What to look for when hiring a Design/Build AV Integrator
Every commercial AV System project comes with risk. As consultants, we recognize there may be significant unfamiliarity, and even considerable anxiety when it comes to selecting and hiring an AV contractor, or systems integrator as they are often described today.
When private money is in play, it’s a common temptation to skip the professional consultants and choose to work directly with a design/build integrator. But, buyer beware: not all systems integrators are created equally.
Paraphrasing what many have said, "I was put in charge of finding an AV contractor and I have little or no idea how to pick one, or what to look for. I'm just hoping that whoever we select… they know what they’re doing, and they won't rip us off."
Sound familiar? If so, the following will provide in depth guidelines on how integrator’s can and should manage and minimize the main, definable risk factors. These risks are often not recognized, understood or openly discussed before signing a contract. They should be.
Even if you plan to hire a professional AV or acoustical consultant, and send your project out for bids, many of the concepts outlined below hold true. Why? Because accepting the low-bid price is rarely the best plan. Again, why? Because even though they may “qualify” on paper, those firms that have the lowest overhead, (read least invested in providing a full spectrum of quality people, products and services) will almost always come in with the lowest bid.
We believe AV integration project risk can be distilled into these three main categories: Technical, Non-technical, and Intangible. Click Here for the Full Story.