Struggling with explaining CT ratio errors and demand calculations to a client's finance team. Found significant issues with their PSE&G industrial accounts but every time I start talking about multipliers and power factor corrections, I see eyes glazing over. How do you translate the technical stuff into business language?
Communicating Technical Findings to Non-Technical Clients
Paul, I use analogies. CT ratios are like the odometer in your car - if it's reading wrong, you're getting charged for miles you didn't drive. For demand charges, I compare it to paying for the size of your water pipe, not just how much water you use.
Barry's analogies are spot on. I also create simple before/after charts showing actual bills vs corrected bills. Finance people understand spreadsheets. Skip the technical explanation and just show the bottom line impact month by month.
For demand issues I tell them 'You're paying for a highway when you only need a side street.' Then show how demand charges work with their actual usage patterns. Visual charts work better than explanations.
These are all great suggestions. I've started using Hugh's cheat sheet approach and it works wonders. Client called yesterday to thank me for making it 'finally make sense'. Sometimes our expertise gets in the way of clear communication.
I create a 'translation sheet' for each client - technical term on left, plain English explanation on right, dollar impact on far right. Power factor becomes 'electrical efficiency rating', CT multiplier becomes 'meter reading adjustment factor'. Keep it simple.
Dale that's brilliant. I'm stealing that translation sheet idea. What I've found works is starting with 'Here's what this error cost you' then backing into 'Here's why it happened' if they want details. Lead with impact, follow with explanation only if needed.
For CT ratio errors specifically, I show them the meter reading, multiply it by the correct ratio, then by the incorrect ratio, and show the bill difference. Let the math speak for itself. Most finance folks can follow the arithmetic even if they don't understand transformers.
One trick I use - create a one-page 'cheat sheet' they can reference later. Technical term, simple definition, why it matters to their bill. Clients love having something they can refer back to when explaining to their boss.