Electrical Certification Software for Electricians: What Should You Look For?
Electrical certification is an essential part of the job, but the software used to complete it shouldn't make the process harder than it needs to be.
The right electrical certification software should help electricians complete certificates accurately, efficiently and with as little repetitive input as possible — whether you're completing an EICR on a domestic property or managing inspection and testing across a much larger installation.
Good electrical certificate software should make it easier to complete and manage different types of certification. That can include Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs), Electrical Installation Certificates (EICs), Minor Works Certificates, Domestic Visual Condition Reports and fire detection and alarm certificates.
Certly already supports a range of electrical certificates alongside Part 6 fire detection and alarm certification (both testing and installation), with Part 1 certification coming soon.
The software should make the entire certification process easier to manage, from starting a certificate through to review, approval and storage.
So, what should electricians and electrical contractors actually look for when choosing electrical certification software?
1. Electrical Certification Software Should Save You Time
This should be the starting point.
Electrical certification software exists to make completing certificates easier. If you're spending hours after work finishing paperwork that could have been completed on site, something isn't working.
Good certification software should reduce unnecessary data entry, make information easy to find and allow you to move through a certificate logically.
That becomes particularly important when completing larger Electrical Installation Condition Reports (EICRs) containing multiple distribution boards and large numbers of circuits.
The less time you spend fighting with the software, the more time you have for the actual job.
2. Look for EICR Software Designed Around Real Inspection and Testing
An EICR isn't simply a form that needs filling in.
Electricians need to record installation details, distribution boards, circuit information, test results, observations, classifications and much more.
Your EICR cert software therefore needs to understand how electrical inspection and testing actually works.
We've looked in more detail at how modern EICR software can help electricians complete Electrical Installation Condition Reports faster and more efficiently.
At Certly, we're electricians ourselves. That's why we've focused on building workflows around the way electricians complete certification in the real world, rather than expecting electricians to change the way they work to suit their software.
3. Electrical Certificate Software Should Reduce Repetitive Data Entry
Re-entering the same information is one of the quickest ways for electrical certification to become frustrating.
Modern electrical certificate software should minimise repetitive input wherever possible.
Templates, reusable information and intelligent workflows can all reduce the amount of data that needs to be entered manually.
Even small time savings become significant when you're completing electrical certificates every day.
Five minutes saved on one certificate might not sound transformational.
Multiply that across every certificate, every electrician and every working week, and it quickly adds up.
4. Electrical Certification Software Should Help Reduce Errors
Speed matters, but not at the expense of accuracy.
Good electrical certification software should help electricians spot potential problems before a certificate is completed.
Certly includes intelligent checks based on the selections being made within a certificate. This helps identify inconsistencies and potential issues while the certificate is still being worked on.
The aim isn't to replace the electrician's competence, knowledge or professional judgement.
It's to provide another layer of checking while the certificate is being completed.
5. You Should Be Able to Work Across Different Devices
Electricians don't spend their working day sitting behind a desk.
Electrical certification software needs to reflect that.
You might start an electrical certificate on site using a tablet, check something later on your phone, or continue working from another supported device.
A good electrical cert app should give electricians access to their certificates when and where they need them rather than tying their work to one particular device.
Certly is available on iOS and Android, with desktop access launching soon, giving electricians even more flexibility over where certificates are completed, managed and reviewed.
For electricians moving between jobs, sites and the office, that flexibility can make a significant difference.
6. EICR Software Needs to Handle Large Installations Too
Not every EICR is a small domestic installation.
Commercial, industrial and larger residential installations can contain multiple distribution boards and extensive circuit schedules.
Certification software needs to be capable of scaling with the job.
Certly allows users to create unlimited distribution boards and circuit schedules, making it suitable for larger electrical installations without forcing the electrician to work around arbitrary software limits.
Your software shouldn't become the problem simply because the installation gets bigger.
7. Circuit Schedules Should Be Easy to Manage
Anyone who has completed a large EICR knows that things don't always appear in the perfect order.
Circuits may need inserting, moving or reorganising as inspection and testing progresses.
That's why seemingly small features can have a big impact on usability.
