhanced Customer Experience LED smart solutions for consumers

OPPORTUNITIES

16

E-mobility

Reducing emissions and restricting the environmental impact of today’s convenient means of travel

IMARK’s new “e-branch content kit”

18

Supporting web store development of IMARK members

ELECTROCLUB releases its mobile app Keeping electrical installers up to speed

NETWORKING 10th SOCODA Convention

19

Celebrating 70 years of innovation

IMARK members join to form National Account Sales solution IM Supply shall service industrial MRO needs

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Schedule of upcoming IMELCO events 2016 Dates to record in your calendars

Global Circuit would love to picture your organisation in the next issue.

If you are interested or wish to contribute to the editorial content of the Global Circuit’s next issue, please contact: Mrs. Elena Reignier | Tel: +49 511 615 99 14 | e-mail: elena.reignier@imelco.com

GLOBALCIRCUIT 2

PERSPECTIVES

STAY ON THE MOVE Light+building held every two years in Frankfurt (Germany) is an important event for the industry as it is the world’s leading trade fair for lighting and building services technology. The motto of the last edition (13th - 18th of March 2016) was “Where modern spaces come to life: digital – individual – networked”, and the upcoming fourth industrial revolution, or so-called “Industry 4.0”, was in focus.

End of the 18th century

1ST INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION First steam engines and the use of hydropower Late 19th century

2ND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Electrical engineering and mass production Mid 1970’s

3RD INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

Electronics and information technology expand into industry Reality within the next 20 years

4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Cyber-physical systems where everything is interconnected wirelessly 3

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In the modern world, machines and products communicate with each other within the Internet of Things (IoT) and everything is interconnected wirelessly for the highly flexible, individualised and resource-friendly mass production.

The “artificial intelligence” is no longer a theme for the plot of a science fiction movie but becomes more a reality in the electrical industry, and the future starts today.

How will the electrical distribution adapt itself to these forthcoming changes? How will the upcoming industrial revolution impact the life of human beings, likewise professionals or individuals?

To move forward with the change, it becomes vital to understand which kind of support and cooperation IMELCO distributors can expect from our partner suppliers, leading manufacturers in the

sectors of building automation, and lighting - the business sectors the most exposed to this transformation process.

These highly topical matters will be in the focus of the upcoming 9th Convention in Paris. Over 300 independent electrical distributors from all IMELCO countries already confirmed their attendance.

We are looking forward to meeting our associated wholesalers and partner suppliers at this unique event to celebrate 25 years of close partnership and set the course for the future!

Elena Reignier IMELCO Managing Director

MARKETING

9TH IMELCO CONVENTION IN SEPTEMBER 2016, IMELCO WILL CELEBRATE 25 YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE. HERE IS THE PROGRAM OF THE EVENT: PROGRAM FOR WHOLESALERS AND ACCOMPANYING PERSONS

3 1 S T AUG . 2 0 16

Individual arrival at Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel National General Assemblies and Board meetings of the member organisations

1S T SEP . 2 0 16 IN THE MORNING IN THE AFTERNOON

05.00 pm

 LOBBY  SECRET LOCATION

09.00 pm 10.00 pm

National General Assemblies and Board meetings of the member organisations Official start of the Convention activities, beginning with a corporate event for all associated wholesalers and their partners / accompanying persons Departure to the place of destination Wholesalers from different IMELCO countries will have the opportunity to interact and compete in teams Individual departure will be possible End of the event and collective transfer back to the hotel

2 ND S E P . 2 0 1 6 08.30 am - 09.00 am  ATRIUM

09.00 am

 PLENARY ROOM

11.00 am – 12.00 am  ATRIUM

11.00 am – 12.00 am

 SEPARATE BREAK-OUT ROOMS

12.00 am – 01.00 pm  PLENARY ROOM

01.00 pm – 02.30 pm 02.30 pm – 03.30 pm

PROGRAM FOR SUPPLIERS, WHOLESALERS AND ACCOMPANYING PERSONS

Registration of IMELCO suppliers to the Convention Representatives of IMELCO member organizations welcome suppliers at their stands.

Official Convention opening Speeches performed by the members of the Supervisory Board and the Managing Directors who will refer on ■■25 years of IMELCO’s history: achievements, figures, facts ■■IMELCO’s corporate identity: how do we define this ■■IMELCO in the context of future challenges: the role of our organisation in the coming years Coffee break Members’ exhibition in the foyer of the Convention area: Our member organizations present themselves to suppliers and wholesalers from other IMELCO countries Networking sessions of wholesalers and suppliers (on pre-registration only) dedicated to the following topics: ■■B2B + B2C: With whom do we compete in the online marketplace?

■■Cost optimization / Best practices ■■Getting and keeping good people Speeches and podium discussion with our partner suppliers: Forthcoming challenges, transformations in the electrical industry and the role of distribution Lunch

 PLENARY ROOM

Key note speech: Megatrends and their influence on business and individuals

03.30 pm – 04.30 pm

Convention closing

From 04.30 pm

Free time

06.00 pm (  HOTEL LOBBY)

STARTING AT

Departure in several groups to the famous cabaret show, the LIDO Paris

07.00 pm

Seated dinner accompanied by LIDO’s orchestra

09.00 pm

Beginning of the show “Paris Merveilles”

AFTER

Collective transfer back to the hotel

 PLENARY ROOM & ATRIUM

10.40 pm

GLOBALCIRCUIT 4

MARKETING

E-MASTERS TV CAMPAIGN 1000 SPOTS ON 6 TV CHANNELS ON "INTELLIGENT MODERNIZATION" The numbers are impressive: 1 central theme, 3 different TV spots, approximately 1120 placements on 6 channels in one month, reaching out to more than 30 million homes of the relevant target group. These parameters mark the preliminary highlight of e-masters´ success story with their initiative “intelligent modernization”. E-masters, the subsidiary company of the IMELCO member MITEGRO (Germany, Austria and Luxembourg) and the leading marketing and service cooperation in the electrical wholesale in German-speaking countries, started this initiative three years ago.

