Preferred Mechanical Group (PMG) launched on January 14, 2020, just months before COVID shut everything down. Since then, the Texas commercial mechanical contractor has grown to approximately 75 technicians, supporting customers across industries with HVAC, plumbing, building automation, and commercial project work.

For Kevin Harris, CEO and President of PMG, the next phase is about building the people, processes, and systems needed to deliver a consistently high level of service as the business grows.

That means making sure technicians arrive prepared, coordinators understand what needs attention, and jobs keep moving through completion and invoicing. BuildOps is helping PMG strengthen those connections. Its investment in artificial intelligence is also a major part of how Harris envisions taking PMG’s service to the next level.

Customer snapshot

The challenge: Keeping work aligned as PMG scales

As PMG grew, keeping everyone aligned from the initial quote through job completion became more challenging.

A labor estimate might say 40 hours, but that number alone does not explain the scope, crew requirements, timing, or how the work should be performed. Without those details, coordinators and technicians have to reconstruct the plan through phone calls and separate conversations.

Harris knows from his years in the trade how much preparation matters. Before a technician arrives, they should understand the assignment, relevant equipment history, customer requirements, and what they will need to complete the work. Getting that information to the technician early gives the team a better opportunity to address questions and prepare.

The challenge continues after work is scheduled. Service calls, quoted repairs, and projects move through different stages, with priorities changing as emergencies arise, parts arrive, and customers approve work. Completed jobs also need attention to move through review, closeout, and invoicing.

“We’ve struggled with keeping jobs from falling through the cracks,” Harris said. “When work is spread across different stages, it’s hard to prioritize everything, keep it moving, and make sure customers aren’t waiting on the work or the invoice.”

PMG needed better visibility into where work stood, what was holding it up, and who needed to take the next step.

The Solution: A partner with the horsepower to keep building

Harris chose BuildOps because of the resources behind the company, its pace of development, and its commitment to improving how commercial contractors operate. He saw a partner with the horsepower to keep investing in the platform as PMG’s needs evolved.

For PMG, BuildOps provides a shared system for strengthening the connection between quoting, coordination, field execution, and invoicing. The focus is on capturing useful information and making it available to the people who need to act on it.

“Whoever quoted it needs to provide that information. You can tell people verbally, but that’s inefficient. Getting it into a system and bringing it to the forefront is a game changer,” Harris said.

That work goes hand in hand with PMG’s efforts to improve its internal processes and expectations. Technology gives the team a place to capture and share the plan. Consistent documentation and clear responsibilities help turn that information into action.

The AI opportunity: Bringing information to the people who need it

AI is a major part of why Harris is excited about the partnership. That includes BuildOps’ current AI capabilities, but the AI features the company is developing are what excite him most.

His vision is for AI to proactively bring relevant information to PMG’s people at the right time,helping them prepare, prioritize, and make better decisions throughout the job.

For technicians, that starts before the work begins. Harris looks forward to AI bringing together the job scope, equipment history, previous notes and photos, and customer or site requirements. He also sees an opportunity to highlight the expected labor, parts, tools, and support needed so technicians can understand the assignment and arrive ready to work.

For coordinators and managers, the same principle applies. Harris is excited for when AI surfaces work that needs attention, explains what is holding it up, and helps identify the next action and the person responsible. That will help teams address missing information, stalled jobs, and outstanding commitments earlier.

This is where Harris sees a direct connection between AI and PMG’s ambition to deliver white glove service. Better preparation can lead to a more productive visit. Earlier visibility can support better follow-through. Clearer priorities can help the team keep customers informed and work moving.

As BuildOps continues developing its AI capabilities, Harris sees significant potential to make that level of service more consistent across PMG.

The Value: Better preparation, clearer priorities, stronger gollow-through

PMG’s work with BuildOps centers on three operational priorities:

Preparing technicians before the job begins. Connecting job details to field execution helps

PMG give technicians the context they need before arriving on site. Harris sees AI helping bring that information together and put it in front of the technician at the right time.

Helping coordinators prioritize and move work forward. A shared view of job information and status supports follow-up. PMG’s goal is to make it clearer which jobs need attention, what needs to happen, and who is responsible.

Maintaining visibility through closeout and invoicing. Keeping attention on jobs after the field work is complete helps PMG address the remaining steps needed to close and bill them.

These are ongoing improvements, with BuildOps supporting the systems and visibility PMG needs to make progress.

Harris describes service as “controlled chaos.” Urgent calls and changing conditions will always be part of the business. Better preparation and more reliable information help the team respond while keeping existing commitments in view.

Looking ahead

Six years in, PMG is continuing to invest in its people, technical capabilities, and operating processes, with the goal of becoming the premier white glove commercial mechanical contractor in DFW.

Harris sees BuildOps’ development horsepower and investment in AI as important parts of that future. His goal is to help PMG anticipate needs, arrive prepared, and keep customers informed throughout the job.

That is the standard of service PMG is working to deliver consistently as it grows.