E-BusinessCutting the paper trailWireless technology becomes affordableBy Simon BlakeThe operating principle behind wirelesssystems available to the plumbingand <strong>HVAC</strong>/R contractor is simple:free the technician from non-billabletasks to allow them to focus ongenerating money for the business.That’s fine in theory, but whenP&<strong>HVAC</strong> last looked at wireless technologythree years ago, it was tooexpensive for the average shop owner.“You had to be a pretty big company…it was probably a $100,000 to getinto this,” reportedMansell Nelson,vice president ofplanning and businessdevelopmentfor Rogers BusinessSolutions, Toronto.But technologyhas evolved at ablinding pace. Today,service contractorsare adoptinga new generationof lower costwireless systems thatoperate on highspeeddigital networks.The cost andheadaches havebeen reduced dramatically.Off-the-shelf software is tailoredto the <strong>HVAC</strong>/R and plumbingservice industries. Internet hosted serviceslet the contractor pay a fixedmonthly fee.The move to wireless was a no-brainerfor the busy commercial/industrialservice department at HTS EngineeringLtd. in Toronto.“We wanted to eliminate a lot of verbalcommunication,” reported service managerMorgan Cowl. “We were looking fora system where we could get qualityinformation back from the field.” Thatmeant “stopping the chicken-scratch” onwork sheets that office staff had to clarifywith technicians by telephone.“You want to find asoftware systemthat doesn’t forcethe contractorto become acomputertechnologist.”Computer literacyQuality documentationBasically, a wireless system ties the technician’shandheld or laptop computerseamlessly to the shop’s business anddispatch software.“It’s wireless work order managementand the ability to schedule anddispatch work orders to your fieldforce…” reports Carlo Marcanio,national account manager forFieldCentrix, Irvine, California.The work order is transmitted to thetechnician who canadjust hours, addparts, recommendadditional work,capture customersignature, etc. andimmediately transmitthe completedwork order back tothe office. It canautomatically updatethe dispatcher’sscreen and transferwork site informationto the officecomputer system toupdate invoicing,payroll, inventory,etc.Neither computernor typing skillsare required with many of today’s systems.Drop-down screens allow thetechnician to tick off the right answer.“It’s almost like it becomes a multipleThe question of computer literacy among field technicians often arises whendiscussing wireless technology.One would typically think that younger more computer literate technicianswould catch on quicker. The reality is just the opposite, reports Morgan Cowl,service manager for HTS Engineering in Toronto. “The older guys love it.It’s a new challenge.”And there is considerable motivation, added MobilioLINK’s JamieOpalchuk. “They don’t have to spend their Sunday evenings doing theirpaperwork anymore.”That being said, today’s young technicians expect to use computers intheir work, said Rogers’ Mansell Nelson. “One of the things we are findingis that wireless technology is attracting younger people into the industrybecause they can use these kinds of tools. They see these companies asprogressive for adopting these kinds of technologies.”HTS Engineering service manager Morgan Cowl and service coordinator FulviaSperandio examine the day’s projects.choice exercise,” remarked Nelson.Quality service records generated by awireless system help improve customersatisfaction and reduce billing disputesbecause work order information isbeing captured at the point of service,added Marcanio.Keeping track of techniciansbecomes easy. “Because it’s checkingback in real time, it’s updating the dispatchboard in real time,” said JamieOpalchuk of wireless software providerMobilio Inc., Oakville, Ont. The technicianscan be organized by zone, skillsets, equipment in their trucks, etc.Service managers can go online anytime and view the information thattechnicians are putting into their computers,again, minimizing the need fortelephone calls.Master files are created for each customer.This gives the technician accessto equipment history and guides theplanning of preventive maintenance.With an Internet connection, the techniciancan visit manufacturers’ web sitesto check specifications and maintenanceinformation.Residential contractors often use thewireless device as a point of sale terminal,”added Opalchuk.Choosing wireless softwareThe contractor must have a clear idea ofwhat he/she wants a wireless system todo before they go shopping for a system.