All well-known brand partners of the electrical modernization and maintenance trade are on board. Together with e-masters´ more than 2.300 members, they were and are still aiming to convince home owners to invest in intelligent, future-oriented and efficient modernizations. To reach good results, it is absolutely necessary to combine the know-how of the electrical installers with innovative and reliable products.

The initiative focusses on 4 key segments: “Safety and functionality”, “Innovation and comfort”, “Age-appropriate and future-oriented” as well as “Energy efficiency and environmental consciousness”.

The communication is cross-medial, meaning: a central information platform through the website www.intelligentmodernisieren.de. Here one can find interesting facts and data, download services, short video-clips, product data provided by manufacturers as well as the address of the closest participating installers. Local installers, the so-called “local heroes” make use of hand-outs, advertisements, window displays etc. to create awareness for this nationwide campaign. E-masters´ Managing Director, Mr. Jens Gorr, emphasizes the biggest benefit promise, the value enhancement of buildings through “intelligent modernization”.

The very short and information-packed spots generated attentiveness and invited the audience to review their own requirements and take advantage of the campaign. After the TV spots were broadcasted, the visits to the e-masters´ website increased by 900%, as well as the perception in the world of social media, like e.g. Facebook: Showing that 29.000 persons were reached on a daily basis, proving the good cross-medial effects of interaction. The e-masters´ head office also registered an increased volume of telephone inquiries to receive information about membership.

Please see for more information:

www.intelligent-modernisieren.de

Source: e-masters e-masters: the leading marketing and service cooperation in the German-speaking countries with more than 2.300 members, offers a vast variety of services to support the business and success of electrical wholesalers.

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BUSINESS

INTERVIEW

INDUSTRIE 4.0

CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY Interview with Prof. Dr. Wegener, Speaker "ZVEI Führungskreis Industrie 4.0" Global Circuit: As an expert in the field of Digitalization would you tell us a little bit about Industrie 4.0?

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wegener: Industrie 4.0 is the name of a German initiative with the purpose to secure the German competitiveness and export power. Industrie 4.0 impacts on every company in 3 dimensions: ■■Digitalization of the value chain, i.e. Smart factory for discrete industries and Smart plant for process industries ■■Digitalization of products, i.e. Smart products ■■Digitalization of new business models, i.e. Smart services You mentioned Industrie 4.0 is actually a German initiative. Does this mean that only it applies to the German industry?

Industrie 4.0 is a German initiative, but is dedicated to a worldwide application. The support of the government of course helps especially the German industry to develop itself in this area. Germany of course, has always been strong in the field of industrial automation, plant construction, and engineering. Besides that, it really is a global thing and digitalization happens all over the globe. Germany can be seen as a role model with its approach, and other countries might just use other terms when talking about the same thing.

Almost three years ago, you were asked about Industrie 4.0 and back then it was all still very new and less tangible. How has this changed, especially in terms of digital business development?

There are two parts where I can see the change.

On one hand, almost everybody, not just a small group of experts and politicians is talking about Industrie 4.0; either they already know what it is about or are trying to figure it out.

On the other hand, you can see a better understanding of the entire complex area of digitalization. From big data to smart data, smart homes and smart mobility are just a few terms you will come across when looking deeper into it. It seems to be a shift from a single industrial aspect towards a broader scheme throughout the business world.

With new opportunities there are usually also challenges arriving. Where do you see the biggest challenge and how do you think should it be tackled best?

The biggest challenge in my opinion is Digitalization of new business models, i.e. Smart services. In the B2C area we can see that already: Going from record stores to streaming and from taxis to ride-sharing are two examples where you can already experience this phenomenon. In the B2B area we can see that also. Rolls Royce aero engines introduced a new business model “power-by-the-hour” including preventive maintenance schemes. Being prepared and a market leader today can change quickly if you don’t invest and work continuously on staying in the ‘driver’s seat’. Focusing on what you do best and being flexible to abrupt market shifts is probably a good advice to deal with such challenges.

Smart services

Smart factory Smart plant

Smart products

Source: ZVEI following PwC: Industrie 4.0 impacts on every company in 3 dimensions - ZVEI: German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association GLOBALCIRCUIT 6

INTERVIEW

INDUSTRIE 4.0

BUSINESS

CHANGE AND OPPORTUNITY Interview with Mr. Joern F. Sens, Siemens Distributors Account Management Department Global Circuit: Having taken a general look at digitalization, we want to narrow the view down to the distribution channel. Let me start with a direct question: how is digitalization changing your daily work?

Mr. Sens : As head of the Siemens Distributors Account Management Department, I lead a team of four experienced Global Account Managers, who are responsible for our nine Global Distributor Accounts, with IMELCO being one of them. Minor physical changes I notice include using a tablet and communicating via live meetings and other online applications. Looking at the content and topics we are working on right now, a lot has changed. Digitalization is an essential part of our daily jobs.

The key to staying successful is to turn big data into smart data. How to be prepared for the digital future and how the distribution channel will find its path in the world of tomorrow are questions we’re asking ourselves and our customers.

