Podcasts: Feb. 16, 2015

A: We look at a company’s operations and ask “What’s the most inefficient process that costs the company the most amount of money?” We then look at smartphone technology and ask, “Can we make them more profitable and efficient through a smartphone?” I personally believe we are on the brink of a revolution in the way we utilize business technology. When you look back at this time, business analysts are going to look at the smartphone the way we look at email, a fax machine, and the telephone. These devices are poised to completely change the way we do business. These are computers that are mobile and accessible at all times. Amazon, the U.S. Army, and UPS are investing incredible amounts of money into mobile process improvement technology, and they’re seeing savings into the billions. This industry is growing very rapidly. About 20 percent more companies between now and 2017 are expected to start using smartphones to drive relevant business processes. It’s becoming of your audience to think about whether or not they can use this in their businesses.

Q: What is mobile process improvement and how is it relevant for HVAC contractors?

A: It’s taking a process in your company — the way you do taxes, your invoicing, fleet management — and automating it using smartphone devices or a network of smartphone devices. HVAC contracting businesses are quite disparate. A large HVAC company may have 20-40 or more employees in multiple cities doing multiple jobs. When you have field levels, it’s sometimes hard to determine if someone’s operating at peak efficiency. Field mobility apps allow techs to check in and start getting paid when they arrive at a typical job site. … There’s not a lot of penetration in the HVAC market, so there’s an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition.

Kirill Storch
CEO, Electric Web, Stockton, California
www.electricwebmarketing.com

Publication date: 2/16/2015

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