Borrowing Brains:
5 Tips to Select and Get the Most Out of Your A/V Design Consultant

President Woodrow Wilson once said, "I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow" - Sage advice, not only for a President, but for any person in the business world. After all, who among us wants to become the clichéd "Jack of All Trades, Master of None?" Relying on your own 'close enough' knowledge of technology (or the knowledge of your brother-in-law or neighbor who is "so good with all that tech stuff") can cost your company dearly - time, money and productivity. So, when it's time to install or upgrade A/V systems in your company, you need to 'borrow brains.' You need an A/V Design Consultant.

Now, some of you might be thinking, "Wait… I thought 'Consultants are people who borrow your watch and tell you what time it is, and then walk off with the watch.' What gives?" Well, this may or may not be true of management and general business consultants, but it most definitely is NOT true of A/V Design Consultants. The A/V industry is vast, complicated and technical. It is fast-moving, dynamic and constantly evolving. Not to mention, every person has their own idea of what wonders of technology should be possible by now… Thanks, Hollywood.

When pursuing a new A/V system, using a consultant is a necessary step, however there are pitfalls to be avoided. However, if you follow these 5 tips, you can minimize the issues and increase the likelihood of a successful collaboration with your consultant.

1. Make Sure They Actually Know Their Stuff!
The entire point of hiring a consultant is to 'borrow brains' - that is to say, to hire someone with more knowledge and expertise of the topic than you do. "But," you exclaim, "how do I know if they do or do not know more than me?" Good question. The reality of it is, there is no such thing (at the moment!) as an A/V degree. We are still an emerging industry, and a rapidly evolving one. So how do you make sure your potential consultant has a clue?

One easy way is to look for certifications, either manufacturer-specific certifications or industry-wide certifications. While this should not be your sole criteria for selection, the achievement of either type of certification shows that your potential consultant is dedicated to education and learning the latest and greatest our industry has to offer. If you want to include a control system in the A/V project, you'd be best served by hiring a consultant who knows control systems - like an AMX ACE-Certified Designer, or a Crestron System Design course certificate holder. For all around education, you can't go wrong with an industry certification, like those offered by the National Systems Contractors Association or Infocomm International. At the very least, your potential A/V consultant should hold a basic CTS (Certified Technology Specialist) from Infocomm, if not a full CTS-D (Certified Technology Specialist - Design).

2. Look for Real World Installation and Integration Experience.
You know that horrible expression, "Those who can, do; those who can't teach?" While I don't subscribe to this theory about educators, there is a grain of truth to it when it comes to A/V Consultants. Now, before the hate mail pours in, let me be clear: Most A/V Consultants are well-respected A/V professionals who have worked in the field for decades and made the leap to consulting in order to share their experiences with the world. However, there are always a few bad apples who ruin it for the rest of them, and you can't always assume that a consultant has experience just because he is certified. Certification just proves a basic knowledge of A/V theory and 'best practices' as set down in manuals and guidebooks. Granted, some certifications, particularly the manufacturer ones, do have a "practical," or hands-on portion to their exams. Still, it is possible to earn certification without ever pulling a cable, building a rack or hooking up so much as a VCR!

When choosing an A/V Design Consultant, make sure that real, actual experience 'in the trenches' is part of their background. Having spent time there themselves, these consultants are often more aware of the challenges and capabilities of any given set-up and will design accordingly. This will result in fewer 'unforeseen problems' and forgotten details on specs they draw up, not to mention earning the love and affection of whatever company you eventually hire to actually perform the installation work! (And, if possible, make sure their A/V experience is fairly recent… or that they keep a toe in the integration world. Our industry does move fast and knowledge can become outdated rather quickly! You want someone who knows A/V NOW!)

3. Ask for References from Customers… and Integrators… and Follow Up!
This is a bit obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people don't actually ask for references…or ask for them and never call them to get the scoop! I can't stress this enough. TALK to other people who have worked with your potential A/V consultant. Other customers will let you know how easy or difficult the consultant is to work with, and how well they handle issues with trades, on jobs where the consultant is the point man on the project. You want glowing reviews here, as you will be working closely with this consultant throughout your project and, while they may be charmers when you first meet, they could turn into nightmares as the work progresses.

