In the heat of summer, HVAC contractors need all the help they can get to keep cool air flowing in businesses and homes.
HVAC equipment distributor Parts Town launched this week a visual search feature on its mobile app designed to quicken how contractors identify and purchase the exact parts required for a particular unit of HVAC equipment.
Jeff Audette, senior vice president, HVAC, Parts Town
Rather than looking up an HVAC unit’s details and calling them in to a parts center, contractors can now use the new HVAC Data Plate Scanner in the Parts Town app to scan the manufacturer’s data plate attached to the HVAC unit they’re servicing.
The scanner identifies criteria such as the unit’s model and serial numbers, circuit ampacity, and circuit break size. The app’s scanner supports the scanning process by using optical character recognition (OCR) technology.
The app then directs users to a product landing page on PartsTown.com that displays information on the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts and service manuals available for the identified unit. Contractors have the option to place an online order through the app or contact a Parts Town rep.
“Technicians are the backbone of our industry,” says Jeff Audette, senior vice president of HVAC at Parts Town. “Our mission at Parts Town is to equip our customers with the tools they need to work efficiently and effectively.”
Parts Town is still beta-testing the data plate scanner to gather customer feedback for making ongoing improvements, Parts Town says. The scanner’s initial launch supports products from the Trane and YORK brands, but Parts Town, which distributes HVAC parts from dozens of companies, says it will expand it to include “a wider range of manufacturers in the near future.”
Paul Hancox, senior vice president, ecommerce, Parts Town
Parts Town Unlimited also distributes parts for food-service equipment parts and residential appliances. The privately held company reported a 25% increase in 2023 revenue to $2.3 billion, crediting continued growth in B2B ecommerce from new features. It has said ecommerce accounts for about 70% of its total sales.
Paul Hancox, Parts Town’s senior vice president of ecommerce, will speak on B2B ecommerce growth strategies at the EnvisionB2B Forum in Chicago on Sept. 12.
Paul Demery is a Digital Commerce 360 contributing editor covering B2B digital commerce technology and strategy. [email protected].
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