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Why the Electrical Industry Owns Its Data and What's Coming Next with Patrick Knight, CEO of IDEA
Episode 110
Thursday, 24 September, 2026

What does it look like when an entire industry builds its own data infrastructure — and then has to reimagine itself for the AI era?Patrick Knight, President & CEO of IDEA, joins Karthik Chidambaram to talk about what makes IDEA unlike any other company in the B2B supply chain space: it's not VC-backed, it's not chasing an IPO — it's owned by the industry it serves (NAED and NEMA), and everything it builds is aimed at making electrical distribution smarter and more efficient.In this episode, Patrick unpacks how AI is reshaping supply chain data management, why data accuracy matters more than speed when wrong specs can cause real physical harm, and what IDEA's digital transformation into a full SaaS company looks like over the next five years. He also breaks down IDEA's flagship products (IDEA Connector and IDEA Exchange), newer offerings like DataWhispers and Cross-Check, and the push to adopt ETIM North America standards across the supply chain.If AI, supply chain innovation, or the future of B2B distribution is on your radar, this one's worth your time.