Likewise, wherever possible, talk to A/V integrators and installers who have worked on projects with your potential consultant. There are some consultants who are sweet as honey to their clients, and charm the pants off of them throughout the entire process, but are a total nightmare to deal with on the integration front. Again, they are the exception rather than the rule, but it's still a concern. The last thing you want when you are spending a great deal of time, money and effort on a new 'show piece' A/V system, is to deal with delays and unpleasantness from an integrator who is dealing with a bad attitude and bad design from the consultant. Fortunately, this doesn't happen all the time… but cover your bases and ask around.

4. Consider Design/Build.
If you are in a non-bid or sole-source situation (a.k.a., most non-government jobs), consider pursuing a Design/Build project rather than using a separate consultant and integrator. This will often lead to a smoother, more seamless integration - "Too many cooks…" and all that - as well as providing a cost and productivity savings. With a Design/Build, your chosen A/V Integrator will actually be your consultant in addition to providing and installing your equipment. This is more seamless because the person installing it actually knows how and why it was designed a certain way. The entire process, from initial meeting to final handover and training, is completed by one firm and there is a level of accountability and ownership on the job that can be lacking sometimes on bid/spec jobs. The integrator knows first-hand which pieces of equipment work best in particular situations, and also how to work around or deal with common problems. And, you never have to waste valuable project time while your integrator tries to figure out exactly what the consultant was thinking or had in mind when he or she designed something.

Additionally, Design/Build projects can be a real cost-saver! Most, if not all, of the Integration firms that offer this service will waive their Consultation fee for projects that come through as Design/Build projects. And, honestly, speaking as an Integrator here for a moment, Design/Builds are just more fun than bid and spec work. And fun can equal better work, because we enjoy it. Everyone knows, humans put more effort and energy into things they enjoy than in things that are just routine work! So, if you aren't required to go through a bid process, try Design/Build.

5. Know What You Want the System to Do and Communicate It!
If you learn nothing else from this article, learn this! I cannot stress enough how important communication is in ANY A/V project! You are the client. Without you, there is no need for consultants or integrators! Now, you don't have to know every technical detail about every component or things like that. That's why you HIRE a consultant (design or design/build) to begin with… so you don't NEED to know! However, you should have a general idea of:

• A. What you plan to use the system for most often. Meetings? Telepresence? Shows? Training? There can be different A/V products for different usage applications.
• B. What basic groups of functionality you want. Will you hook up laptops for display? Videoconference? Voice lift? Watching movies?
• C. What your target budget for the project is. A good consultant, and a good design/build firm, should give you a 'good-better-best' scenario - a system that will do just the basics of what you want at the lowest possible price, a slightly more expensive system that does all you want plus (and is expandable) and a top-of-the-line system with all the bells and whistles. Most times, the middle option - neither bargain-basement, nor top-shelf - is the right one for you and your firm… but you should be able to see the options and make up your own mind!

Once you know this information, it's time to meet with the A/V design consultant or design/build firm. There should be an extensive meeting right from the start to discuss those general points and to view the space where the system will be installed. If your potential consultant doesn't want to meet, or limits meetings to just a few minutes, find a new potential consultant! Communication is key. It's absolutely vital that you be able to communicate with them. There is no reason that a client should be dissatisfied with their system's design if the right designer is chosen and the lines of communication kept free and open.

So, there you are - 5 Tips to Select and Get the Most Out of Your A/V Design Consultant. I hope you will read and utilize these tips. By following them, you should have a very successful, productive relationship with your consultant AND with your integrator!To begin your search for an A/V Design Consultant, go to www.infocomm.com and click on "Member Search." Or, if you're in the Mid-Atlantic region (MD-DC-NoVA) and would like to try the Design/Build option, contact Advanced Video Systems directly. It's our specialty, and we'd be glad to help you out!