Associations
TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE
OF HVAC INSTALLATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
By Charles Freedman
Charles Freeman presented the following article at a SAIRAC Technical Talk at ACRA on 16 February , 2023 .
If you ’ re old enough ( like me ) to remember the world before mobile phones , you ’ ll probably cringe at the sloth-like pace things used to get done . First came mobile phones , then software , smartphones , the cloud and apps . Today there is an app for ( almost ) everything . How the world works — and how people work across it — has changed and continues to change at an exponential rate .
So what does it mean for the HVAC installation industry in South Africa ? What are the technologies and trends shaping installation , service and maintenance teams globally and how will they shape South African businesses today and in the future ?
At ServCraft we spend our days thinking deeply about how suppliers , distributors , installers and end users can benefit from technology to create more value for themselves and the industry . We see four steps playing out over the next few years that represent both our vision for the HVAC installation space and how we see it evolving .
STEP 1 : BLISSFUL ISOLATION This level should sound familiar . Customer leads scribbled down on paper . Paper job cards handed out physically . Scribbles turned into quotes and invoices generated on your accounting system or excel . Email and WhatsApp used to manage teams and suppliers .
It feels clunky because it is . Sage estimates that South African HVAC installers spend an average of R750 000 on administration . In spite of marginal gains in efficiency and effectiveness using emails , WhatsApp messages and accounting software , activity remains disjointed within and across businesses , suppliers and customers . Opportunities fall through the cracks , it takes too much time to win work , order and collect stock and get paid . Meanwhile , customers have a mediocre experience .
STEP 2 : OPTIMISED INDIVIDUALISM Now we ’ re talking . Software takes things to a whole new level .
Leads , jobs , quotes and invoices are captured and managed in one place helping you to win more work , get paid faster and have happier customers . Integration with your accounting software means real time insight of your financials and no double entry .
© Eamonn Ryan | RACA Journal
Charles Freedman , CEO of ServCraft .
Automated communications keep customers in the loop every step of the way . Customer payments are made from digital invoices straight from their phones . This isn ’ t the future . It ’ s today . In the US , 48 % of field service businesses use job management software and 90 % of those share that they ’ ve experienced growth as a result . At ServCraft , we estimate that
less than 10 % of South African HVAC installation businesses use software to power their operations . The opportunity to create value and differentiate is real .
STEP 3 : MEANINGFUL CONNECTIONS Here ’ s where things get interesting . As more HVAC installers adopt technology , there ’ s a growing opportunity to connect them with suppliers . Today , technicians tell administrators what to quote on , they generate quotes and then purchase orders are sent by whatsapp and email . Customers complain about having to wait days or weeks to get a quote . Integrating installer ’ s software with suppliers will give installers access to price and availability of items
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