Operating across the UK and Ireland in a wide range of sectors, AirconMech has experienced rapid growth in recent years. The business has seen significant momentum, with turnover almost doubling between 2023 and 2024, and has set clear ambitions to expand further into the European market. As this growth continued, AirconMech recognised that its existing systems needed to evolve, ensuring they could effectively support the organisation’s scale, complexity, and long‑term goals while enabling sustainable and controlled expansion.
To enable scalable, controlled growth, AirconMech introduced Eque2’s all-encompassing construction management software EVision — alongside Evaluate, Miracle, and Exelsys — to create a fully integrated, Microsoft-based construction management ecosystem.
The Challenge
Although AirconMech had grown significantly, its internal operations were still heavily reliant on manual processes. Core operational and financial workflows included:
- Invoices managed in spreadsheets
- Paper-based timesheets
- Manual payroll processing
- Paper requisitions
- Limited project-level reporting
Payroll required three full days every fortnight to complete. Invoices were printed, manually reviewed, and scanned. Requisitions and timesheets were completed on paper and re-keyed into systems, increasing administrative workload and the risk of errors.
Project visibility was limited to high-level figures — total cost versus total invoice value — with little insight into the detail beneath. As project values increased into the multi-million-pound range, this lack of real-time visibility posed growing operational and commercial risks.
With dedicated capacity to focus on change, Owen Dempsey, ACA Commercial Finance & Associate Director, began presenting the case for digital transformation during internal monthly lean meetings. What started as a review of payroll and timesheet systems quickly expanded.
The Process
AirconMech approached the implementation as a structured business transformation programme. With clear ownership internally and close collaboration with Eque2’s consultancy team, the focus was on making sure everything worked seamlessly together, especially with multiple workflows feeding into the accounts system.
The team took the time to configure processes properly, cleanse data, and align workflows with business requirements. With strong support from Eque2’s implementation consultants, the project stayed on track against its agreed timeline and maintained real momentum all the way through to go-live.
“My dedicated implementation assistant was brilliant,” Owen shares. “He was always responsive and happy to jump on a call. If I asked on a day with nothing booked, he would always say ‘OK, I’m free in half an hour. We can jump on a call then and go through that together.’ He was a huge help to me.”
Internal training played a central role in adoption. With the AirconMech team working in a shared office, communication and collaboration came naturally. Although transitioning long-standing paper-based processes — particularly for site teams — was expected to be challenging, adoption progressed more smoothly than anticipated.
The Results
Since implementing EVision and its integrated solutions, AirconMech has delivered measurable improvements across finance and operations:
Payroll Efficiency
Payroll processing has reduced from three full days every fortnight to completion by close of business on day one — significantly improving efficiency and freeing up finance capacity.
Automated Invoice Processing
Manual printing, checking, and scanning of invoices has been eliminated. Automated workflows now reduce administrative burden and improve accuracy.
Real-Time Project Visibility
The business now benefits from full transaction traceability across projects: “There’s full detailed reports of our financials now. You can go straight from the invoice to the PO to the quote all the way to the requisition. We’ve never had that level of visibility before.”
Improved Commercial Oversight
With granular project data available in real time, finance, and project teams can collaborate more effectively. Enhanced reporting capabilities support better forecasting, tighter cost control, and proactive decision-making across multi-million-pound projects.
A Stronger Commercial Role
With automation reducing time spent on manual processes, finance leadership now focuses more heavily on project analysis, commercial performance, and cross-functional collaboration.
Instead of managing administrative workload, time is now invested in analysing live project data, engaging with project managers, and strengthening financial oversight.
The result is a more strategically aligned finance function — enabled by connected systems and real-time information.
A Future-Ready Platform
Today, EVision — supported by EValuate, Miracle, and Exelsys — sits at the centre of AirconMech’s operations.
“We’re doing multi-million projects now and EVision is built for a QS to analyse these projects — it might as well be purpose built for us. The system is easily scalable. I don’t have any fear of it ever getting outdated or not fit for purpose.”
