For HVAC and refrigeration distributors
Stocked when the first heat wave hits, not two weeks after
Heating in the fall, cooling in early summer, and a refrigerant change in between. Datazimuts reads your ERP’s exports, cleans the item data first, and tells your buyers every morning what to order from each supplier, with the reason behind every quantity.
What goes wrong
Where the buying goes wrong
Caught by the first heat wave
The first hot week empties capacitors, contactors and condenser fan motors in every branch at once, just when the suppliers’ lead times get longer.
Equipment that waits a season
Condensers bought for a summer that came late sit until next year, and parts for older refrigerant equipment lose value as the change to A2L goes on.
Increases announced every year
Manufacturers announce price increases a few weeks ahead. Buying ahead with judgment saves money; buying too much ties up the cash you need in season.
What Datazimuts does
A plan every morning, and nothing sent without a yes
The order plan, supplier by supplier
Every morning, what to order from each supplier, rounded to their packs and minimums, with the reason behind every quantity.
The item doctor first
Unit and price-unit errors, duplicates and phantom stock are found before any forecast. An item with a problem gets no order line until a person confirms the fix.
A free health check, in ranges
Dead, excess and returnable stock, rebates within reach and stock to verify, each as a low and a likely figure with its evidence. Never a promise.
Supplier invoices, read and matched
Forward invoices to your own address. Each one is matched to its PO and receipt; a price or quantity that differs is held with its reason and dollars.
Alerts in plain words
Write the rule the way you would say it. You see it as understood, tried on today’s data, before it starts.
Drafts in your ERP, after a yes
Nothing reaches a supplier on its own. A buyer approves, then the POs land in your ERP as drafts, or as files you import yourself.
What moves the numbers
What moves your demand and your costs
Heating and cooling degree-days
A cold snap or a heat wave moves furnace parts, circulators, condensers and refrigerant within days. The forecast starts from each branch’s own past seasons and plans to a range, so a normal swing is covered.
The move to A2L refrigerants
Equipment for older refrigerants runs down while A2L equipment, cylinders and tools arrive with no sales history. When a model number is replaced, the item doctor links the old one to the new, so the forecast keeps the history, and it flags stock left on the old one.
Copper
Copper moves the price of wire, pipe, fittings and motors, and suppliers pass it on with a few weeks’ notice. Enter an announced increase once: the next plan reads it, and each line it touches says so.
Steel
Steel sets the price of fasteners, pipe, strut, studs and much of what is made from it. An announced increase goes in once, and the next plan reads it.
The exchange rate
Goods bought in US dollars cost more when the Canadian dollar weakens. Orders keep their currency, approval limits count US-dollar orders at your rate, and an expected change of rate goes in as an event.
Renovation and service work
Repairs and renovations keep a steady base under the season, spread over many small orders. Each line’s likely demand comes with its range.
A typical year
Two peaks: cooling from June to August, heating from October to January. Spring and early fall are when buyers can get ahead, if the plan tells them how much.
The item doctor
Unit traps caught before any order
An item with an unresolved unit problem gets no order line and no dollar figure until a person confirms the fix.
Tubing and line sets by the roll
Copper tubing and line sets bought by the 50-ft roll and sold by the foot: the doctor checks the roll length against how the item sells.
Cylinders and cases
Refrigerant bought by the cylinder and filters by the case, then sold one by one: the purchase and sales units have to agree before any order.
Fittings priced per 100
Brazing fittings and fasteners priced per 100 or per 1,000 but counted by the piece.
The same part twice
The same capacitor entered once in French and once in English, or under two supplier numbers: each half looks slow, and both get reordered.
Buying ahead
Should you buy ahead of an increase?
Buying before an increase saves on every unit, and costs money to hold until it sells. Move the sliders on a made-up example to see where it stops paying.
Illustration · made-up figures
Buy ahead of an announced price change?
Furnaces and condensers from one manufacturer: about $15,000 bought a week.
+$2.3k–2.4k
Worth a look: even the low figure comes out ahead.
Your ERP
Reads the ERP you already run
Eight ERPs have a ready mapping, and any other can send CSV or Excel exports. Each export guide names the five lists to send and where to find them.
- Common in this trade
- Also read
Free health check
Get your free health check
Tell us who you are and which ERP you run; your trade is already chosen. We write back with the export guide for your ERP and the next steps.