As the workplace evolves, the role of AV solutions to enable effective communications, collaboration, and experiences is evolving too. Delivering AV projects is largely a collaborative effort and success depends on many factors. Some best practices in this field involve fostering consistent communication between the key players, clarifying roles and responsibilities, managing risks, and defining deliverables.
Let’s explore a few of these with 7 best practices in delivering an AV project and see how they can help optimize project delivery, especially from an operations perspective.
1. Involve the Key Players Early in The Process
Communication must be consistent throughout the process. Build strong and regular lines of communication between you, your team, and the project’s stakeholders. To facilitate this, keep the following individuals involved throughout the process, especially at the beginning:
· The project controller
The project controller is knowledgeable about the details of the business objectives, agreed upon AV design, installation schedules, the owner’s project standards, end-user needs, and more. This makes good communication between the project controller and the AV solution providers crucial.
· Technical consultants
Involve these individuals early in the process to clearly assess the AV scope at the soonest. This will help you create a realistic budget and build a workable plan early in the project. They’ll assess features such as lighting, acoustics, additional energy needs, sightlines, space requirements, and other characteristics that you can adopt later on. For example, if the room requires some enhancements to amplify the acoustics, a technical AV consultant would be able to point that out immediately.
· AV designer
This person will help assess the building’s structural components, such as ceiling heights, floor structure, etc. If these changes crop up at a later stage, it can be disruptive to the installation process. It can also add costs later on.
· PMC
Include them during the early discussions of AV projects. These individuals deal with the schedule, scope, and budget of the work. They will be able to troubleshoot details that others may not see. This includes additions that might have to be made to the base building infrastructure because they have a bigger picture in mind.
· Electrical consultants
These individuals will help determine whether you’ll need dedicated systems or services for particular rooms and equipment. They know the layouts of the electrical and network cabling and can assess the reliability requirements for electrical power and communications being used by the AV systems. Supporting HVAC systems, lighting, AV, and life-safety systems also need redundant power to maintain operational environmental conditions and electrical consultants will ensure that is planned for.
- Interiors / architect team: The need to have the interior and the architect teams involved in the co-ordinating the AV implementation is important to ensure that there is no compromise on the aesthetics agreed upon by the client.
- Project trackers: These reports share the project’s status on a timely schedule. This helps both stake-holders and the installation team to co-ordinate on the criticalities of the project at the ground level. Then there is more transparency on the stages of installation and the work put in to meet the handover timelines.
2. Things to Keep in Mind When Preparing the Budget
AV systems impact the capital budget and the associated operations, upgrades, augmentation after installation, and more impact the operations and maintenance budgets. One must always keep in mind the influence of time and money on quality. Tight budgets accommodate longer projects. Fast-track projects cost more money as they need more resources to get the job done quickly without compromising on quality.
3. Make a Technical Sub-Committee
A technical subcommittee that includes project builders and senior technicians would ensure that the plans have a technical input from the very start. This ideally will happen during the kick-off meeting, both internally and externally. This helps the AV providers thoroughly understand the technical needs of the space. This also helps the venue’s owner resolve any conflicts, duplications, or other issues internally. This committee will have the same aim as the project controller. Other teams may also be present in the committee including data/telecom security, operations, and maintenance. Their inputs will influence the end design. They’re also responsible for the up
4. Get the Approval for the GUI Before Programming
Get the approval for the graphic user interface’s design during the design phase itself. Get the agreement for its look-and-feel and functions before you start developing the back-end programming. Include the end-users in the review and approval process if possible. Also include the AV consultant. This information may be submitted in many formats, such as a PowerPoint presentation, HTML, etc. Then once you’re sure that you have the final, approved GUI design, go ahead and begin building it.
5. Coordinate the Move-in Time-Table with the AV Installation Team
This will ensure that there’s a clean environment for the AV equipment. It ensures that the necessary construction is complete and there’s no overlap of the on-site installation and the move-in by the end-users. This will also let you plan for the AV equipment’s security. Make a provision for the creation of a secure area, whether inside or outside the site.
