The Next Generation of HVAC: How Bruner Corp. Increased Efficiency by 62.5%
Bruner Corporation, a leading mechanical contractor in Ohio, encountered operational challenges as its business grew. The company’s reliance on paper-based processes created bottlenecks that slowed down workflows and affected overall efficiency. To address this, Bruner adopted GoCanvas’s mobile platform, which transformed its operations by digitizing paperwork. As a result, the company saved over 800 hours annually, increased efficiency by 62.5%, and saw a significant return on investment, all while streamlining processes across its field teams.
Bruner Corporation’s paper-reliant workflows became a major obstacle to the company’s rapid business expansion. The growing volume of paperwork caused delays that often stretched project completion times to as long as eight days. Coupled with the administrative burden of managing physical documents, these inefficiencies demanded a solution that would reduce turnaround time and boost overall productivity. Bruner needed to move away from traditional methods and find a way to modernize its processes for greater operational efficiency..
Highlights
800+
productivity hours saved annually
62.5%
increase in efficiency
$490,144
annual ROI
To begin the transition from paper to mobile, Dan Spurgeon, service operations manager at Bruner, started searching for options. While the company’s existing ERP system had some capabilities, the system came with a hefty price tag of $5,000 per user plus an annual fee. Then Dan discovered the GoCanvas platform, which featured a do-it-yourself mobile form builder and flexible pricing options.
After signing up for a free trial, Dan presented the team at GoCanvas with over 20 different types of paper forms that Bruner was using, including service orders, work orders, machine cleaning reports, and preventative maintenance reports.
The GoCanvas team worked with Dan to convert these paper forms into mobile-based versions, then began testing the new digital forms with a group of technicians to gather feedback. They quickly found that giving technicians the ability to complete forms from a smartphone and submit these in real time significantly reduced the number of lost and incomplete reports. Additionally, the ability to collect signatures, photos, and GPS coordinates enhanced data quality compared to handwritten reports.
After Bruner’s free trial ended, the company began steadily rolling out GoCanvas to its 70+ field technicians, incorporating features such as Dispatch, Departments, and Folders to improve data organization. The Departments feature has been particularly useful, as it has allowed the company to separate forms and data for its Construction, Warehouse, and Service groups. This helps users know exactly which forms to fill out when logging on via their mobile devices, and the back office can easily export data based on department.
Additionally, the managers in the office gained real-time insight into the daily activities of all field technicians.
“I like the dashboard a lot,” said Dan. “I can see how linear the activity is, especially for the daily work orders. If I see it spiking, then I know [technicians] aren’t turning things in as they should be.”
These changes have reduced Bruner’s entire process from eight business days to just three and allowed the company to recoup 845 hours in annual productivity.
Along with increased efficiency in data processing and reporting, Bruner has seen significant improvements in cash flow and expense management.
Before GoCanvas, technicians delivered expensive parts using paper forms—and when parts went missing, Bruner was responsible for replacing them. Today, Bruner uses a mobile form to capture a photo and a GPS stamp that confirms the location of the delivery, a feature that saves the company between $1,000 and $12,000 per month.
Altogether, the 20 mobile forms created with GoCanvas save Bruner $6,000 annually in paper costs alone.
Ready to Rethink How You Work?
GoCanvas has helped a variety of HVAC businesses transform their jobsites and rethink their project management, ultimately saving them money. Why not do the same? Reach out to one of our experts today to kick-start your process revolution.
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