A well-known Zen riddle is, “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” A perpetual thermographer’s enigma is, “What are infrared inspection services worth?” The following are some key considerations when establishing prices for infrared inspection services.
Better, faster, cheaper – these powerful words are often used in advertising when attempting to attract new customers. Unfortunately, they fail to address the issue of quality – often one of the most important aspects of professional services such as thermography.
In determining prices for any service, one must determine all costs associated with providing services to one’s clients within a given time frame along with the amount of profit desired. The sum of these numbers, divided by the number of billable hours or days that can be sold during the same time period will yield an hourly or daily price. Depending upon how a company is structured and the desired profit margin, these numbers can vary widely.
When setting prices for infrared inspection services, ask yourself the following questions:
What services or features are prospects willing to pay for?
How will the offered services add value to your client’s operation?
What unique advantages can your company provide?
Once you have established pricing and begun to market your services, be prepared to justify your prices to prospects. Clients will often spend more for services if they can be convinced that they will receive better quality and value. Consistently having the lowest price will not win every order and can compromise a company’s longevity.
12 Thermographers Advance to Level II Certification
Twelve thermographers from around the US recently completed Infraspection Institute’s Level II Certified Infrared Thermographer® training course. Recognized for providing the highest level of certification in the infrared industry, Infraspection’s Level II course focuses on quantitative thermography. The course was taught by Jim Seffrin, Director of Infraspection Institute.
Level II Certified Infrared Thermographer® is a five-day course for the application of quantitative thermal imaging and temperature measurement for P/PM, Condition Monitoring, Quality Assurance and Forensic Investigations. This course covers advanced infrared theory, equipment calibration, error sources, cross-verification with contact thermometers, advanced equipment operation, use of windows and filters, assigning temperature limits and repair priorities, and quantitative report generation.
Calibration is a topic of interest to anyone that performs measurements. Calibration laboratories utilized by infrared equipment manufacturers often represent huge capital investments in hardware and software. Calibration procedures are not only complex, they are also proprietary to each manufacturer thereby prohibiting an unauthorized third party from making any adjustments to an infrared radiometer.
Part of Infraspection Institute’s distance learning program, SuccessIRies 108 – How to Check IR Equipment Calibration, is intended for anyone wishing to perform a calibration check of their infrared equipment. This course is designed for in-house and contract thermographers, maintenance personnel, and managers of infrared inspection programs.
Course is designed for beginners and experienced thermographers. SuccessIRies 108 is 27 minutes long and may be accessed 24/7 from a standard web browser or a smart device.
Infraspection Institute is pleased to announce that its annual Advanced Training Conference, Technical Symposium and Technology Expo, IR/INFO 2015, will be held January 18 – 21, 2015 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Now in its 26th year, IR/INFO features four days of networking, learning, and fun in a relaxed, yet professional, family atmosphere.
Infraspection Institute is presently seeking papers and presenters for IR/INFO 2015. Invited topics include, but are not limited to: safety, emerging applications, building sciences, related NDT, case histories, as well as tips and tricks. Presentations are typically 25 minutes with 5 minutes for Q & A time with the audience. All papers and presentations will be published in the IR/INFO Proceedings. The deadline for abstract submissions is July 31.
