DEFT MASTERY AND CONTROLLING its supply chain and manufacturing process, as well as committing to workforce investment, are key success factors for AVTECH Software Inc.
The Warren-based environment monitoring solutions company is best known for its flagship product, Room Alert, a device accompanied by software that remote monitors environmental conditions of information technology computer rooms, data centers and other facilities from anywhere in the world. Room Alert monitors temperature, humidity, power, flooding and smoke.
One key feature Room Alert offers is that organizations receive alerts, allowing companies to take immediate action if a work environment becomes unsafe. It also allows access to detailed data trends and compliance insights through Room Alert's account portal, helping companies and organizations stay ahead of potential hazards and regulatory requirements
"The purpose is to protect people, property and productivity against downtime," AVTECH CEO Rick Grundy said, "and ultimately provide peace of mind."
AVTECH has complete control of its products, including Room Alert, and its manufacturing operations, Grundy says, thus making the company stand out among its peers. AVTECH, Grundy says, writes all the firmware and develops the software.
"We also own our own manufacturing facility and control the entire supply chain and logistics operation for our product," Grundy said. "There are no competitors who can say they have got the entire lifecycle of their product under their control."
AVTECH can quickly build and retain institutional knowledge of their products, controlling production along with developing Room Alert and its software, which in turn allows the company to be agile, Grundy says. One example of this flexibility is the recent launch of the company's Heat Safety Monitor, which helps track inclement working conditions in line with U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations requiring companies to have their working conditions set to no warmer than 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
Enforcing those regulations can cost up to $16,000 or more per instance, Grundy says. Therefore, AVTECH uses its core technology to create a heat safety monitor that allows organizations to easily ensure compliance with OSHA requirements, he says.
The monitor has been a significant part of some of AVTECH's most successful years to date. Last year was AVTECH's highest sales year on record since it opened for business in 1988. Grundy said 2024 is shaping up to be an even better sales year for the company.
"We're consistently growing year over year," Grundy said.
Investing in staff is another major contributor to AVTECH's growth. AVTECH Marketing and Channel Manager Russ Benoit says the company has worked in a myriad of ways to help its 40 employees reach their full potential, whether it is mentorship or helping people explore outside educational opportunities.
"It's really about doing the absolute best we can to encourage our team members to get the most out of their skill set and grow," Benoit said. "Their skills within the company help the company grow."
Benoit says the company encourages its employees to offer ideas on new potential products that AVTECH can produce. One example Benoit provided was an idea the company's facilities manager introduced that eventually resulted in the company's creation of Monitor360.
One of AVTECH's patented technologies, Monitor360 provides a comprehensive 360-degree view of the facility or environment by combining existing single sensor readings into composite virtual sensors. This is used to report temperature across a number of sensors or to determine if conditions across a set of sensors are up to standard.
"[The facilities manager] was talking about how it would be great if he got an alert to something that's going on within our own facility," Benoit said, "but if you could tie it into other things that might be happening to help troubleshoot it and resolve it even faster."
Benoit said this type of company culture gives AVTECH an edge in the manufacturing world. "I can't see that changing anytime soon," he said. "We need more of that to keep going forward."