Monday, January 12, 2015

10 KEY SUCCESS FACTORS AS A Registered Electrical Energy Manager(REEM) in Malaysia

Being a REEM myself and engaged with over 20 clients from different type of facilities,  various expectations from the market has made it more challenging to me for REEMs to meet and exceed those expectations.

I would like to share what are the key factors and tips for anyone who is interested to embark on energy efficiency industry at the present environment especially in offering REEM services. The following 10 items  are believe to be crucial factors when offering and delivering REEM services to the current and future market in Malaysia.

You must have at least one or few areas in Energy Efficiency(EE)  that you believe that you are really strong at. That will be what you are going to start to sell when you enter the market.

I do not believe that as a starter you would be able to convince the market that you have all solutions for them while you do not have track records yet to support your credentials. You must remember that you may not be the first one to knock their doors to offer REEM services. It is not a good type of reputation that you want to earn especially if that prospect had bad experiences before with regard to REEM services.


When you talk about areas that you specialized in, you must  be able to explain what you would like to offer to them in more convincing way and that will trigger some trust in your ability to deliver. You need to know what you are exactly  good at to convince them to pay for your services.

I personally came across  some REEMs under their own company told their prospects that they are able to do almost everything but finally disappeared when they realized that could not deliver as per requested. Then this will also leave a bad image to other players who genuinely provide total solutions for energy management in the market.

To show your resourcefulness in the eyes of the clients of prospective clients, a REEM must have a strong understanding about other topics in energy efficiency too. For example, you may not a M&V expert but you should be able to explain to them should they have enquiries related to verifying savings for their energy saving projects by suggesting recognized method can be used.

Tips:
To support your credentials, relevant qualifications and competency certificates will be useful to be highlighted to the market and prospective clients;

Read or subscribe to energy efficiency related information and materials either printed or online media to keep yourself updated on current development of technologies, industry news and best practices. You can even download it for free with free online registration;

Attend energy efficiency related programs such as training, seminars and forums to keep yourself updated about the industry, current technologies and practices and also  to build or enhance personal capacity in related subjects especially in the area of services that being offered to the clients.



A very strong background, knowledge and experiences in all key components and stages in EnMS implementation will give REEMs more confidence in selling and delivering REEM services. This is due to all services that can be offered by REEMs  activities and elements in any energy management system implementation of an organization.

Identifying the needs of the organization  for affected installations for each stage of EnMS development and implementation will enable REEMs to assist by  offering  relevant services which can be covered in the scope of works under the services contract.







As a service provider in energy efficiency industry, clients may insist to include some scope of works that may be beyond your areas of specialization. For example, they may want to have the total solutions from engineering and management components of energy at their facilities such as integrated building automation system and energy metering system but your expertise may only limited to other areas. 

Bear in mind that energy efficiency is a multi-discipline field and it would be impossible for anyone to become an expert in all of disciplines in energy efficiency too. By having good contacts and professional relationship with other experts that you know and with trusted credentials to work with, you will not lose the possible opportunities with your prospective and existing clients.

In other cases, while you are servicing within you current scope of works, clients may have additional needs for solutions or really specific services that they need you to resolve for them and do not mind you source it from elsewhere.

That are among the reasons why the information on available other energy efficiency experts and knowing them are also important for you to start and sustain you REEM services in the market.


I am now entrusted to run one company in a group of companies which all companies in the group are involved in energy efficiency related businesses but as we move on, we still need to work with other experts as strategic partners to meet the increasing demand of our existing and potential clients.
Being a completely stand-alone REEM may good enough for you to enter the market but as you move on, it will limit your options to meet increasing demands of existing and future clients. In the same time, it may also limit your company’s potential to expand to tap “bigger” works other than only REEM services unless you are already comfortable on where you are now.


A REEM must be able to clearly define types and scope of services to be delivered to his prospective clients to meet agreed deliverables  in the services contract.

The client must be made to understand each scope and what type of outputs are expected from overall services to be delivered with agreed conditions and deliverables.


After you have started to deliver you services, all eyes will be on how you deliver especially among the key personnel related to energy management at the installation. A well-defined scope of works and agreed expectations on the deliverables throughout your services contract will be a good reference for every party to work with you and to monitor the progress.




