Competitive Price Analysis

About This Tool

The Price Competitiveness Tool helps Baker's Mid-Atlantic team identify where ICP/GrandAire pricing is non-competitive relative to other HVAC distributors. The goal is to provide data-driven evidence for OEM price correction discussions with ICP.

Methodology

1. Cross-Reference Mapping — A master cross-reference file maps each Baker/ICP model number to the equivalent competitor model numbers (Rheem, Ameristar, American Standard, Ferguson Goodman, AirMac). This establishes which products are comparable across brands.
2. Competitor Price Extraction — Price sheets shared by our customers (HVAC contractors) are parsed automatically. These are the actual prices competitors are offering to the same customers Baker serves. The tool extracts individual component prices from Excel spreadsheets and PDF price books.
3. Baker Price Source — Baker's selling prices (APP SELL) come from the Baker pricing file, representing what Baker charges customers for each ICP/GrandAire product.
4. Price Comparison — For each Baker product that has a matched competitor product with a price, the tool calculates the percentage difference: ((Competitor Price - Baker Price) / Baker Price) × 100
5. Market Position Classification — Each product is classified based on the average competitor price vs. Baker's price.

Market Position Definitions

Data Sources

Terminology

ICP

International Comfort Products — Baker's primary OEM (equipment manufacturer). Brands include Comfortmaker, Heil, Tempstar, and others.

GrandAire

A value-tier brand distributed by Baker, also manufactured by ICP.

Cross-Reference

A mapping that identifies which competitor model is equivalent to which Baker/ICP model, enabling apples-to-apples price comparison.

APP SELL

Baker's "Approved Selling Price" — the price Baker charges their contractor customers for a given product.

SEER2

Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio 2 — the industry-standard efficiency rating for HVAC cooling equipment. Higher is more efficient.

Tonnage

The cooling capacity of an HVAC unit, measured in tons (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/hr). Residential systems typically range from 1.5 to 5 tons.

Efficiency Tier

A grouping by system type: Heat Pump, AC with 80% furnace, AC with 90% furnace, AC with 95% furnace, or Package unit.

R-454B / A2L

A next-generation refrigerant replacing R-410A. "A2L" is its ASHRAE safety classification. Products using R-454B are only compared against other R-454B products.

Price Sheet

A document (Excel or PDF) provided by a customer showing the prices a competitor is offering them for HVAC equipment.

Assumptions & Limitations

• Component-level comparison only. Prices are compared at the individual product level (e.g., a single condenser or heat pump), not at the full-system level. System totals (condenser + coil + furnace + controls) are not used for comparison because the cross-reference maps individual models.
• 3% threshold. The ±3% "at market" band is a configurable assumption. Products within this range are considered competitively priced.
• Price sheet recency. Competitor prices are only as current as the price sheets provided by customers. Prices may have changed since the sheets were shared.
• Model matching is exact. A competitor product must have its exact model number in the cross-reference to be matched. Slight model number variations (different suffixes, regional codes) may result in unmatched products.
• Same refrigerant comparison. Products are compared only within the same refrigerant type (R-454B vs R-454B, R-410A vs R-410A) to ensure fair comparison.
• Single region. This analysis covers Baker's Mid-Atlantic region only. Pricing and competitive dynamics may differ in other regions.
• PDF extraction accuracy. Prices extracted from PDF price books use automated table detection. While validated against known values, some complex PDF layouts may produce extraction errors.

How to Use This Tool

1. Start with "Above Market" — Click the red "Above Market" card to see products where Baker/ICP is priced higher than competitors. This is your action list for ICP.
2. Drill into competitors — Use the "By Competitor" tab to see which competitor is most aggressive, then click their row to see specific products.
3. Filter by series — Use the "By Product Series" tab to focus on specific product lines (e.g., high-efficiency variable-speed units).
4. Check the source — Click any source file link to download the original price sheet and verify the data.
5. Export for ICP — Click "Download Excel Report" to get a formatted spreadsheet you can share with ICP for price correction discussions.