The Future of HVAC Software for Field Service Teams

The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way many businesses operate, and the HVAC industry is no exception.

With sensors becoming more affordable and proliferating throughout buildings, field service teams are able to collect data and diagnose faults in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems remotely.

This has led to a rise in the popularity of HVAC software for field service teams, which allows technicians to connect to systems wirelessly, view real-time data, and make repairs quickly and efficiently.

Modern HVAC service software is a product of an emerging industry known as Field Service Management (FSM) software. By using real-time data analytics, HVAC field service can become more efficient and effective than ever.

In this article, we’ll explore the current state of HVAC software and explore how its future will change the way field service teams are run in the industry.

Current State of HVAC Technology: Introducing Remote Management

HVAC companies are increasingly looking for new ways to keep track of customer records, dispatch technicians, track schedules, and manage service appointments.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many HVAC field service providers moved to a remote working environment in 2020. Now, following the pandemic, many businesses are looking to find better ways to operate and reduce overhead expenses such as office spaces.

HVAC field service technology had stepped in during the pandemic to make it easier for field service teams to operate with social distancing measures. Moving to a cloud-based management platform, dispatch teams and managers are now able to work remotely and accurately manage field agents using HVAC field service software.

Alongside this, HVAC companies have made great strides in improving the customer experience. Consumer expectations for how their services and repairs are done have changed. As digitalization becomes a mainstay in our lives, customers are demanding increased visibility and digital updates on the status of their repairs.

HVAC and FSM software solutions have responded, implementing real-time, automated notifications for repair time windows, agent status and ETAs. By keeping customers in the loop, this ensures good customer satisfaction and saves support lines from disgruntled calls asking for status updates.

What processes can be enhanced with HVAC field service software?

Currently, HVAC software has already unified many processes that field agents use daily. By using an interconnected software suite, every employee in a HVAC company can access the same data, the same appointments and same calendars.

Staff from all areas of the business can co-ordinate with each other in real-time – from dispatchers to technicians, from customer service agents to salespeople. They’re accessing the same information and working with the same schedules.

HVAC solutions have introduced a whole host of innovative new automation features – cutting down lead and response times. For instance, HVAC software can automatically generate invoices and take payments from customers after each callout.

Some HVAC companies have allowed their field service applications to automate assigning and dispatching jobs to field agents. The use of AI and machine learning here can result in more efficient dispatch patterns than is possible with human operators.

The Future of HVAC Technology: Big Data& Preventive Maintenance

An emerging trend in all industries – not just HVAC – is the adoption of ‘Big Data’. This refers to the collection, use and distributions of high volumes of data that can be used to provide smart analytics for a wide range of operations. How is Big Data relevant to HVAC companies?

Increasingly, HVAC units are being fit with smart IoT sensors that track a wide array of metrics including temperature, usage trends, performance, and more. What this unlocks is a shift from emergency repairs to preventive maintenance. That is, to fix problems and issues with HVAC units before they result in system failure.

What’s the effect of this from a business perspective?

1. Preventive maintenance reduces the time and resources needed for each repair. It’s far quicker and cheaper to fix small errors such as plugging leaks, lubricating moving parts or checking electrical connections than it is to address total system failure, replace parts or entire units.
2. As these smaller, preventative tasks take far less time to fix, service agents can deal with a higher volume of callouts. This increases the capacity of HVAC field service companies, potentially increasing revenue (depending on your customer lifetime value vs. revenue per callout)

The issue here is how do you spot these smaller faults that have the potential to cause far greater damage? That’s why smart sensors are so important.

AI algorithms in a HVAC preventive maintenance application can be used here to detect patterns that indicate likely failure. Sensor data will be collected, used to predict the likelihood of a failure and will indicate which customers are in need of a regular service job.

Many HVAC preventive maintenance software solutions have already been developed – including Zuper’s field service management software. Their implementation of this intelligent software allows HVAC companies to better harness the power of AIto identify assets requiring maintenance.

From an environmental and wellbeing standpoint, HVAC software can make a huge impact. Faulty HVAC systems are woefully inefficient, wasting energy whilst not being effective in heating/cooling.

By catching faults before they arise, not only do you keep customers happy, you’re also reducing the energy consumption of each unit you maintain.

As global temperatures continue to rise, HVAC solutions will become ever more important in the drive to adapt to climate change. That’s why air conditioning and ventilation units shouldn’t fail. The more effective and efficient HVAC is, the greater chance many across the globe have of maintaining a high quality of life.

The Bottom Line on HVAC Service Software

HVAC software has already presented field service teams with a more efficient way of operating. This has the potential to boost profitability and customer satisfaction for firms of all different sizes.

The easy remote management of fleets has allowed HVAC companies to operate in a hybrid working environment, after the pandemic proved dispatch operators and admin staff can easily work from home.

What’s next? Automation and IoT has entered the HVAC industry, and it’s here to stay. HVAC field service providers will need to adopt innovative software solutions to make use of IoT sensors and predictive maintenance.

Energy efficiency, environmental concerns and downtime will increasingly become the most important issues for HVAC companies. Luckily, they’re the problems that future HVAC software will be perfect for solving.

For any HVAC businesses interested in exploring a better HVAC service software solution, you should consider looking into ZUPER today. You can get a free demo to better see how their FSM software can help your business grow and/or opt for the 14-day free trial and begin using them immediately.