Carrier launched its BluEdge tiered service program after hearing from customers looking for a streamlined experience and a reliable, invested partner throughout the equipment’s lifespan. Carrier conducted a customer survey before launching BluEdge, and the common theme was a need for Carrier to articulate more clearly its value proposition and to simplify its service offering.
Carrier launched BluEdge at the end of June in three businesses within the company, including the North America Commercial HVAC Service segment. The global pandemic has led to changes in priorities and requirements for commercial building spaces - indoor air quality is a chief concern for both owners and occupants.
air quality assessments
“We are incorporating Carrier’s Healthy Buildings solutions - such as air quality assessments and retrofits for upgraded filtration and controls - into the BluEdge service tiers,” says Ajay Agrawal is the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Services at Carrier. “One of the easiest ways to ensure high-quality indoor air is to keep a building’s HVAC system properly maintained.”
The backbone of the BluEdge suite of HVAC services is Carrier SMART Service
Carrier's HVAC business has signed up more than 200 service agreements since the launch of BluEdge and introduced a specialized first-year service offering on qualifying commercial equipment purchases in the U.S. and Canada. Technology helps to enable BluEdge. The backbone of the BluEdge suite of HVAC services is Carrier SMART Service, an Internet-of-things-enabled connected service platform.
monitoring HVAC performance
Every applied chiller leaving the factory is enabled for connectivity, and Carrier is embarking on a retrofit campaign to connect previously installed equipment. The company analyzes hundreds of parameters generated by connected equipment in real time using SMART Service, and they also monitor HVAC performance in BluEdge Command Centers (currently in Bengaluru, India, and Kennesaw, Georgia).
Carrier is integrating and building up both capabilities to create an even more seamless experience for BluEdge customers - this includes technologies such as remote intervention, prognostics, and artificial intelligence (AI).
cost-Effective solutions
“At Carrier, we put the customer front and center, and we are constantly soliciting feedback for how to improve our products and services,” says Agrawal. “Carrier’s vantage over the total HVAC lifecycle enables us to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions for our customers. Maintaining our own equipment allows us to unlock even more value for customers.”
BluEdge is designed to appeal to all customers, especially those who might not typically go to the OEM for service plans or even break-fix emergencies. The flexibility of the BluEdge offerings - which include Core, Enhance and Elite levels - ensures that all customers can find a suitable Carrier service program. Carrier is prepared to work with each customer to customize a maintenance program tailored to specific needs and budget, says Agrawal.
Customizable maintenance programs
We know how to optimally run it, and we know how to maintain peak performance"
The BluEdge tiers are designed to appeal to customers in three broad levels. The Core tier is geared towards the customer who primarily maintains their HVAC equipment with in-house technicians - the Carrier customer portal, performance dashboards, and remote inspections can assist those in-house techs. On the other end of the spectrum is the Elite tier, which is for the customer that wants a comprehensive maintenance program.
They can hand over the keys to their utility room, and Carrier takes care of the rest. The Enhance offering - the middle tier - is flexible enough for the customer who wants something a bit less comprehensive but still requires Carrier’s expertise. Carrier knows its equipment inside and out, having developed the core technologies, designed the equipment, manufactured it, and installed it, says Agrawal. “We know how to optimally run it, and we know how to maintain peak performance,” he says.
remote monitoring centers
At the same time, Carrier has built up and is rapidly expanding its service capabilities - including thousands of technicians, a global replacement parts distribution network, and remote monitoring centers called BluEdge Command Centers to analyze and optimize equipment performance. Carrier is uniquely positioned to offer customers an end-to-end, total lifecycle solution for HVAC equipment and building solutions, says Agrawal.
The Carrier BluEdge service platform does not just apply to HVAC; they are also rolling out BluEdge across Carrier’s entire portfolio, including products within the refrigeration and fire and security segments.
