The Official Blog of ESL Power Systems, Inc.
To customers, distributors, and retailers, a certification mark means that they are purchasing a product that has been evaluated by an accredited independent organization. This third-party certification for electrical and power products means that a qualified independent testing laboratory has reviewed the manufacturing process of the particular product and has concluded that the final product complies with specific safety standards.
Hurricane Andrea has kicked off the 2013 Hurricane Season, and according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this year should be a doozie. With warmer than average temperatures, wind patterns routing our way from Africa, and no sign of El Niño showing up to reduce hurricane activity, it has been predicted that the Atlantic is likely to experience a greater number of storms and stronger hurricanes. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center anticipates 13-20 named storms and 3-6 hurricanes. This forecast is above the seasonal average.
One does not have to go back very far to discover the riveting devastation numerous natural disasters have left in their wake. From Katrina washing over the gulf coast to severe snow storms freezing power lines across the Midwest to the most recent visit from Sandy which left over 8 million people without power, the increasing severity and frequency of inclement weather is matched by our growing reliance on the power grid infrastructure.
Year in and year out, from coast to coast we are reminded how absolutely dependent we have become on the underlying infrastructure that delivers the clean water, electricity, and communications we Americans have come to take for granted.
Whether you are an engineer, end-user, manufacturer, contractor, or distributor, the process of composing or evaluating bid documents can be quite complex and time-consuming. Keep in mind that the end goal is to deliver a high quality product at a fair price that meets or exceeds customer expectations. However, without clear guidelines, many items might be left open to interpretation. At the end of the day, one bidder is quoting a blue minivan and another a red sports car when the customer was really wanting a white pick-up truck. Meanwhile everyone involved is pulling their hair out trying to determine what to offer or attempting to evaluate dissimilar bids. Sounds all too familiar, right?