AV Installations 101

We’ve talked about installation projects in this magazine before, but just like any venture, there’s always a painful plethora of subcontext under the surface that isn’t so straightforward. This month, I’m going to skip the basics and jump straight to what I wish I knew before I was the installation foreman for Astro AVL in Glendale, California.

FIND THE HEAD OF THE SNAKE.
First things first, it’s always important to remember: The bigger the project, the more cooks will inevitably be in the kitchen. And it can get messy.

If you’re lucky, there’s a general contractor who’s receptive to your needs and follows through. But, more often than not, there are numerous subcontractors sharing the space. There are specialized AV, electrical, HVAC and/or any number of other trade crews that may not match the same attention to detail as you, nor care to make the effort.

It’s critical from the outset to establish the point person from each subcontractor. Identify who has the decision-making power and represents their company on the ground floor, but also has a direct line of contact to the heads at headquarters.

Establish a protocol for transparency by having a one-on-one to address how you operate, share the information you were given, as well as the plans and schedule you’ve created. Define what your expectations are as their performance is going to play a direct role in your successful system launch. Be able to mutually manage the client by collaborating on presenting the best avenues that meet both of the teams’ needs and reflect the customer’s interests. It’s best to be chummy and create rapport on this level. We tend to bend more for individuals we like to work with. Remember that favors are going to be needed from both sides of the fence when trudging through the trenches.

If you fail to do this, expect mismanaged schedules that cause you to have to send technicians home last minute and disputes over who gets the priority on executing their scope of work. The client isn’t always going to have the foresight to alert other contractors of the changes they make to their priorities, and you can’t always depend on the news to trickle down through the procedural pipeline. Plan for communication fail-safes and redundancies so you can adapt and improvise without being caught with your pants at your ankles.

SNAKES CAN TAKE MANY SHAPES.
It’s also important to remain wary of other contractors seeking to increase their capital influx, thus shrinking your operating budget. This could be through their own negligence or from intentional attempts to do things like “double dip.” Technically complex and nebulous areas may be the blind spot that the client can’t understand enough to call out.

Oftentimes, when dealing with more bureaucratic, multi-layered city projects, the budget for your scope of work may fall under another larger contractor’s budget. If that contractor fails to incorporate all your estimates or line items then they will also fail to include them properly in their submittals to the approval committee. I’ve seen that attribute to a delta of over $50,000 in oversight. That contractor was obligated to eat that cost, but it caused a long string of avoidable phone calls, contract reviews and deliberations. It also fertilizes ground that can sprout discontent from the contractor, potentially leading them to attempt more devious ways of recouping that hit. Best to avoid this manure altogether.

DON’T BECOME THE LEAD SUSPECT.
Just like a crime scene, the last person to put their fingerprints on something is generally the assumed guilty party when something goes wrong. It’s common for clients to request repurposing or integrating pre-existing hardware to save costs. You may be there to take over a project which requires a hand-off transition that can quickly turn into treacherous terrain. Regardless if I’m using QSC, JBL or Mackie, I’ve never encountered a perfect system when you tie it into a string of other network components. There are always bugs or caveats to be aware of. Make your needs known to the client and the other third parties from the start. Talk tech spec, get an understanding of the signal flow and hardware to a level that answers all of your questions or opens the door to finding the answers on your own.

Once that other party begins their departure from the scene, you won’t get the level of attention needed to save you hours of CSI forensic work. Make clear the level of cooperation you expect from them in order to facilitate an amicable transition. Ideally, have the client present to witness and mediate the conversation. Ask questions like, “what are the known failure points of this current system that your team has encountered?” and “what steps did you take to resolve them?”

SPEAK NOW, OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.
As I mentioned earlier, understand that some clients can be more timid, or uneducated, on the technical aspects of AVL infrastructure, making it difficult for them to know when to act when the wool is being pulled over their eyes. Being a voice that advocates for their best interests in these discussions may add a bit to your plate in terms of interfacing with multiple parties, but it’ll create value and reduce strain on your logistics in the long run.

ALWAYS CYA (COVER YOUR ASS–ETS).
All of the aforementioned is to be preemptive in doing your best to minimize overhead and headaches.

But, if all else fails, encapsulate some standard practical disclaimers at the end of your quotes for a client that address common situations that cause conflict in accountability and liability disputes. Draw from your own experiences as examples that help illustrate the validity of categorical overages and justify additional billable hours.

FINALLY: THE HONEY AND VINEGAR.
Don’t be heavy-handed with your terminology on contract disclaimers to clients. No one likes to speak legalese and you might create distrust. Be practical in presenting your logic behind your liability waivers, and be firm with stubborn contractors whom you’re forced to work with but prove to be slippery. They will be quick to fingerpoint when things go awry, so create accountability and enforce it within your means.

Be fastidious in documenting third-party failures during the project that impact your timeline or costs. It’s critical to perform this postmortem daily because even if you think you’ll remember, after a few days on a busy project, the specifics tend to blur together and you may forgot. If you can’t refer to those details when it counts, it reduces the legitimacy of your statements. And you don’t always know what hiccup might turn into a full-blown problem later down the road.

So, there you have it. The back alley, how-to guide to staying AV installation savvy and steering clear of costly and frustrating headaches. It’s a layer cake, folks, so don’t get distracted by the frosting. Good luck out there. MI