How can HVAC R companies improve employee productivity?

The typical HVAC R company may employ anywhere between five and 12 mechanics, all of whom work with a variety of systems, from commercial AC units to industrial refrigeration systems.

Between having clear objectives and possessing dependable refrigeration gauges, there are many factors that impact an HVAC R technician’s productivity. What should HVAC R businesses do to increase employee output while keeping input to a minimum?

Defining productivity 

Simply telling a worker he or she needs to be more productive is not conducive to encouraging improvement. The employee may respond by asking for more resources, time and pay, all of which are limited.

Linda Couch, chief operating officer of Parrish Services, a residential trade services company in the US, maintained that the first step to enhancing employee productivity involves dictating what exactly they need to produce. From there, leaders need to establish specific goals that are reasonably achievable.

For example, a team manager could set an objective for all mechanics to replace automatic expansion valves within 30 minutes. Enabling technicians to do so may entail supporting on-the-job training. It may pay off to have a new employee work under a veteran who can show the rookie the most efficient way to finish a certain task.

Providing the right equipment 

HVAC R mechanics have a variety of tools at their disposal to conduct their jobs. However, are they using the best instruments available? Ms Couch noted that the latest trade tools often introduce improvements on previous releases, indicating that five-year-old devices may no longer be up to standard.

The need for simple, affordable devices has prompted Testo Australia to release eight Smart Probes that can connect to mechanics’ mobile devices. After downloading the Smart Probes App on iOS or Android, users can measure air velocity, temperature, humidity and other factors through their smartphones and tablets.

The lightweight, cost-effective devices use Bluetooth technology to send information directly to smartphones. Once data is delivered to the App, users can save, read, analyse and share information through the cloud.

Do mobile devices improve productivity? It depends on how workers use them. In regards to the Smart Tools’ capabilities, mobile technology can serve as the primary medium through which employees can keep track of responsibilities, communicate with colleagues and manage customer relationships.

If you want to know which Smart Tools are best for your organisation, speak with Testo’s sales team today.