Technology in HVAC&R: what’s next? From productivity to profitability, technology in the HVAC&R sector is changing the game. Luke Steiner from Chillex Group shares what’s working and what might be next Technology is always at the forefront of mind for the team at Chillex Group. Specialists in HVAC design, project management and site inspection and advisory services to new build and retrofit projects, the Auckland-based provider also has a team of experts that provide ongoing service and maintenance support to HVAC equipment.
Productivity and profitability Making the move from paper to online records across all its business units, including maintenance and construction, has allowed Chillex to automate many operational tasks – saving time and resources. “We use Simpro for our job management, and that has helped us move away from paper and keep everything in soft copy,” shares Luke Steiner, business development manager at Chillex Group. “It’s used across both our
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DECEMBER 2023
business units – maintenance and construction – but it’s particularly useful for the maintenance side. In terms of scheduling jobs and recurring tasks, it automates everything as much as possible.” Modelling is also used at Chillex to deliver the best results for clients. “Our engineering team uses AutoCAD and BIM software, which allows us to do a lot of design work in-house,” says Luke. “We also use Arkturus – a data analysis plugin for Simpro – that helps us pull out lots of useful information so we can analyse it and make informed decisions on how we run the business. “It’s technology like this that allows us to assess the productivity of staff or profitability of customers, KPI analysis and this type of information. So it’s really helpful in the commercial and KPI side of the business.”
