It’s Q&A time as we talk to Boyd Goulden, Managing Director & Founder of CertOn, to learn more about his invention which brings those all-important property-related documents into one easy-to-access portal.
Q. What is your background and career as a spark?
I have over 35 years’ experience in electrical engineering, from an Apprentice to Director with everything else in-between. I originally started work with my Dad’s contracting firm in 1989, working predominantly on new builds and commercial contracts. I’ve also worked in Australia (1996) and New Zealand (2002) and have been my own boss since 2012, employing a few of other sparks along the way.
Q. You now run your own business. What sort of work do you undertake and specialise in?
The electrical contracting business serves Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas by providing both domestic and commercial installations, kitchen/bathroom/extensions, EICRs, garden lighting and some electrical maintenance.
Q. Tell us more about your invention – CertOn – how it works and what it is designed to do.
Being involved in providing handover packs to large developers during my days as an Office Manager, I realised that issuing old fashioned hard paper and email copies to end users has many pitfalls. The customer care teams from the building firms, along with new property owners, were always asking for a second copy of their certificate or O&M manuals, as the paper or emailed data copy was lost, misplaced, or never received.
At this stage I began to think that there must be a better and more efficient way to ensure that they’ll never be lost and can always be accessible in the future.
CertOn launched at the ELEX trade show in 2019 to a fantastic response from our industry. It is a document storage facility that uses QR code technology with a free App/website hybrid, to easily access those all-important property documents. Our multi-award-winning HUB product has been widely acclaimed as an innovative new way of issuing and receiving documents at properties and we’ve also been nominated for various other awards in the electrical, safety and compliance sectors.
We have two products:
1. CertOn HUB (Est.2019) – this is a public portal that allows anyone who is registered to add properties and view documents for free. You only pay to upload and order the QR code installation kits.
2. CertOn PRO (Est. 2021) – this incorporates richer features and is available under licence. Ideal customers for this solution would be any Housing Association, FM, or organisation with a large property portfolio who want to manage the system themselves.
The ‘asset tagging’ capabilities of CertOn PRO reach far beyond individual properties, with added features that are ideal for tagging any asset throughout high rise residential, commercial, or industrial locations.
With the ‘Building Safety Act 2022’ in place, transparency of documents and a ‘Single Source of Truth’ or ‘Golden Thread’ for larger building owners and property managers (such as landlords and Housing Associations) is a must. Both the CertOn HUB and PRO products fit into this ‘Compliance & Safety’ category. Our asset tagging system isn’t just limited to properties – any plant or remote location can be assigned a QR code and documents added/viewed by users.
Q. Why do you think a product/concept like this is important for the electrical industry and its customers?
A regulation (644.4.202) was added in the 18th Edition, nodding towards our new way of issuing documents in any ‘electronic form’, which we were proud to get included in the ‘blue book’.
The ‘brown book’ Amd 2 (514 Identification and Notices) changed with the removal of various labels on the consumer units, provided the issuing of documentation to the person ordering the works was given.
Both our products not only fit and serve this purpose, but they also make the installation safer for the next installer and end user alike. Plus, the board no longer has to be subjected to all those messy stickers – one unique QR code encompasses everything!
Homeowners and (some) landlords rarely know where their documentation is when they need it. With a product like CertOn installed, they not only know it’s there, but all users are notified when any future tests (expiring documents) are due. This is a win-win for all parties and will create repeat business for the contractor.
Q. What was the process like with bringing an idea in your head to life? Did it take longer than you expected?
Once the idea was there, it took a conversation with my friend and business partner, Larry Rach at Twin Technology, who helped pull in the software team at Cyber UK to make a plan of what’s required to cover the MVP (minimal viable product) and get the system running smoothly.
We tested various ideas and prototypes to get a working hybrid App and website which would provide a stable, secure and easy to use system. It took around 12 months from coming up with the original concept to the Apps being launched in the Apple and Google stores.
Q. How are things going currently and are there any plans for some new developments with CertOn in the future?
We have over 500 users on the system currently and that number is continuing to grow. Our customer feedback has shown that end users love the digital back-up and the assurance of knowing there are actually documents being issued.
There are a few product enhancements to implement in the future that we can’t share right now (top secret!) and there’s lots of interest from potential investors across various sectors who are keen to get on board.
We’ve been busy creating partnerships with a wide range of organisations from the electrical, fire, safety and compliance industries that all see the benefits of our products. These have the capability of being integrated into other types of software with API links, adding value to alternative products and services. All I’ll say is watch this space!
Q. What advice would you give to other electricians who may have a good idea that they’d like to explore further?
Go for it! I had an idea and didn’t just sit on it. I put my time, effort and money into it and managed to bring it to market.
If you have an idea, don’t just wait around and do nothing, because in the future you might see a product or service out there and think that you could, and should, have gone for it. That’s something you’ll definitely regret!
Get more information about CertOn Hub and Pro here
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