Which two words come immediately to your mind when I ask you about digitalization?

Change and opportunity! For us and for our distributors, the way we do business is changing. First, new players are entering the market and customer behavior is changing too. Second, there are big opportunities arising from these changes.

With market barriers declining, new customer segments can be tapped. Furthermore, it is now possible to create value by offering services through the Internet of Services (IoS). For us, it is important to work closely with the distributors and to develop strategies and tools for mastering the upcoming challenges. We have several projects in place to address these topics.

Electrical wholesalers already have tools such as electronic ordering systems in place. Is there really a need to improve or change existing systems?

Well, right now some ordering is still handled using fax machines, so you can argue that electronic ordering systems should be more than enough. The truth is that, customers will change the way they buy products, maybe not tomorrow, but in the following years for sure.

The generation of digital natives – who grew up with personal computers, other devices and the Internet – will bring its knowledge and standards to its professional life.

However, the primary aim is to manage data consistently in order to profit together and tap the cross-selling potential that comes along with smarter systems.

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Speaking for IMELCO, how can we benefit from digitalization?

One of three drivers of digitalization is the emergence of often disruptive business models, as stated in the consulting firm PWC’s study of Industrie 4.0 (2014). This means that you can add significant value by offering customers tailored solutions. Through the IOS, Imelco’s wholesalers can offer additional services, thus boosting their sales. Another key area where you can profit is through cost reductions achieved by better connecting the interfaces and data exchange between us – the supplier – and you – the distributor.

What is Siemens doing to support distribution?

Siemens is fully committed to growing business via distribution channels. We are working across Divisions, bringing together product experts with Account Managers.

We’re constantly striving to grow – together with our distributors – and to set up the means for doing this.

Distribution is now a focus area. By providing our distributors with the right training and the product master data, for instance, we are confident that we will further strengthen our relationships, build trust and create a win-win business model.

In the end, it comes all down to implementation. What are the first steps you recommend to an electrical wholesaler to prepare for the age of digitalization?

Well, analysis is always an important issue. An electrical wholesaler should look at his business model, his processes and his market position with respect to digitalization.

Once the company’s pain points have been defined, the implementation begins to turn challenges into opportunities for the future business.

That sounds still very theoretical. Can you give us a practical example?

Let’s talk about changes in the buying behavior of customers.

Today, most end customers search the Internet before they place an order. There are two major reasons for this. They want to inform themselves before they enter into discussions with their suppliers, or they want to confirm what they have heard from suppliers.

Does the Internet presence of your wholesalers serve both purposes? Will the customer find you on the Net? Will they find the answers to their specific questions? If not, how can you get to this point? Here, we believe in the strength of the IMELCO marketing group, which shares its knowledge and generates added value for its members and for us as suppliers.

That’s why we would like to work with our distributors to develop an integrated digital marketing strategy that most effectively satisfies the end customers’ demand for information.

For more information: www.siemens.com http://bit.ly/GC3_Siemens1

(original link: https://www.siemens.com/customer-magazine/en/home/specials/perspectives-of-digitalization.html)

http://bit.ly/GC3_Siemens2

(original link: https://www.siemens.com/customer-magazine/en/home/specials/everythings-new/everythings-new.html)

http://bit.ly/GC3_Siemens3

(original link: https://www.siemens.com/customer-magazine/en/home/industry/maximizing-efficiency-innovation-and-flexibility.html)

BUSINESS

INDUSTRY 4.0 CONCRETE The initial situation Machine availability is a critical success factor for manufacturing companies, especially in industries where the processes have to operate continuously or where unscheduled maintenance tasks can be realized only with much effort. The unscheduled plant downtime results in high costs.

The solution Weidmüller operates specifically to increase the reactivity of its customers with solutions for Condition Monitoring - thereby resulting costly downtime can be reduced to an absolute minimum. With the condition monitoring at Weidmüller, solutions will be developed with the objective to recognize errors early and rectify them.

When talking about Predictive Maintenance, Weidmüller has solutions for proactively maintained machine portfolio

and complements this with customer-friendly solutions to a secure remote maintenance. From our Weidmueller portfolio we use communication-enabled signal converters such as the ACT20, routers and switches. Using these conditionbased maintenance and monitoring of critical variables, the detection of anomalies is easily possible. Basis for this is the digitization and networking of process and status data, for example, with the remote IO system: u-remote. Combined with the remote maintenance solution u-Link, the customer has access to globally distributed systems - from any location he chooses.

Benefits: ■■Condition-based monitoring increases process reliability.

■■Costs can be reduced, delivery reliability can be increased ■■Secure remote access allows simple maintenance routines anytime.

■■In the next step, data analytics can be used to optimize long term maintenance For more information: http://bit.ly/GC3_ULink

(original http://www.weidmueller.com/int/products/electronics-and-automation/maintenance-and-cloud-service)

FRONTCOM® VARIO A COMPACT SERVICE INTERFACE WITH A FUTURE-PROOF DESIGN FOR SWITCH AND CONTROL CABINETS. With FrontCom® Vario, Weidmüller is offering a new, compact service interface for switch and control cabinets ensuring simple access to control systems/PCs and electronics. FrontCom® Vario ensures efficient and highly available processes, and saves both, time and money.

Without downtimes or the need for additional staff, technicians can perform maintenance work or rectify errors in the production process – in a simple and

smart way. Authorised personnel can connect diagnostic hardware using a data cable or an optional power cable, for example. FrontCom® Vario is the first choice for customers of the machinebuilding industry, the process industry and power and traffic engineering – and it only takes up half the space of current market standards.