This can be made available in few options. For big companies, they may have all the supports need from within to ensure services offered to be delivered. For newcomers or smaller companies there are several options can be considered as follows:
  • Focus on services that you are really good at and can be delivered using mainly your own expertise and existing resources;
  • Establish good contacts with reliable and trusted partners through strategic collaborations or ventures to bid or propose bigger scopes and more than just compliance services where your own expertise and resources are lacking.








They are scenarios where the financial strengths of a company could become the deciding factor to secure REEM services contract especially when we need to compete for jobs with big or multinational companies.

I personally came across such scenario when there are conditions where minimum paid up capital was predetermined at certain values and audited company’s account are a part of mandatory documents to be attached to qualify us for the bidding or preliminary evaluation stage.



It would be very helpful to have your track records on important or significant projects that are related to energy efficiency properly documented and ready to be shared with the prospects if needed. Good and well documented track records will give you more credentials to you especially when you are new to convince them to engage your services.



Engineers or people with technical background are often seen having their own set of characters and communicating in oral to other people unless among the same field is not something that  they are to be good at it.

The reality is, when you are in services industry, one of the core requirements to sell your services and that makes your ability to convince your prospects about your services. Obviously you will need to tell them how good you are and why they should engage you and not other REEMs.



REEMs are always expected to be resourceful people as the most competent person to be asked about energy management at the installation and therefore, the ability for REEMs to explain clearly on queries for services that they are offering or being delivered is also important. Strong and effective communication skills such as in oral presentation, negotiation, persuasion and business interaction will distinguish a REEM from other REEMs.

Energy management is not all about technical solutions and issues and REEMs must bear in mind that in the line of their duties as a REEM within the organization or as an external party to the installation, they have to communicate effectively with all levels of people. The needs for the ability to communicate effectively will be more obvious in discussions and/or meetings that REEMs will have to attend and participate.


In energy management activities, roles that need to be played by REEMs to deliver their services will require them to interact and to get cooperation from different levels and groups in the organization as well. Normally, people need to be convinced and oral skills are the best way to send your key messages and to get their supports and cooperation.

For external REEM service provider, excellent writing and oral skill will give extra strengths  in preparing attractive business proposal and to present  it convincingly to your targeted audience in business meetings or presentations.



Extra qualifications and competencies will always add more value and credentials for REEM to increase their image and reputation. These will make the prospects and existing clients to have more faith on the strengths and background of the REEM especially qualifications and competencies that can assist the clients to achieve better energy performances from energy management activities. 

Here I would like to share some qualifications and competencies that will add value to REEMs and services to be delivered at the installations:
  • Professional and competency certificates in related fields such as the as professional engineer and competent engineers for electrical safety;
  • Certified trainer by Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Bhd to conduct trainings  that are claimable by eligible companies under  Human Resource Development Fund;
  • Certified Lead Auditor and Registered Auditor with Certification Bodies for ISO50001 Standard;
  • Certifications from other independent bodies such for  Green Building Facilitator  and M&V Specialist;

The company that REEMs are representing have all related registration with relevant bodies such as Energy Commission for electrical works and ESCO, Construction Industry Development Board, Ministry of Finance and etc.

     

Other than using conventional business strategies such as seeking appointment for business presentation, participate in exhibitions and publishing brochures or pamphlets, REEMs must be proactive in order for them to get noticed in the market among other REEMs or industry players. The use of online media such as online professional networking groups and social media should be explored and utilized to target various segments of target groups for your services.



Other avenues to make yourself visible in the market are to use skills that you possess to participate in events such as seminars, forums and conferences as an expert or panel speakers where you be noticed directly by the audience which will build your good image and reputation.

If you are good in writing, you can seek the opportunity become a guest writer or columnist in your area of expertise or general issues on energy efficiency for relevant publications such as professional and industry magazines and newsletters.





I do see that REEM services can open more and bigger doors o for other EE services to be offered to the clients  and with this sharing, I do hope it could benefit  fellow REEMs out there and will inspire others to come on to join us.

Further queries or  more sharing on REEM services can be forwarded to me at zainiabdulwahab@yahoo.com

1 comment:

  1. Hello Sir,

    My company just received a notice letter from EC to appoint a REEM within 3 months. Because of my position as an electrical engineer, my management ask me to get the title for our company.

    My question is, how hard it is to get approved as REEM? is it possible within 3 months? From what i know, you have to take several days course, interview session with EC and also need to provide previous energy effeciency project in order to get the REEM title.

    Please advice. If the process is hard, i will need to advice my management to take consultant service for initial compliance.

    Regards
    Suffian

    ReplyDelete