Research by Proctor Engineering Group (PEG) and others has identified a number of problems with HVACR work. These problems include improper charge, insufficient airflow, pressure imbalances, and inadequate consideration of air quality issues, any of which can cause equipment to work improperly. In an increasingly competitive HVACR contracting industry, problems of this kind can mean unhappy customers, lost business, and reduced or non-existent profits.
The cases where performance does not meet expectations can generally be traced to an inadequate understanding of the field work parameters necessary for performance and an inability to ensure compliance with those parameters. The difficulty was not in the approach but rather in the field application of the approach. Immediate Impact Management TM (IIMTM) was developed to ensure this proper field application.
At a basic level, IIMTM is a quality assurance system aimed at getting the work done completely right the first time every time. Quality assurance systems are used in businesses throughout the world to achieve this result. These systems are based on the same general principles as those which characterize IIMTM . Those principles are:
All management processes in this program are "closed loop" processes. This means two things. First, any problem or shortcoming becomes part of a process that continually brings the problem back to the surface for final resolution. Second, any work that is completed provides the opportunity to improve the quality of future work. When the work is reviewed in a timely manner and the results are properly communicated to the service personnel, each job improves their competence and confidence.
Forms used by the service technicians embody step by step procedures. Proctor Engineering Group has established procedures for a number of service processes including air sealing and building shell maintenance. Technicians use these procedures to diagnose, repair and retest the critical parameters for maximum impact. These parameters include measured performance tests. Examples for air sealing would be Blower Door CFM50 measurements, attic/buffer space pressure differential measurements, and others.
The expert system in IIMTM emulates what the most experienced field manager can determine from these critical parameters. This system is an electronic simulation of the field work review process carried out by this expert field manager. It analyzes installation parameters and other data collected on-site to provide evaluation and feedback. The expert system works in relation to a database which contains the building characteristics and other inputs from the field. The database has error checking to maximize accuracy.
The system can also provide as output a list of jobs that require further work, and a list of jobs that raise questions. A percentage of the passed work are inspected to ensure that the repair/installation work is durable and that the results reported on the forms represent the true final conditions. No job is considered complete until it has passed expert system review.