Benefits: ■■New size: several functions in just one single frame, only taking half the space ■■More security: available with security lock ■■Future-proof data transmission: RJ45 inserts, Cat. 6A standard, up to 10 GBit/s ■■Shielding: available as an option ■■High flexibility thanks to a modular system: more than 5,000 possible combinations, IP 65 standard ■■Simple and clear identification: large marking surface For more information:

http://bit.ly/GC3_Vario

(original link: http://www.weidmueller.com/125385/Products/Connectivity/Serviceinterfaces/FrontCom-Vario-service-interfaces/cw_index_v2.aspx)

GLOBALCIRCUIT 8

BUSINESS

ABB FOCUSES ON IMPROVING

THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ABB aims to be the supplier of choice for its customers – delivering innovation and services to improve the productivity of its customers’ businesses. ABB aims to simplify its organization and make it easier for customers to do work with the global corporation.

From January 1, 2016, ABB is bringing together the Low Voltage Products division and the Medium Voltage Business Unit to form the Electrification Products division – as part of the company’s focus on improving the customer experience.

Vincent Hurel, head of the distribution customer channel for ABB’s Electrification Products division, explained: “As part of its Next Level strategy, ABB is aiming to simplify its organization. One part of this is changing the structure of our divisions – bringing low- and medium-voltage product businesses together in a new division. The collaboration within ABB doesn’t stop with this new division, we are focused across the whole group to make it easier for all our customers and channels to work with us."

“We recognize that the electrical distribution channel is of strategic importance to ABB and we have detailed programs in place to improve how we support our customers.”

The Electrification Products division offers solutions to connect, protect and manage electrical power and serves customers in industry, transport and infrastructure and the utility sector –

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directly and through channel partners.

With more than 100 years of heritage, ABB is known for its engineering and technology leadership – with a focus on delivering solutions that decouple economic development and environmental impact, with its ‘Power and Productivity for a Better World’ claim.

Innovation, product excellence and channel management Massimo Lattuada, Global Key Account Manager for IMELCO added: “Our vision is clear: we want to be the supplier of choice with a reputation of delivering a great customer experience. We are at the cutting edge of innovation within our industry and product excellence is at the center of who we are."

“With the breadth of our portfolio, we are able to bundle products to deliver solutions to meet the needs of a broad range of industries and applications. Our business is working hard to be more market-driven, putting channel partners like IMELCO at the center of what we are developing for the end customer needs.

The distribution channel remains of vital importance as our most important route to market. We want to work together with our electrical distribution partners to create demand for ABB solutions with the end customers.”

Technology in the electrical industry is developing quickly with more and more connectivity and intelligence in products and systems. ABB is focused on looking at value both in terms of the

products themselves and the services and tools offered to support customers.

Future investment Hurel added: “We are investing in digital tools and services to support our customers’ businesses. The focus here is to make it faster to access information and easier to select and configure products. Service is also an important element, where we continue to develop our offering.”

Areas of investment include information and tools including web and applications development, including platforms to support electronic business; configuration with the launch of e-Configure; management of data and content to support distributors’ requirements; and support of the distribution channel with marketing campaign to create demand to support growth.

"We aim to stay close to our customers to understand how we can support their business priorities. We recognize that we have to accelerate the investment in digital tools and processes and will be guided by our customers as we prioritize in this area,” concluded Hurel.

Instant lighting answers Imelco and Philips join forces again In 2016 Imelco will once again team up with Philips to offer installers special deals on innovative lighting products and solutions.

The campaign: 2nd half of 2016 The new joint lighting campaign will run in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

You, as local wholesaler, are requested to tell more about the individual products on offer – and also about our attractive start-to-finish project services and the special training platform we have to help installers make the most of their next lighting installation.

Innovation first From the very start, Philips has been driven by a desire to innovate. The latest advances in LED technology are opening up a new generation of lighting applications that go far beyond providing a source of light. In the trade channel as well as in office and industry projects, Imelco is leveraging the global leadership of Philips to facilitate lighting solutions that are energy-efficient, flexible and connected.

GLOBALCIRCUIT 10

2016 highlights The list of products and solutions in the campaign selection is extensive, so we’ve outlined some highlights:

Classic LED Turn back the clock and recreate the classic look and feel of incandescent lighting with the Classic LED range.

It’s the perfect mix of traditional design and modern energy efficiency.

These easy one-to-one replacement lamps are a quick upgrade to tomorrow’s technology.

CoreLine SlimDownlight These downlights project a uniform surface of light, giving your office or corridor a smooth, high-end look.

CoreLine SlimDownlight luminaires create an excellent diffused lighting effect and are the easy way to ensure energy savings, longer lifetime and cost reduction.

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IMELCO.COM

CoreLine Panel Office Compliant A true alternative for TL-D troffers, this sleek surface-of-light panel is a favorite among many of our customers. It comes in both square and rectangular designs and delivers a lumen output and light quality that comply with all international standards for office lighting.

MASTER LEDtube HF Ultra Output Highly suitable for the most demanding office applications, this Ultra Output LEDtube offers an outstanding energy efficiency of 148 lm/W with high-quality light that complies fully with ergonomic norms. It comes in two sizes (1200 mm/1500 mm) and supports HF operation.

CorePro LED PLC This is the ideal solution for uplamping in general lighting applications.

The CorePro LED PLC integrates an LED light source into a traditional fluorescent form factor, offering hassle-free replacement with instant energy savings and improved flickerfree lighting.