Certly allows circuits to be dragged, dropped and reordered, helping electricians organise circuit schedules without unnecessary re-entry.
It's a simple example of what good electrical certification software should do: remove friction from everyday tasks.
8. Electrical Certification Software Should Support More Than One Certificate Type
Electrical contractors rarely complete just one type of certificate.
Depending on the work being carried out, you may need to complete EICRs, Electrical Installation Certificates, Minor Works Certificates, Domestic Visual Condition Reports or fire detection and alarm certification for testing and installs.
Good electrical certification software should make it easier to keep those different certificate types together rather than relying on separate systems, disconnected PDFs or paperwork.
Certly supports a growing range of electrical certification, including Domestic Part 6 fire detection and alarm certificates, with Commercial Part 1 certification coming soon.
As Certly develops, we're continuing to expand the range of certification available based on the work electricians and electrical contractors actually carry out.
9. Think About How Certificates Are Reviewed and Approved
For individual electricians, completing the certificate may be the end of the process.
For electrical contractors and larger teams, it often isn't.
Certificates may need to be reviewed by a Qualified Supervisor (QS) before being approved and issued.
That can create another layer of emails, phone calls, messages and certificate chasing.
Certly's QC Relay provides a direct workflow between electricians and qualified supervisors.
Completed certificates can be submitted for review, the QS can see which certificates are awaiting approval, and the workflow stays within Certly.
For companies with multiple electricians, the process surrounding a certificate can be just as important as completing the certificate itself.
10. Your Electrical Certificates Should Be Easy to Manage
Electrical certification isn't only about completing a form.
Over time, electricians and electrical contractors can accumulate hundreds or thousands of certificates across different customers, properties and jobs.
Your software should make those records easier to manage, not harder.
Being able to organise clients, jobs and certificates digitally means less time searching for information and a clearer record of completed work.
That's especially important for businesses carrying out regular electrical inspection and testing across different certificate types.
The value of good electrical testing and certification software shouldn't end when the certificate is completed.
11. Support and Learning Resources Matter
Even straightforward software takes some getting used to.
Look at what happens after you sign up.
Can you find clear guidance? Are there walkthroughs? Can you see how individual features work? Is help available when you need it?
We've created the Certly Learning Centre with step-by-step videos, feature walkthroughs, getting-started guides and tips to help electricians get more from the software.
And as Certly evolves, those resources will continue to grow.
12. Choose Electrical Certification Software That Keeps Improving
Electrical certification software shouldn't stand still.
Standards evolve. Technology changes. And, most importantly, electricians find better ways of doing things.
We actively encourage electricians using Certly to send us their ideas, feedback and feature requests.
Some of the smallest suggestions can result in improvements that benefit everyone using the app.
We don't want to build certification software in isolation.
We want to build it alongside the electricians actually using it.
So, What Is the Best Electrical Certification Software for You?
There isn't one feature that determines whether electrical certification software is right for you.
Look at the complete experience.
Is it quick to use?
Does it reduce repetitive work?
Can it handle the size of installations you work on?
Does it support the range of certification your business actually completes — from EICRs, EICs and Minor Works to Domestic Visual Condition Reports and fire detection certificates?
Can you access your work when and where you need it?
Does it fit the way you or your electrical business actually operates?
The best electrical certification software for your business isn't necessarily the system with the longest feature list.
It's the one that removes friction from the work you're already doing and helps you complete electrical certification more efficiently.
Electrical Certification, Simplified
That's what we're building Certly to do.
Certly is electrical certification software built by electricians, for electricians — designed to make completing, managing, reviewing and approving electrical certificates quicker and simpler.
From EICRs, EICs, Minor Works Certificates and Domestic Visual Condition Reports to fire detection and alarm certification, intelligent checks, circuit schedules, unlimited distribution boards and QS review workflows, we're continually developing Certly around the needs of the electricians using it.
Certly is available on iOS and Android, with desktop access launching soon.
If you're looking for electrical certification software designed around the realities of inspection and testing, you can explore Certly or download Certly and start your free trial.
Because certification software should make the job easier — not create more work.
Quickly. Simply. Certly.