“You want to find a software systemthat doesn’t force the contractor tobecome a computer technologist,” notesMarcanio. “It must follow the normalflow of their work orders – it doeseverything they usually do, but electronically.”Cowl required his wireless provider –Mobilio Inc. – to not only providetraining for employees, but to workwith the back office software providerto ensure that the two systems workedseamlessly together.Depending on the size and complexityof the business, getting started maybe as simple as loading a disc into acomputer, or it may require considerableon-site setup and training from thewireless provider.Typically, a couple of employees willbe trained first. The system will be finetunedto suit the contractor’s needsbefore other employees are brought online, said Opalchuk.One should avoid throwing toomuch new technology at the techniciansat once, Cowl cautions. He plans tointroduce things like GPS and bar codingin the future, but not until the techniciansare comfortable on the wirelesssystem.With two screens, the service coordinatorcan use her mouse to drag informationfrom the (MobilioLINK) wirelesscommunication system on theright to the back office on the left.The equipmentThere are numerous devices that technicianscan use to communicate with awireless system – laptop computers,various handheld computers and evensome of the modern cell phones withcomputer functions.“Everything’s converging,” remarkedOpalchuk. “We are seeing all-in-onedevices that are both a computer andcell phone.”However, where the contractor requiresthe customer to sign off on thework order, the device must use PDA(personal digital assistant) technology,noted Nelson. Designed for transferringhandwriting into a computer, it isthe only technology that can capturesignatures.Handheld units can be tough, but12 <strong>Plumbing</strong> & <strong>HVAC</strong> Product News – February/<strong>March</strong> <strong>2006</strong> www.plumbingandhvac.ca
E-Businessexpensive, trade versions or less expensive“throw-away” models. Some wirelessproviders will lease the equipmentas part of a package.Technicians at HTS Engineering werealready using laptop computers to diagnoseequipment, reported Cowl. Addinga $350 ‘air card’ allowed connection tothe wireless network. However, he plansto upgrade to handheld computers thatwill include bar code readers. His technicianswill bar code customers’ equipmentto provide quick access to the servicehistory in future visits.Air cards are available for less than a$100 when purchased as part of a threeyearcontract, noted Leo Tang, directorof channel and alliance managementfor Bell Mobility.All of these devices still work when atechnician leaves the wireless coveragearea, he added.“If a technician goes five storeysdown to service a boiler, it’s unlikelythat they would have access to a wirelessnetwork. But it doesn’t matter, becausethey can still use the wireless applicationto input information. When theygo back up to the ground floor, theinformation can be sent...” said Tang.Some units – all MIKE System hand-The solution was a two-screen systemwith wireless on one and the officesystem on the other. This allowed theservice co-coordinator to drag informationbetween the two.Wireless networksThree companies offer wireless coverageto more than 90 percent of Canada’spopulated areas – Rogers Wireless, BellMobility and Telus.Wireless charges have dropped 25 to30 percent on average over the past fouryears, reports Tang. The shift to digitalnetworks has created systems that areup to 70 times faster than the analogversions they replaced.Costs vary depending on the size ofthe contractor and the equipment theyuse. On a hosted service, the monthlyfee can be relatively low – as little as$125 per month for the RogersmForms system, for example.And that makes wireless technologyworth a second look for all the contractorsthat walked away because ofthe price in years past.“The concern of the owner is nolonger what the technology can dofor them. It’s more that, as they see itmore and more in the wider world,they are going to realize this is theway they have to go,” remarkedOpalchuk.Back in his office, Cowl can view anyjob site information that the techniciansput into their computers.Drop-down forms on the technician’shandheld computer can make theinput of job site information a simple“multiple-choice”.sets, for example – incorporate GlobalPositioning Systems (GPS), allowing thedispatcher to locate technicians with aglance at a map on a computer screen.HTS Engineering ran into difficultyin setting up its service coordinators.With only one computer screen, theyfound themselves constantly flippingback and forth between back-office andwireless systems. That proved a real nuisance,reported Cowl.That’s the cash value of the Home Depot ® Gift Card you can receive when you purchaseor lease an eligible new GM truck, van, or SUV through the Business Choice program.The choice is yours: you receive a $500 Gift Card from Home Depot, so you can choose thetools and equipment that are needed for your specific commercial application, whetherit’s for your vehicle, your facilities, or your job site. The right choice – Business Choice.500Visit fleet.gmcanada.com or call 1-800-866-0313 for more information.The entire gift card amount may be used for purchases only.No cash back is given on any unused amount.®Home Depot is a registered trademark of Home Depot Inc.An air card is used to connect a laptopto a wireless network.Circle Number 113 for More Informationwww.plumbingandhvac.ca February/<strong>March</strong> <strong>2006</strong> – <strong>Plumbing</strong> & <strong>HVAC</strong> Product News 13