BUSINESS

WELCOME TO THE

UNDERFLOOR INVENTOR Conducting and routing for 60 years Our first underfloor system was born 60 years ago when electrical installations were sent underground.

For the first time cables could be run through the floor directly to the workstation, well away from the usual installation support – the wall. This innovation came at exactly the right time – because new architectural styles and the increasing electrical requirements meant new solutions were necessary.

Modern solutions Especially in museums, exhibition areas, hotels or in the private homes, the compact underfloor floor boxes and underfloor sockets have become increasingly popular in recent years – they blend into the surrounding area neatly and unobtrusively. The particular challenge underfloor systems face today is the large variety of flooring types – from wooden floorboards to stone or terrazzo. Even under heavy loads, neither large nor compact underfloor systems must bend to such an extent that damage occurs to the flooring.

Karstadt Head Office, Essen 1968

1955: The Telitank -The revolution system in the underfloor sector

Stainless steel tube cassette – Perfect for wet-care floors

Discover 60 years of underfloor installation systems Take a trip underground with us and discover the history of the underfloor systems.

At www.obo-underfloor.com you can travel along the underground map and its individual lines virtually – from the company history via the development of the office to an overview of the most important systems.

UDHOME 9 2015 - Elegant, discreet and space-saving GLOBALCIRCUIT 12

BUSINESS

SIMPLER. SMARTER. FASTER DELIVERING AN ENHANCED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE From advanced manufacturing to digitally-driven warehouse operations, GE’s Industrial Solutions business is applying the power of technology and collaboration to deliver a simpler, smarter and faster customer experience. As part of this journey, Industrial Solutions opened a customer experience center with advanced manufacturing labs in the United States in 2015 and will inaugurate a European customer experience center in early summer. The enhanced 37,000 square-meter facility in Mebane, North Carolina, offers customers new opportunities for customer collaboration while accelerating product development.

The Mebane facility’s open, hightech work environment combines engineering, development, testing and manufacturing in a centralized location. The site features world-class product accelerator and global product certification labs, and advanced manufacturing along with 3D printing, 3D modeling and rapid prototyping.

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Together, these capabilities will help accelerate product development by up to 30 percent, helping GE to design for manufacturability with increased speed and accuracy. From the global interactive customer showroom to its labs, the Mebane facility serves as a regional customer experience center where customers are invited to interact with GE’s latest electrical distribution, controls and critical power products. Customers can engage with experts and share real-time feedback throughout the development process.

Industrial Solutions is excited to bring this enhanced, collaborative customer experience to the Europe, Middle East and Africa market with the opening of its new brilliant factory in Bielsko-Biala, Poland, this year. The 45,000 square-meter site was built for enhanced innovation and efficiency, uniting manufacturing operations

from four different sites in Bielsko-Biala under a single rooftop. Representing an investment of more than US $54 million over the life of the project, the new Bielsko-Biala facility is one of the largest factories in the region and is GE Energy Connections' first brilliant factory in Europe.

In addition to high-tech, advanced manufacturing, the new Bielsko-Biala site will feature two advanced labs and a customer experience center, designed to strengthen customer collaboration and bring products to market faster.

Industrial Solutions manufacturing operations have transitioned to the new facility and the customer experience center will open in early summer.

On the fulfillment front, GE’s new high-tech warehouse in Budapest is designed to simplify logistics management and help expedite customer delivery. The nearly 18,000-square meter warehouse operates based on entirely digital processes to enhance service for customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Turkey. From digital data entry to smart technology for monitoring inventory and packing orders, the warehouse leverages technology and an innovative floor plan to help achieve swift, accurate order fulfillment.

GE Lighting

A bright idea for your smart home.

For more than a century you’ve trusted GE to illuminate your home. GE continues to light the way with energy-saving, long-lasting Energy Smart® LED light bulbs that act like incandescents. GE’s advanced LED technology features dimmable, warm soft light and instant full brightness in familiar bulb shapes and sizes. With GE Energy Smart® LED light bulbs, the future of energyefficient lighting is here today.

GE entered smart home lighting with its introduction of GE Link, a smart LED bulb that consumers can remotely control from anywhere in the world and sync with other connected devices. Enabled by the Wink app, GE Link is an easy way for consumers to light up their smart homes.

GE Link light bulbs connect via a hub to the Wink app on your mobile device, so you can control them from anywhere. Remotely operate individual lights or groups, sync them with other smart products, dim or highlight for the perfect setting, and automate lighting to fit your schedule.

SETUP Remote ENERGY

Quick & Easy Setup Control From Anywhere

scheduling winkapp

Smart Scheduling Wink App Compatible

Energy Efficient

GLOBALCIRCUIT 14

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OPPORTUNITIES

E-MOBILITY Introduction As the signs of global warming and climate change become more and more visible, electro-mobility is one way to reduce emissions and restrict the environmental impact of today’s convenient means of travel. It offers attractive new business opportunities for all parties involved and creates new markets. A significant number of national governments have set ambitious goals to favour e-mobility. Big cities can benefit from a significant reduction of noise and air pollution, depending on how the electricity is generated.

Larger entities such as unions of states are also interested in long-term independence of fossil fuel in an unstable political macro-economic environment.

