Navien has opened a new California training facility built around a simple idea:
Technicians should encounter difficult equipment problems before they encounter them inside a customer's home.
The company's new Innovation Center and Training Academy in Irvine combines:
technical training,
engineering,
product testing,
quality support,
and product development.
The new Navien facility includes live operating equipment where instructors can intentionally introduce faults and require technicians to diagnose them.
Training Goes Beyond Installation
Navien's program progresses through:
product knowledge,
installation,
commissioning,
and troubleshooting.
Technicians can disassemble equipment, work with live systems and follow service checklists to diagnose simulated failures.
That makes the training closer to a real service call than a conventional classroom presentation.
Contractors Can Influence Future Products
The more interesting part may be the engineering connection.
Navien has placed training and product development resources together so technicians can discuss problems directly with engineers.
That creates a feedback loop.
A contractor encountering a difficult installation detail or recurring service issue can potentially influence how future equipment is designed.
Navien says the Irvine site will also connect with its engineering and product development teams in Korea.
Training Is Becoming an OEM Battleground
As HVAC equipment becomes more complex, manufacturers increasingly need contractors who are comfortable installing and servicing it.
That is especially true for:
condensing equipment,
heat pumps,
controls,
connected systems,
and advanced water heating.
The Takeaway
Manufacturers do not simply need to build better equipment.
They need technicians who know how to keep that equipment running.
Navien is treating contractor training as part of product development itself, rather than something that happens after the product is finished.
