The pool industry is dynamic. Over the years, it has adopted technology advancements to meet industry needs and market demands. When it comes to automated pool products, numerous technologies enhance the pool experience for homeowners and pool professionals.

Over time, changing industry dynamics and customer demands have led to product innovations and customer service process improvements across the industry. Consumer desires can drive other transformations like the capability to control and monitor everything from a smartphone or the need for more energy-efficient, sustainable solutions. These marketplace trends are expected to continue to push the industry to focus on delivering simple and smart solutions to pool owners and the pool pros who serve them.

Finding Inspiration

Understanding the needs of pool owners and servicers alike is a crucial jumping-off point to inspire innovative thinking. The pool industry can also benefit from exploring what’s next in tech outside of pools. For example, what trends are shaping consumer electronics? How do people want to interact with their products? How are organizations adapting augmented and virtual reality technologies to transform their customer’s purchasing journey? When the industry looks outside of its “swim lane,” it has the benefit of exposure to different perspectives. Different perspectives can bring innovative ways of thinking about product design and customer experience. While there are several trends and new technologies to consider, some of the most innovative thinking is driven by connected and automated products and increased demands for greater sustainability.

Smart, Connected and Automated Solutions

Many pool owners want to spend more time enjoying their pools and less time maintaining them. To meet this need, manufacturers are challenged to create and deliver products and solutions with increased connectivity capabilities to make pool control more effortless and user-friendly. And, striking the balance between meeting the speed and ease a pool owner desires and ensuring the product is also easy for pool pros to service and monitor can help provide win-win solutions for the industry.

Smart, connected, and automated products not only can provide ease and peace of mind to pool owners but they are also transforming the way pool professionals work. Some connected pumps, for example, allow pool pros to install the product efficiently with intuitive step-by-step prompts via an app. Less time installing means moving on to the next job quicker.

Remote monitoring is also changing the way the service industry works. The status and operating conditions of some pool products can be remotely monitored via an app allowing the pro to stay one step ahead and be proactive with service, even with busy schedules and increased demands. For products that provide remote monitoring, software updates could be pushed over-the-air (OTA), meaning the pool professional doesn’t need to be at the pool pad to ensure the customer’s equipment is running optimally, saving time and effort.

Automation systems are also rapidly evolving. By leveraging cloud technology, pool professionals and pool owners could experience improved stability, connectivity and centralized control of their pool devices. By connecting to apps on a phone or tablet, homeowners can check their pool status remotely, receive alerts and easily adjust features such as lights with the touch of a finger.

Energy Savings and Environmental Considerations

While connected and automated products and solutions are a big focus, this is not the only trend driving innovation. Pool owners are also increasingly prioritizing energy-saving efforts and monitoring their environmental impact, also reflecting energy efficiency and environmental trends that exist in the larger marketplace. These developments are encouraging innovation in pool products and solutions to further focus on and maximize energy efficiency. Such innovations include continued evolution of pool pump technology, high-efficiency heaters, and energy-efficient lighting, among others.

An Eye to the Future

Manufacturers are increasingly adopting new technologies to improve product design, efficiency, and customer experience to support the evolving innovation trends in the pool industry. Education and support will help with the adoption of these innovations for pool pros and customers. As we progress through 2023 and beyond, the pool industry is expected to continue to evolve. Listening closely to customers and understanding needs and trends will help keep pace and even provide industry leadership into the future.