An international overview and McKinsey’s Electrical Vehicle Index The management consultancy McKinsey evaluates on regular basis the development of e-mobility in several countries. The countries considered are: China, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain and the USA. Two rankings are established. The market ranking illustrates the national market share of electrical vehicles as well as any incentives put in place, for example governmental subsidies, the existing infrastructure and the range of electrical vehicles available. The industry ranking shows the success of the corresponding automobile industry in this country, in terms of e-mobility. This is measured by the current and future share of the worldwide production of electrical vehicles as well as necessary components such as e-motors and batteries. As per January 2016, McKinsey has set up the following ranking1 : Market Ranking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Country Norway Netherlands France Denmark US China Great Britain Japan Portugal Germany South Korea Ireland Italy Spain

Industry Ranking

6

The TOP 3 markets are Norway, the Netherlands and France.

Almost each 5th new registered vehicle in Norway uses electricity to move and more than 60,000 electrical vehicles are on Norwegian streets. The national government has reached its target of 50,000 electrical vehicles two years earlier than expected by offering a number of incentives to potential buyers. If one buys an electrical vehicle in Norway, the one-off registration fee of up to 11,000 EUR and the 25% VAT drop out. This often leads to the fact that such a car is cheaper than its counterpart with a conventional combustion engine. Besides, electrical cars are allowed to use bus lanes and do not need to pay any parking fees.2 According to IHS Automotive/Statista.com, the share of plug-in (hybrid) electric vehicles in total registrations (first quarter 2015, selected markets) was the following3: Country Norway Netherlands United Kingdom United States France Germany Japan China

Share of total registrations 33,10% 5,70% 1,20% 0,80% 0,80% 0,60% 0,60% 0,30%

Source: www.statista.com/chart/3677/norway-leads-the-worlds-electric-vehicle-market/

Due to the fast increase of electrical car purchases, the Norwegian government has announced to reduce the incentives step by step from 2018 on. Connecting their car with an electric plug is not new for Norwegian drivers: traditional cars with diesel or fuel engines regularly use external electricity to heat up cooling water and the interior of the vehicle, if it is very cold outside. On a total surface of 385,186 km² with 5 million inhabitants, electrical vehicles can be charged on 1,800 charging stations and 7,100 charging points.4

Source: MENNEKES Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG

4 2 1 3 5 7

Source: www.mckinsey.de/elektromobilitaet GLOBALCIRCUIT 16

OPPORTUNITIES contact point between manufacturers and electrical trade.

Car charging stations need to be integrated into the existing electrical installation of the building or already considered when planning the construction of a new building.

Source: MENNEKES Elektrotechnik GmbH & Co. KG

General situation in Germany The German government has set itself the objective to accomplish 1 million electric cars on German streets by year 2020. When comparing this objective to the situation at the end of 2015, there is a large gap which still needs to be filled.

75,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids were present on German streets and 12,363 new electric cars were registered in 2015. Consequently, electric cars only accounted for 0.39% of all new passenger cars registered in total.5 One reason why potential buyers in Germany currently hesitate to purchase an electric car, is the exceptionally low oil price, which has caused a decrease of the conventional fuel price.

Special attention should be paid to diesel vehicles, which additionally benefit from tax concessions since 1994. A revision of this law has already been discussed, but no concrete measures have been taken so far.6 A survey of the IT industry association Bitkom asked which major conditions needed to be fulfilled that Germans can imagine buying an electric car. It obtained the following reply: The cruising range should be as long as with conventional fuel and the price should be comparable to the conventional cars.7 At the end of year summer 2015, German manufacturers already offered 23 different electric cars of all categories on the national market and this figure is expected to rise continuously. One current field of work is to further reduce the charging time for electric cars. Electric trade, manufacturers, power supplying companies and subcontractors are in close cooperation to achieve this objective as soon as possible and further enhance the attractiveness of e-mobility. The forecast predicts that 38% of all electrical vehicles produced worldwide would be from German manufacturers in 2020, which would improve Germany’s position towards competing countries.8 The infrastructure available for electric passenger cars is constantly evolving and expanding, but still relatively small.

European standards for slow and fast chargers have been introduced as a result from international collaboration. In future, electric vehicles could additionally serve as mobile energy storage and increase the net stability by feeding back power into the net, in case of need.9 Private charging stations for individuals mark the main 17 IMELCO.COM

Electric bus E-mobility is not limited to individual transport such as passenger cars, but has also attracted the interest of local public transportation. In Germany, several pilot projects with electric busses have been launched. A series of tests will be conducted to obtain more knowledge about the use of these vehicles in everyday life and to be able to offer them at a competitive price. At the end of year 2015, the bill for one electric bus was three times higher than for a conventionally-powered bus.

Although the transformation from conventional to electric busses involves a certain investment, it can be combined with the already-existing resources without much effort. In Hanover/ Germany, for example, electric busses use the power sources which have been established for the trams in the city.10 Have you heard?

■■In London, electric cars are exempted from city toll ■■Every German travels 39 km per day on average ■■The city with most traffic jams in Europe is Moscow ■■Finland is the European country where people need the least time to travel to their work place: on average, they only travel 15 minutes ■■Each city in Estonia with more than 5,000 inhabitants has at minimum one public fast-charging station for electric cars ■■The citizens in the European Union use for four out of five kilometres covered their car ■■The French award “Electromobile City Trophy” is presented every year to regional and local authorities that are especially committed to sustainable mobility.11 Karen Erasmus / IMELCO HQ Notes 1. www.mckinsey.de/elektromobilitaet 2. http://www.sueddeutsche.de/auto/staatliche-foerderung-der-elektromobilitaet-saeuleneilige-1.2639442 3. https://www.statista.com/chart/3677/norway-leads-the-worlds-electric-vehicle-market/ 4. http://www.zeit.de/mobilitaet/2015-05/elektroauto-norwegen-foerderung/komplettansicht http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Aussenpolitik/Laender/Laenderinfos/01-Laender/Norwegen.html http://info.nobil.no/index.php/english http://www.zeit.de/mobilitaet/2015-05/elektroauto-norwegen-foerderung/komplettansicht 5. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/12-000-Elektroautos-2015-neu-zugelassen- 3064200.html?hg=1&hgi=0&hgf=false http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Umfrage-Grosses-Interesse-an-Elektroautos-inDeutschland-3061145.html 6. http://www.derwesten.de/wirtschaft/diesel-kraftstoff-koennte-bald-deutlich-teurer-werdenid11187768.html#plx2009921979 7. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Umfrage-Grosses-Interesse-an-Elektroautos-inDeutschland-3061145.html 8. www.mckinsey.de/elektromobilitaet http://www.bmwi.de/DE/Themen/Industrie/Elektromobiltaet/leitmarkt-und-leitanbieter.html 9. http://www.bmwi.de/DE/Themen/Industrie/Elektromobiltaet/leitmarkt-und-leitanbieter.html http://www.bmwi.de/DE/Themen/Industrie/Elektromobiltaet/rahmenbedingungen-und-anreize-fuerelektrofahrzeuge.html 10. http://www.hannover.de/Service/Presse-Medien/Top-News/Hannover-So-sehen-die-neuenElektrobusse-aus https://unternehmen.uestra.de/presse-medien/pressemitteilungen/details/2015/neu-in-hannoveruestra-installiert-lademasten-fuer-elektrobusse/ 11. https://emobility.volkswagen.de/de/de/private/Idee/Mobilitaet-in-Zahlen.html http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/french-foreign-policy/economic-diplomacy-foreign-trade/factsabout-france/one-figure-one-fact/article/france-is-the-largest-electric

OPPORTUNITIES NEW ‘E-BRANCH CONTENT KIT’ SUPPORTS IMARK WEB STORE DEVELOPMENT OF IMARK MEMBERS ’S

At some point in the future (no one can predict when), the lack of a distributor’s web storefront (or a ‘sub-par’ webstore) will be a disqualifier in the eyes of some customers.

Thus, IMARK members without a web storefront will lose sales opportunities. If sales opportunities are reduced, member purchases will eventually be reduced, too. Over time, it will be more difficult for IMARK members to generate the above-average rates of market growth in sales and purchases that the membership has consistently generated.

A best-in-class webstore is an effective “silent sales rep.” This means good data, image, and resources so the customer can make an informed purchase decision without the need to talk to a person. On a B2B site, this is even more important because your customers need to find a product that meets an exact specification. If there is not enough information to ensure the product is the right one, they will not make the purchase. The national distributors understand this well and have spent millions on quality data to increase the percentage of their sales generated by their webstore.

In 2015, IMARK Group announced that it had partnered with Second Phase and Trade Service to develop an e-branch “content kit” that will give participating IMARK members the tools to offer a “best-in-class” webstore experience to customers who will wish to find,

select and purchase products on the member’s webstore. Since that time, more than 45 IMARK member companies have made the investment necessary to develop this resource, which will be available to any IMARK member that wishes to participate.

As many readers of our IMARK Magazine “IMARK NOW” realize, obtaining, maintaining, and adding/deleting attributed product data is an expensive, time-consuming and never-ending process. The opportunity for participating IMARK members to share the cost of data acquisition with other IMARK members is resulting in greatly reduced costs for attributed “customer friendly” product data, as well as reducing the time spent by member employees responsible for obtaining the data.

The Light Speed Indexing and Product Information Management hub is what makes this sharing possible and subsequently allowed IMARK to pass along the huge cost savings in creating this data.

For many IMARK members, the percentage of sales via a web storefront (as a percentage of total sales) will be quite small for the foreseeable future. Thus, the ROI (Return on Investment) for web storefront development (when done individually) is not attractive to many members. Therefore, IMARK is providing members with the opportunity to share development and on-going costs with their fellow members via the IMARK e-branch content kit.

ELECTROCLUB

The contents of the IMARK e-branch content kit are as follows.

■■A 290,000 SKU database of attributed, rich product data, developed from scratch for IMARK members by Trade Service specifically to meet the needs of a B2B webstore.

■■A cloud-based Light Speed Index (LSI) data hub with intelligent search capability and a Product Information Management (PIM) tool both developed by Second Phase.

Second Phase, based in Boulder, Colorado, has built a Product Information Management (PIM) tool and LSI (Light Speed Index), a proprietary product from Second Phase. According to Mark Kostovny, President of Second Phase, “These tools make the data ‘come alive’ and provide member users with the tools to share, manipulate and custom format the data so that it is extremely customer-friendly.

We did not want to just dump the data in the lap of IMARK members and say, ‘Good Luck.’

Also for those IMARK members that do not currently have a B2B webstore, Second Phase has created a cost-effective, turnkey webstore solution for IMARK members that can be quickly created using this new IMARK data.”

For more information: Please contact Steve Ruane of IMARK Group (sruane@imarkgroup.com) if you have any questions about the IMARK e-Branch content kit.

RELEASES ITS APP DESIGNED TO KEEP

ELECTRICAL INSTALLERS UP TO SPEED Electroclub, the leading electrical supplies distribution group in Spain, has just released an app featuring a functional and highly intuitive design that provides a wide variety of useful information and tools of interest to electrical professionals.

