MCAA

Home | Smart Solution Landing Page | Smart Solutions – Summer 2023 Issue

Summer 2023 Issue

Download Issue

Share this content

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Email

Filters

Category

Manufacturer

Contractor

Clear Filters

Xylem Illustrates How Smart Technology Streamlines Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is crucial for ensuring the reliability and efficiency of pumps and motors, which are essential components of commercial HVAC applications. An effective maintenance program can reduce unplanned downtime, decrease maintenance costs, and extend asset life. All of these drive business value, which is especially important in today’s competitive and challenging commercial building environment, when building operation teams are being asked to do more with less.

Xylem Inc. – Bell & Gossett

Western Allied Mechanical Cuts Quote Delivery Time in Half with ServiceTrade

Since they implemented ServiceTrade software in 2021, Western Allied Mechanical’s service department has been able to cut their quote delivery time in half and send invoices three times faster, while also providing clients a better overall experience with more visibility. ServiceTrade allowed Western Allied to streamline their operations and improve the customer experience while sticking with their existing accounting software and processes. In this Q&A, Western Allied Vice President Jeremy Goodland talks about how the company has been improving operations, customer experience, and sales since implementing ServiceTrade.

ServiceTrade

Althoff Industries’ Revenue Surges With ServiceTitan for Customer Service

Althoff Industries credits their switch to ServiceTitan software with an improvement in customer service that contributed to an increase from $8.5 million in revenue in 2021 to $11.4 million in 2022. Althoff went live with the software in July 2021 after spending decades on a server-based customer relationship management system. It was such a momentous occasion for Blake Wiltshire, director of residential services at Althoff, that an empty bottle of champagne sits on his shelf to commemorate the moment.

ServiceTitan

Egan Employs MSUITE to Meet Critical Needs in the Energy Industry

Michigan-based Andy J. Egan Co., Inc., relies on MSUITE software to improve their fabrication operations, which has enabled the company to grow exponentially as it carves out a niche in the energy industry. For example, Egan credits MSUITE with helping them shave three weeks off a major power utility upgrade project.

MSUITE

Western Allied Mechanical Saves Time, Expands Reach With Novarc’s Spool Welding Robot

Like every contractor, Western Allied Mechanical is always looking for innovative ways to get ahead in their market and deliver projects better, faster, and cheaper for their clients. Also like every contractor, Western Allied is facing the nationwide shortage of qualified welders. By adopting Novarc’s spool welding robot (SWR), they have not only increased productivity dramatically, they also increased capacity and are taking on bigger jobs.

Novarc Technologies Inc.

Fostering a Learning Organization to Avoid Human Error and Accidents

Human error is often misinterpreted as solely a human issue. However, it predominantly arises from system flaws within organizations. We inadvertently create systems that tolerate poor processes for the sake of rewarding outcomes, leading to constraints and errors. To effectively prevent and mitigate human error, it is crucial to shift our focus towards understanding the systemic factors at play.

Tyfoom

Heat Stress: ClickSafety Explains Your Responsibility as an Employer

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), employers have a responsibility to protect their workers from extreme heat. Every year, dozens of workers die and thousands more become ill while working in hot or humid conditions. Heat is the number-one cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 815 heat-related worker deaths and 70,000 heat-related serious injuries between 1992 and 2017. To protect workers, employers should establish a complete heat illness prevention program in addition to observing the heat index.

ClickSafety

Northwest Mechanical Group Ramps Up Business With BuildOps

When their out-of-date software started slowing them down in the office and the field, Northwest Mechanical Group switched to the BuildOps platform, simplifying and streamlining data management so they could grow their business. “Before we knew it, we were seeing quicker turnaround times on job closeout and a huge improvement in the time it took for quotes to be accepted by our customers,” said Chris Howard, owner and CEO.

BuildOps

FARO Looks at the Future of AI and 3D Laser Scanning for MEP Applications

It is clear that artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing fast and coming into everyday use. In the near-future, AI systems will be paired with established technology, such as 3D laser scanning for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) applications. What many do not appreciate is that AI is still largely only as good as the quality of data fed into the system, either by human operators or through technology that gathers and organizes information, such as 3D laser scanners and cloud-based data platforms.

FARO Technologies, Inc.

Grodsky Tackles Tight Timelines and Tight Spaces With Easy-to-Use Press Fittings From Mueller Industries

To expedite construction of a new university housing project designed as a hybrid of wood and steel, Harry Grodsky & Co., Inc. turned to Mueller Industries and its Mueller Streamline Co. products and piping systems specialists “We were able to save an incredible amount of time on the project thanks to Mueller” and its Streamline® ACR Press Fittings in particular, said Ross Halket, superintendent at Grodsky. Mueller’s products gave Grodsky “the ability to get stuff into tight spaces, [and with] no fear of burning the building down, the ability to run piping in areas where brazing would have been hazardous,” Halket noted.

Mueller Industries

Holaday-Parks Achieves Award-Winning Sustainable Plumbing Design With Morris Group’s AcornVac System

To renovate an historic building while simultaneously seeking to reach new heights in sustainability, Holaday-Parks installed a water-saving vacuum plumbing system from AcornVac, a division of Morris Group International. The AcornVac system was among the solutions that earned the building recognition as one of the most environmentally friendly office spaces of its size worldwide. It also eliminates the need for costly trenching or core drilling.

Morris Group International

Reliance Worldwide Corporation Offers Three Reasons to Use Outlet Boxes in New Plumbing Systems

As the trades continue to navigate an ongoing labor shortage, innovative products and methods of installation become increasingly important. Over the past decade or so, one such product that industry professionals have gravitated toward is outlet boxes for new construction. The options run the gamut, from fixtures to washing machines to ice makers, and they offer a more efficient alternative to traditional rough-in plumbing methods for these kinds of installations. Here are the key reasons why outlet boxes are becoming the industry standard and how they can support your workflow, bottom line, and craftsmanship.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation