Many of our customers are planning for 2025 now. It is barely mid-year, but if you are considering a large-scale audiovisual integration for next year the time to start planning is now. There are many reasons starting early can be a prudent decision.
We have seen some budget planning lead times extend beyond 6-12 months, as the larger the project the longer it can take to plan for that level of an investment which may require 18-24 months.
Even starting your planning now can be affected by factors out of your control. Reasons that can affect how long it will take your project to come to fruition include hardware availability and integrator availability. When looking at hardware availability, the supply chain can still be an issue, as much as we would like to think we are past the delays we had to deal with in recent years, some AV hardware manufacturers are still catching up - and sometimes it is the one item you need to make a sophisticated audio visual system function.
Beyond that, it is important to consider integrator availability. Many integrators had their best year in 2023 since the restrictive time of the pandemic. The economy has been exceptional, and large corporations have been catching up on work that was put off during that period, and with unemployment hovering at historic lows, many integrators are pushing the limits of what their teams are capable of and are pushing new installation work further and further out. Getting an integrator to commit to the installation timeline you need could be affected.
If you know you are in need of a audio visual system upgrade, covering all of your bases in the budgetary process is important so you don't fall short of the goal. Knowing what to include in a budget request, or how much to ask for can be confusing when you are not entirely sure what you need, or what the total cost will be. And there are variables like knowing what service and maintenance might cost per year to keep your systems running at optimal performance.
1) What is the TOTAL cost?
2) What are the network requirements to consider?
3) Who will help you?
4) Will service and support be a variable or fixed cost?
When considering the total cost knowing the AV hardware will likely make up the bulk of your expenses, that may not cover the whole scope of the project. Remember to include Facility Upgrades to accommodate the new system (HVAC, electrical, etc.), Power Supply Upgrades necessary to power the new equipment you are considering, Furniture considerations if you are developing a new space and there are going to be workflow requirements to allow staff places to sit, work and use the new systems, and perhaps most important, Extended Support Agreements that include preventative maintenance visits, repair and replacement coverage, and ongoing support necessary for your staff so they can utilize the system to its fullest.
The network requirements required for the system to meet your workflow and business needs means you will need to understand what data will be utilized on the system, and how it will get there. Will you be accessing a central model repository? Do you need video conferencing capability and need to access broadband? What does your IT team need in place to keep things secure? You will want to work through how a video conferencing system would work on your existing network, and if it will require further development to handle the new AV systems properly, and this may include further facility work to ensure there are enough network drops and bandwidth to support the AV solution requirements. Further, and this seems to be a somewhat new consideration of late, are there any Work From Home (WFH) or Hybrid workplaces being considered? Knowing how and from where your teams will work drives hardware decisions, and can also be essential in setting your AV budget.
Deciding who will help you is probably the most important thing to factor in. Specifically, what integrator can provide you with ideas for what is possible to accomplish for the workflow you want, custom design the system to your specific needs, offer consultation to make sure all of your budgetary bases are covered with comprehensive recommendations and estimates, install and integrate your system, and last but not least, provide ongoing support. The integrator should also help future-proof your systems so the technology can be scalable, not become outdated too quickly, and stand up to the demands that your workflow will place on it.
Since audiovisual solutions can last 10 years or longer, keeping your system up and running during this time also requires some advanced planning. There are many ways service and support can be configured. The big challenge can be budgeting for your audio-visual systems when the costs fluctuate throughout the year. If you do not have the option to consider a variable cost solution (pay as you go, limited coverage, getting P.O. approvals on the fly, scheduling without priority), you may want to consider a fixed-cost option for the extended support of your new AV solution.
Audio visual integration can be expensive. If you know you need it, but the budget cannot support in a single year, all is not lost. An experienced AV integrator may be able to design options that reduce first year costs by developing a scalable solution. As for Capital and Operating budgets, Capital budgets are used for physical assets, such as large-scale video walls used for design and engineering review, VTC rooms used for collaboration, and other aspects of AV hardware installation (wiring, etc.) and these things are all expected to last more than one year. Operating budgets tend to cover day-to-day expenses and include items such as utilities, rent, wages, and maintenance. Obviously, capital expenditures happen more infrequently, and operating budgets are continual.
If you have a smaller capital budget to work with, scalable integration over multiple phases can help a company move forward to improve their workflow with a defined plan to get to the end result over the course of multiple years instead of having to accept a less than desirable solution or delay making any decision at all. An experienced systems integrator can educate customers on a scalable plan that can reduce the first-year cost of the system, provide a design intended to be modular and expandable, minimize year over year cost by not having to replace original equipment but improving on size, functionality, and other features that can be added to improve the workflow and collaboration of the team.
Immersion Graphics, Inc. (IGI) provides audio visual design, engineering, consulting, product sales, control system programming, custom fabrication, installation, preventative maintenance, and extended support services out of its headquarters location in Detroit and west coast operation in Los Angeles. Additional offices are located in Indianapolis, and Grand Rapids.
Founded in 1998, IGI has installed numerous large-scale, ultra-high resolution systems throughout the U.S. in the automotive, higher education, medical, financial, and energy transmission markets, and for the United States military and other government agencies. Applications include industrial design, engineering and data visualization, mission-critical command & control room environments, presentation systems, video conferencing, digital signage, and a variety of commercial AV solutions for emerging markets where the simultaneous visualization of 3D models and complex data by a group is essential to effective decision making. To get an in depth look at what we do, see our website at www.werigi.com, we are IGI.
IGI is minority owned, veteran owned, and a small business and SBA 8(a) program graduate.
