As solar power continues to gain popularity as a sustainable and cost-effective energy source, the solar industry is rapidly growing. If you own a solar business, you may be wondering how you benefit from that growth? How can you scale your solar business?
Here are three effective ways to scale your solar business focusing on your operations:
- Process standardization
- Process digitization
- Process automation
Process Standardization
Process standardization involves streamlining your operations by establishing standard procedures for every aspect of your business. This ensures that all your project managers are trained to follow the same processes, which reduces errors, improves efficiency, and increases customer satisfaction. If you have not project managers in place yet, we’d recommend how to set up a good project management function. Standardizing processes can also make it easier to expand to other business areas such as heat pumps by making it easier to onboard new employees and train them on your procedures. You can find our guide on how to approach process standardization here.
To standardize your solar business, start by documenting your current processes. Identify areas where you can eliminate redundancies or inefficiencies, and look for opportunities to improve the installation experience for your end customers. Once you have documented your processes, create a training program that ensures all employees understand and follow these procedures.
Process Digitization
Process digitization involves using technology to automate manual processes and improve efficiency. This can include using software to document your installations, automate manual tasks and digitize the customer experience. Digitizing your processes can save time and reduce errors, which can ultimately save your business money and increase customer satisfaction.
To digitize your solar business, start by identifying the areas where technology can help you streamline your operations. Consider investing in software that can automate tasks such as document creation and scheduling, and software to create a better customer communication. Additionally, using digital tools to track your inventory to optimize your operations and reduce waste.
Process Automation
Process automation involves using technology to automate tasks that were previously done manually. This can include software to automate scheduling, communication, or document creation. Automating your processes can help you reduce labor costs, increase efficiency, and reduce wrong data entries. To automate your solar business, start by identifying the areas where automation can help you streamline your operations.
Case Study from a German solar business
A German solar business from our network started with 13 team members and was managing 100 installations per year that resulted in a yearly revenue of €3M. By standardizing, digitizing, and automating its processes, the company grew to 30 team members and now manages 400 installations per year which results in a yearly revenue of €8M. As you can see, the company was able to grow its number of installations by 4x while only doubling its team size.
Conclusion
In conclusion, standardizing, digitizing, and automating your solar business processes can help you scale your operations and keep up with the rapid growth of the solar industry. By using Kwest, we can help you to streamline your operations and reduce inefficiencies. Kwest will also help you to improve customer satisfaction, reduce costs, and ultimately increase the number of installations per year.
