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Streamline operations and complete projects within budget
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See how Volpak replaced person-driven execution with process-driven control using ProjectBase for HVAC projects.
Company: Volpak (Volpak Systems Pvt. Ltd.)
Industry: HVAC Contracting (Pharmaceutical, Hospitals, Industrial Projects)
Type: Design & Build HVAC Contractor
Project Scale: 8–9 parallel projects at any time, ~30 projects annually
Volpak is an HVAC contracting company specialising in pharmaceutical plants, hospitals, and industrial facilities. Unlike commercial or residential air conditioning, these projects demand high precision, strict compliance, disciplined execution, and tight cost control.
Over the years, Volpak has built strong long-term relationships with its customers. In fact, two of their key clients have trusted Volpak for over 15 years, awarding them work repeatedly, with some projects now in their 8th iteration.
As project sizes increased and execution complexity grew, Volpak’s leadership recognised a critical truth: experience alone was no longer enough to stay in control.
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Earlier HVAC projects were smaller and easier to manage personally. But as project sizes moved from ₹1 crore to ₹10 crore and above, the way projects were executed had to change.
With more projects running simultaneously:
“Earlier, owners could control everything themselves. Now project sizes have increased and that’s not possible anymore.”
Before ProjectBase, Volpak’s operations were person-driven, not process-driven.
This meant:
Human resource challenges made this worse:
“People come and go. Teaching them the same processes again and again became a big challenge.”
During COVID, when operations were paused, Volpak realised a deeper problem.
Even with time available, they couldn’t:
Everything was spread across files and people.
That was the moment they decided: all project data must live in one place.
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Volpak had earlier explored GrowSmart, but at that time neither the product nor the organisation was fully ready.
What they needed was:
They also trusted word-of-mouth feedback from other HVAC contractors who had already implemented the system.
“Zoho was there, but it was not made for HVAC contractors. ProjectBase made more sense.”
One of Volpak’s biggest fears was item lists and BOQ complexity, especially managing non-BOQ (variation) items.
ProjectBase changed this approach completely:
Initially, management was sceptical:
“When they said it can be implemented in a week, we were surprised.”
But having a ProjectBase team member onsite made the difference.
By:
Implementation moved faster than expected.
This was the single biggest shift.
Earlier:
After ProjectBase:
“It moved us from a person-centric approach to a process-centric approach.”
This made onboarding easier and reduced dependency on individuals.
With all data on the cloud:
—all worked from the same live information.
Management could now see:
“Earlier tracking a project was very difficult. Now I can see everything online.”
Earlier:
With ProjectBase:
“If approval is expected in 24 hours, the system records whether it happened or not.”
This naturally improved discipline and speed.
Volpak tracks every project through three simple questions:
With ProjectBase:
“Earlier we depended on engineer inputs. Now milestones are tracked in the system.”
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Earlier, profitability and variances were buried in Excel.
Now:
“We know how profitability will get affected before it happens.”
With structured workflows:
“We are able to answer clients better because data is readily available.”
ProjectBase helped Volpak:
“Software does not remove people. It helps them work faster and better.”
Even teams hesitant initially gained confidence once processes became clear.
Volpak has been live on ProjectBase for around 8 months.
While they acknowledge:
They clearly see:
“Return on investment is definitely there. It depends on how well you use it.”
According to Volpak:
“It is built close to the industry. That’s its biggest strength.”
To contractors still using Excel and Tally:
“Without system-based working, faster growth is not possible.”
Their advice is clear:
Define processes first. The software will enforce them.
For Volpak, ProjectBase delivered:
What began as a software implementation became a structural upgrade to how the company operates.
“It’s not just software. It’s a way to define how your company should work.”
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Volpak was managing larger and more complex HVAC projects where owner-driven control was no longer practical. Processes depended heavily on people, approvals were delayed, visibility was limited, and onboarding new employees took too much time.
Yes. Volpak feels ProjectBase is well-suited for HVAC contractors who are too large for Excel-based working but do not want overly complex systems like SAP. It balances control with practicality.
Volpak acknowledges that ROI is not instant. Benefits start becoming visible as teams adopt the system and follow processes consistently. Over time, execution speed, visibility, and decision quality improve.
Yes. Volpak strongly believes that contractors who want to scale need system-based working. Their recommendation is to first define processes and then use ProjectBase to enforce and manage them effectively.
As project values increased, Excel could store data but could not enforce processes or provide real-time visibility. Important information was scattered across people, files, and emails, making control difficult during execution.
Yes. Volpak explored options like Zoho and even earlier versions of GrowSmart. However, those tools were either not designed for HVAC contracting workflows or were not mature enough at that time. ProjectBase fit their execution needs better.
ProjectBase shifted Volpak from a person-centric approach to a process-centric approach. Workflows, approvals, and tracking moved into the system, so execution no longer depended on specific individuals remembering steps.
Initially, Volpak was concerned about BOQ complexity and non-BOQ items. However, ProjectBase supported Excel BOQ imports, HVAC item libraries, and structured workflows, making implementation smoother than expected.
Approvals moved from physical signatures to online workflows. The system tracks who needs to approve what and within what time, improving accountability and reducing delays caused by travel or availability.
Management gained live visibility into material ordering, site delivery, labour work orders, and project status. Instead of relying on verbal updates, leadership could track progress directly in the system.
Yes. ProjectBase helped Volpak identify variances early and understand how decisions would impact profitability before costs escalated. This allowed corrective action during execution rather than after project closure.
There was initial resistance, which is normal. Over time, as workflows became clearer and easier to follow, teams gained confidence. New employees could also be onboarded faster due to system-defined processes.
Let's schedule a demo so you can get first-hand experience of how ProjectBase can help you run your operations faster and smarter.
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