ES Broadcast: Expecting The Unexpected

We have recently experienced first-hand many company site moves or moves because of a dramatic change in technology. Often, companies positioned for growth face a dilemma, writes Edward Saunders, MD at ES Broadcast.

The prospect of retrofitting, expanding or building a new facility is good news, but then comes the hard work of moving between the two operations. Due to the size and cost of these projects to gain the increased capabilities, there can be failure hidden within.

Successfully navigating a new project does not have to be an act of faith. While many risks cannot be avoided, some can be anticipated, and careful planning from the first day can ensure minimal disruption. System integrators and engineers agree that the most important concept is an internal ownership.

If all the right people are involved from day one you are assuring internal ownership. However a project team should not be made purely of engineering without operational, financial and customer service represented. The idea of 'change management' starting when the project is in full flow is a very bad idea! We have experienced this type of approach from the wings and have had to assist with picking up the pieces by reselling product that was ordered and never used and all for a reduced budget; therefore replacing the products with a cheaper alternative. This is clearly far from ideal.

It is imperative that everybody affected understands and is prepared for the changes. They don't have to agree, but unexpected changes can really impact morale, and we all know that can have a huge impact on current business and productivity.

From the get go, it's important that the Project manager (PM) sets realistic expectations to the whole company by conveying the hard work required to ensure success. You'd be a fool to think that you can simply buy the technology and contract a systems integrator to wave their magic wand and put it all in place. In fact, the work required from you, and your team in house will be far greater than that of the integrator.

As early as possible, start assigning tasks and areas of responsibilities to your team. This process can identify which strengths your company can already bring to the table and which roles they might look to an integrator to provide.

Choosing the right integrator is essential. Some of you may be bound to a corporate policy of releasing a tender for the works, and some of you may have the luxury of handpicking a small number of recommended integrators or conducting your own research to find the right fit for the job. Whichever way you go about choosing your contractor, make sure you plan and make it a whole process of its own. We've seen companies follow a planned process of comparing options and suppliers, only to hand it over to their finance department who simply decide to go with the cheapest option. You should be looking for integrators with tailored expertise and experience to your business, not just somebody local to you with the cheapest quote.

Although system integrators are experts in their field and no doubt will get the job done to a very high standard, it may not be the finished product you were expecting. Internal ownership means utilising the assets you already have during your planning process. Although it may seem irrelevant at first, the likes of your sales department, for example, should give their input as to the best possible outcome for them and their work method. Your engineering department need to voice their needs. What equipment do they use on a daily basis? How much storage space will they need for equipment waiting to be worked on? I would hope that your employees know their job back to front. Who better to recommend and put forward ideas than the people that will be using it day in day out?

In conclusion, there are many times when a systems integrator is essential, but in reality there are occasions that by the time your PM has put together all of the specs, budget, design and the team around them you could more or less do the move or build yourselves.

Call us if you would like an overview of what you are doing at the moment and have an independent company give some free advice as to what to do and where to go.

The article is also available to read in BFV online.

(IT/JP)