The workforce shortage is and has been a hot topic for all skilled labor industries, and it’s not likely to change much in the coming year.

The bulk of the baby boomer generation will retire over the next decade, taking a huge chunk of the existing skilled workforce with it. Hopefully, the trades gain more interest among high school seniors. In the meantime, manufacturers, wholesalers, sales reps and contractors must do everything they can to empower the existing workforce.

At first glance, the workforce deficit looks like a recruiting and retention issue — but that’s only half the equation.

When more workers can’t be had, increasing productivity per worker can help alleviate the labor crunch. However, pushing employees to work faster or put in longer hours defeats the purpose. It might work for a little while, but burnout inevitably follows as fatigue rises and morale falls. Techs aren’t machines; they’re people with families, hobbies and commitments outside of work. 

The real question is, “How does the industry squeeze more productivity out of the labor hour?” The old “work smarter, not harder” adage applies here.

Training

Quality training and education pays dividends and proves time and again to save more time than it requires. This is especially true as heating and cooling equipment becomes more specialized. The “smarter” the mechanical equipment, the “smarter” the technician must be, and the more specific the training must become. 

Brand-specific training not only expedites the installation process but also reduces the likelihood of callbacks — the ultimate killer of productivity. 

The best equipment manufacturers offer in-person training on their product lines. Training is also available through most manufacturers’ representatives and some distributors. Reach out to the ones you have a relationship with and ask them what kind of training opportunities are available. They should jump at that question. 

Whether you require, encourage or incentivize training within your company, it’s one of the very best investments you can make to increase productivity, profitability and competitiveness. 

Brand loyalty

Selecting a quality brand of equipment and remaining loyal has a number of advantages that can maximize the value of a labor hour. 

Loyalty to a brand and — just as importantly — to the companies selling that product line should be rewarded in the form of support. Whether you need support during commissioning or troubleshooting, having a solid relationship with your reps can save your technicians a lot of time on a jobsite. Be loyal to people in the sales network, but don’t be afraid to lean on them when you need to.

Familiarity with specific product lines expedites installation and troubleshooting. Standardizing on a brand, no matter the system type, makes it easier to keep parts on the truck. Having the most frequently needed service and replacement parts on company vehicles reduces windshield time.

Fleet management

Speaking of windshield time, investing in dispatch and fleet management software can improve your ratio of billable hours. Not only can trucks be tracked between jobs, but software can also increase travel efficiency between jobsites.

This is especially true for big companies and those that serve large territories.

A variety of fleet management platforms are available, but not all provide the same thing. The size of your company, the services and information your company will benefit from, and the budget allocated to fleet management can help determine which is best for your business. 

A few options that may be worth researching include ClearPath GPS, GEOTAB, GPS Insight, Rhino Fleet Tracking, Samsara and Verizon Connect. 

Relying on manufacturer tech support

Manufacturers are painfully aware of the need for a larger skilled workforce. Most of them acknowledge that resolving the challenge is incumbent upon everyone in the sales channel. 

As a result, most do what they can to help alleviate the strain, starting with providing quality, consistent products and offering a variety of training opportunities. 

The next step is to make tech support specialists available. Be sure that your technicians aren’t hesitant to call tech support; this can be especially valuable while acclimating to a new product line.

Tech support is a resource. Use it.

Prefabrication 

Prefabricating portions of a boiler system in the shop before delivering it to the jobsite can be a profitable, time-saving practice that increases work quality.

Some contractors state that prefabbing can save upwards of 50% on labor costs when compared to assembling components on-site. 

Working in the shop offers a familiar, controlled environment with all the necessary tools and materials within arms’ reach. Lighting can be controlled, and work can be conducted on a tabletop instead of on the floor or against a wall.

Productivity is also increased by eliminating set-up and tear-down every day and reducing road time.

Building a portion of the mechanical system off-site is a big advantage on jobs with tight timelines or where the heating system must remain online for as long as possible. Prefabbing isn’t a perfect fit for every job, but it can be a big advantage. 

New technology

Pay attention to emerging technologies. This includes new equipment, tools that expedite the installation or service process, and software.

A few years ago, augmented reality and virtual reality made a splash in the industry news. With the ability to project live audio and video from wearable tech (glasses) while also leaving a technician’s hands free, VR allows a service tech to interface with someone off-site.

This could include other technicians, reps, engineers or a manufacturer’s tech support team. With the increasing complexity of HVAC systems, this technology greatly increases the resources that any technician can draw from without the need to physically send other professionals to the site.

Wearable technology is only one example of how the heating and cooling industry will adopt and adapt emerging technologies over the next decade. Artificial intelligence is being implemented at an alarming pace and will heavily influence how we do business and, eventually, how technicians conduct their work.

The workforce shortage is a daunting challenge, but there are ways to alleviate the pain. The more solutions your company successfully employs, the more sustainable the business will become.