The ABB Connect App was developed to help users navigate through the extensive range of solutions and services available from the industry leading brand. We got a busy electrical contractor to try out the app and give their verdict on just how useful it can be.
Leading manufacturer, ABB, has an extensive catalogue of solutions available to professionals in the electrical industry. The ABB Connect App is designed to be, “the digital assistant that will meet all of your electrification needs”, helping customers easily browse through the products and services available and ensure they have the data and resources they need to work efficiently and effectively.
Whether on a mobile phone, tablet or PC, users can browse, search or scan to find the latest products, services available from ABB with the relevant technical information, resources and guides all in one place.
The app was developed to help your phone, tablet or PC become an efficient workspace that helps you optimize collaboration with your team, your clients and suppliers. For example, supporting documents and data sheets can be shared directly from the App so you can check product specifications with project managers and wholesalers. You can also quickly and easily confirm product information with your team using just a few clicks.
A contractor’s perspective
To find out how useful 
this “digital workstation” can be for a busy contractor, we asked Kyle Gamble, Managing Director of KG Electrical Contractors, for his verdict.
First, I looked through the explore section and found this very useful. I can get to the section that I want to find easily and there are plenty of downloadable resources to choose from like data sheets, product guides and videos. The resource I can see being most useful for contractors is the catalogues section. In future versions, it would be great if this option was nearer the top (more easily accessible) when you land on each product page.
The technical documents are really useful but it would be easier to navigate through them if the titles were shorter and fully visible.
I can see the product information available being useful when planning a job. I’m sure most contractors will be office based when quoting and specifying a job, so would be using the PC version of the App rather than the phone version looking at a tiny screen. However, if you are caught out on site, the phone/tablet App is a quick and easy way to locate the necessary data as and when you need it.
I’d definitely say the ability to share the resources is good. When discussing products with wholesalers, and asking for a specific product to be priced up, they end up coming back to me with a price for something completely different. With this tool, I can send them the specific link to the product I want to be priced. It also helps ensure that my engineers pick up the correct product from the wholesalers and have access to the wiring instructions and any other data that the might need for the correct installation.
For example, if I’m sending an engineer to pick up a 4 pole 25A contactor, I can give him the correct module number (via the app) and also share the correct wiring diagram, which will save them time and me money!
Verdict:
The App is lovely, very neat and easy to use.
I still think the majority of contractors would prefer to look through this amount of information on the PC version of the app rather than on a phone or tablet. However, it is great to know that you can have the ability to access tonnes of product information stored in your pocket.
For more information on the ABB Connect App, click here.
Log on to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or Microsoft Store to download ABB Connect for free.