+ 27 ( 0 ) 82 940 0701
Hot and chilled
RACA Journal Publication
www . hvacronline . co . za benjamin @ interactmedia . co . za
BUSINESS IN THE WRONG LANE
Sometimes hard questions or statements need to be considered in an industry , and I suppose this is one . Each month I have the opportunity and privilege to engage with a number of business owners , engineers and technicians . Often , I am overwhelmed with industry knowledge and the nuances that exist . One such interaction I had this month was the importance of businesses “ staying in their lanes ”.
This can obviously have particular meaning or can be used in the general sense , but the particular conversation around the subject was that although times do get tough , businesses straying into other ’ s lane can have unintended , and serious consequences . One such example is the fact that unlicensed people could be , and unfortunately are , running around and partaking in the industry without the required knowledge , nor a care of consequence .
History has illustrated time and again that when this happens , despite the real dangers that exist , a direct impact on the industry will come about . Similarly , this can be likened to a so-called electrician that comes in to look at your faulty circuit
breakers and causes more problems than you originally had and then is nowhere to be found after the fact . Or so-called HVACR technicians that sound knowledgeable and come and “ do repairs or maintenance ”, cause other damage and then change their cell phone number overnight so they have no liability or consequence ! This has such a negative overall impact on the client – who has perhaps just come out of their warranty period on their system .
Being in the wrong lane could also imply taking on roles and responsibilities that have never formed part of the business model or company objective , but with the sole intention of chasing additional revenue to ensure business continuity . One comment from industry supports this notion : “ Whatever a business chooses to do , they need to do it well and strive for excellence in their speciality ”, rather than disrupting the sector and participating in areas that may just create confusion , or supplying a service that is half-hearted or half-skilled . Perhaps this is another point of discussion – what do you think about business ‘ staying in their lane ’ – I would love to hear from you !
In this issue , we have a number of local and international news stories , we look at some of the events that have taken place over the last month and further carry various contributor articles that cover a very wide scope of content topics . We hope you find value in these .
Our project is the plant replacement of a large supermarket chain in Gqeberha ( formerly Port Elizabeth ) that had just 16 working days to strip , install and commission what is estimated as the largest VRF air handling unit in the country ( and possibly continent ) with a capacity of 960kW .
Our features cover the role of wholesalers as major supports in any industry sectors , and the essential aspect of PPE that has been a talking point in fact , for decades as the safety of individuals remains as much now a critical factor as it was many years ago – perhaps even more so now with the adoption of hi-tech equipment and systems . Our profile in this issue is on Brendan O ’ Donahue , director at BJ Cooling and Heating who entered the industry as a backup plan and never left !
This month ’ s quote again implies the obvious quality-cost link but also implies the need for bigger picture thinking , business longevity and related factors in failure .
“ The next time you face a challenge , remember that the cost of success is far cheaper than the price of failure ” - Tsem Tulku .
I continue to welcome your engagement , comments and suggestions in order to produce a quality product that brings value to you as the reader . This is your industry and this publication exists to serve you as I will continue to remind you , so if you see opportunity for improvement or wish to contribute to its success – let me know !
Have a great month ahead as we are already solidly into the
third quarter of 2021 ! RACA
Ben
www . hvacronline . co . za RACA Journal I August 2021 1