AV News

Don't forget about the AV guys! - AV Planning and Budgeting

Written by Craig Heiman | Feb 1, 2016 4:22:31 PM

Yes, it happens all the time...

IT, Electrical, Telecom, furniture... oh yeah Audio Visual!

We might not be first on your list, but working in tandem with architects and interior designers, the best time to contact us is when you are just starting to plan your new space.

When preparing budgets for a renovation or a new build out, people tend to overlook the audio visual aspect. Don't worry we won’t be offended! But, it’s a costly mistake … especially when it’s such an important piece to conduct daily business and you need your system up and running ASAP!

Luckily Adriana Sanches, our AV expert here at AV Planners, was open to sharing some tips on budgeting for communication tools, ‘’ When a client contacts AV Planners for the first time it’s usually me who determines what the client is looking to do. From a simple projection system to a completely automated video conference room with A Crestron Control system. The more we understand the client's needs and their budget constraints the more we can customize the perfect audio visual system for them.’’ she says, ‘’I can't tell you the amount of times I'll get a frantic call from an IT person saying ‘Help me install a cop,eye system and I need installed by the end of the month. Time is money and proper planning is time well spent.

TIMELINE
It’s important to consider the timeline for installation; we recommend a minimum of 30 days to make sure all the details are taken care of since some custom built hardware can take up to 2-3 weeks to be delivered.

Working with a timeline, as well as working with the various trades is important, for example, when we know what type of furniture is picked out and when they will arrive we can work out the right timing for the installation. We’ve had instances where we are doing a job we could have finished a month ago but can’t start because the furniture isn’t in yet… that can be very frustrating for the client.

And when it comes to the guts of the system, when we have time to plan with the other trades, everything works with each other. Take for example a new construction project. When a building is being pre-wired, if we can work together with the telecom company we can run our cables in tandem. Which will save our clients on labor and materials.

BUDGET
Sometimes people don’t want to share their budgets because they think we’ll use up every bit of it, that’s simply not the case. We aim for what is best for the clients needs.

At AV Planners we’ve worked with every budget, we’re here to make it happen. Give us a call at 800-409-3587, email us at info@avplanners.com, tweet us @AVPlanners.