It contains full information about the distributors associated with the Electroclub Group as well as the latest versions of its major suppliers’ catalogues and leaflets, sorted by brand and product family, which can be accessed very easily, quickly and conveniently anywhere from the user’s smartphone or tablet. Plus the app is already available at Google Play and the App Store.

One of its big advantages is that the leaflets and catalogues have been integrated into the app using a technology that makes it possible to display to the user only the information they want to see without having to download the entire catalogue, which means they won’t have to use up gigabytes unnecessarily.

You can download it from: descargarapp.electroclub.com For more information: http://bit.ly/GC3_ECapp

http://blog.electroclub.com/ya-esta-aqui-la-nueva-app-de-electroclub/

This new app also has a section for new products and promotions to keep the user up to speed, maps with geolocation of all its branches and outlets, routes so users can always find them easily, and many other features of great interest to the electrical professional.

GLOBALCIRCUIT 18

NETWORKING

10 SOCODA CONVENTION TH

ON 15 AND 16 MARCH 2016 Groupe Socoda, the leading French network of independent distributors in the building and industry sectors, has celebrated its tenth Convention in Villepinte near Paris. 2500 visitors (associated wholesalers, suppliers and partners) were in attendance.

The Convention takes place every two years and offers a privileged moment of meetings and exchanges, which is “symbolic for the spirit that is cultivated at Socoda”, as Philippe de Beco, Président du Directoire of the Group, describes.

“It is open, innovative, loyal to its origins, solidary and friendly.”

True to the innovation spirit of the network, a market place had been created: the suppliers offered limited quantities, competitive prices and exceptional conditions to the associated wholesalers.

Socoda also announced the official launch of the "Bourses à l’Innovation", which shall encourage, promote and reward producer’s initiatives each time that the innovation entails a “LESS” - less material, less energy to deliver the same services and the same utilizations. A jury will choose the most innovative products while

respecting the values which Socoda has developed during the last 20 years.

A congress in April 2017 will be the highlight of this major project.

This 10th Convention has also been the occasion to celebrate 70 years of Socoda. Philippe de Beco states precisely: “Not many people know that Socoda has seen the light of the day when the country was rebuilt after the Second World War in 1946. Socoda, proud of 70 years of its existence, remains loyal to its vocation, consisting in supplying the crucial sectors of the economy.”

The Anniversary was marked by a birthday cake made of material from each of Socoda’s business sectors.

The proof can be watched here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kNjI8tv35Q Again, Socoda has rewarded the best innovations of their suppliers with “Sacres de l’Innovation” at the Convention. The group’s associates had the opportunity to define products which represent a real commercial springboard from their point of view.

IMARK MEMBERS JOIN TO FORM

NATIONAL ACCOUNT SALES SOLUTION Fifteen (15) member distributors of IMARK Group from around the United States have come together to form IM Supply. IM Supply has been formed to service the industrial MRO needs of both domestic and multi- national customers. The organization will rely on the members of IMARK Group to be the fulfillment network for industrial customers. IM Supply will feature the 19 IMELCO.COM

broadest electrical distributor network for industrial MRO supplies in the United States with more than 700 locations in 47 states.

The founding members of this organization have made the investments necessary to hire seasoned sales people with a proven track record in sales to multi-location

industrial firms. The company will feature a state-of the-art IT backbone and e-commerce which is vital in order to satisfy these demanding customers.

The company expects to be operational in the first quarter of 2016.

For more information, please contact Steve Ruane of IMARK Group at sruane@imarkgroup.com

NETWORKING

SCHEDULE OF UPCOMING

IMELCO EVENTS Sardinia, Italy

Paris, France

31ST OF MAY 2016

1ST OF SEPTEMBER 2016

Internal meetings of working committees

9TH IMELCO Convention

Corporate IMELCO event with all representatives of member associations and accompanying persons

1ST OF JUNE 2016 2ND OF SEPTEMBER 2016

Ordinary General Assembly 2ND OF JUNE 2016

Networking Event with partner suppliers Get-together of the 61st General Convention of EUEW (further details on the EUEW Convention to be found at http://www.euew16.it/index.php/il-programma/?lang=en)

9TH IMELCO Convention

Working program with representatives of member associations and partner suppliers (Marriott Hotel Rive Gauche, Paris) 2ND WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2016

MDs-Suppliers-Meetings & e.o. General Assembly (Date and place TBC)

www.ahlsell.com

www.electroclub.com

www.imarkgroup.com

www.elexitalia.it

www.grudilec.com

www.imagrogroep.nl

www.anew.co.uk

www.gemcell.com.au

www.iesa.pl

www.socoda.fr

www.mentavill.hu

www.mitegro.de

www.imarkcanada.com

www.gibed.be

www.raec.su

www.imelco.com Editorial Board: Elena Reignier (IMELCO), Steve Ruane (IMARK), Simon Sanfilippo (ELEX ITALIA)

2016 © IMELCO s.p.r.l. - 1151 Chaussée de Waterloo - 1180 Bruxelles - Belgique | All trademarks, logos, service marks, collective marks, design rights, personality rights or similar rights that are mentioned, used or cited by GLOBAL CIRCUITS are the property of their respective owners, provided by third parties and published under their sole responsibility. The reproduction, in whole or in part, in any form, is prohibited without prior authorization from the publisher/author Design & production: Jérôme VADON for IMELCO - jerome.vadon.fr / jerome@vadon.fr | Artwork cover based on: "Eiffel Tower Paris" © Kartouchken - Licensed by Photodune.net (ID: 13832483) / Envato GLOBALCIRCUIT 20