Point of View: Best Practices and Industry Quality

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Point of ViewBest Practices and Industry
Quality

• Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D.
• InfoComm International

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Welcome to Point of View Series

• Highlights information about issues impacting
  the audiovisual industry and provides a forum for
  InfoComm to share the associations viewpoints.

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With You Today

• Scott Walker, CTS-D
• Principal, Waveguide Consulting, Inc.

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POV Overview

• Maturing AV industry is taking a hard look at
  quality and ways to maintain, improve and expand
  client awareness of why its important to hire
  audiovisual professionals.
• InfoComms role
• Industry Outreach Campaigns
• Education and Certification
• AV Best Practices Book
• Project Management Courses
• New Programs Coming Soon

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Questions this POV Will Answer

• Best Practices
• What are Industry Best Practices and why are they
  important?
• What are some Best Practices identified by
  industry experts?
• How will InfoComm continue to establish best
  practices as the industry and technologies
  change?

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What are Industry Best Practices?

• Best Practices are a concept which asserts that
  there is a technique, method, process, activity,
  incentive or reward that is more effective at
  delivering a particular outcome than any other
  technique, method, process, etc. With proper
  processes, checks, and testing, a project can be
  rolled out and completed with fewer problems and
  unforeseen complications.

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How Were the Best Practices Developed?

• Design and Integration Best Practices were
  developed by a dedicated team of AV systems
  integrators, independent consultants and the
  technology managers/end-users who recognized the
  need for a definitive explanation of the business
  of AV.
• Their InfoComm councils the Sound, AudioVisual
  and Video Integrators (SAVVI), the Independent
  Consultants in Audiovisual Technology (ICAT) and
  the Technology Managers/End-Users made
  suggestions that were refined and expanded by the
  Best Practices Committee.

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Result AV Best Practices Guide

• The design and construction process
• Selecting and contracting the project team
• Explanation of the program, design and
  construction phases
• Information about system commissioning and
  training
• Sample contract forms and checklists
• Questions to ask during the program and
  construction phases of AV projects
• Sample user guide
• Sample technical manual
• AV glossary

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Impact of Audiovisual Best Practices Guide

• How is it used?
• What has been its impact?

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Project Management

• Audiovisual Best Practices book highlights
  importance of project management skills and
  knowledge for quality outcome
• Members asked InfoComm to provide expertise in
  project management
• InfoComm now offers project management courses,
  taught by a PMI Registered Education Provider,
  using the PMI A Guide to the Project Management
  Body of Knowledge (PMBOKGuide) as its basis and
  customized for the audiovisual industry
• Using the PMI materials aligns the audiovisual
  industry with internationally recognized project
  management best practices to reinforce the
  clients image of quality for the industry

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Project Management for Executives

• How does Project Management professionalize the
  industry?
• Why should AV industry executives be interested
  in project management ?
• What is the advantage for industry leaders
  attending InfoComms Project Management for
  Executives?

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InfoComm Executive Business Conference

• September 22 and 23 (golf on 21)
• Marriott Lincolnshire, Chicago
• Audience commercial audiovisual business
  owners, principals, executives and their direct
  reports only
• Project management and human resource focus

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Industry Technical Best Practices
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Best Practices Next Steps

• Business Best Practices now documented in
  Audiovisual Best Practices book
• Project Management Best Practices taught in
  course using PMBOKGuide as basis
• What about Installation and Design technical best
  practices?

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Document Installation Best Practices

• InfoComm has taught installation best practices
  to hundreds of installers over the past 10 years
  through its classroom and online courses
• Installation best practices have been established
  by industry experts who taught on a volunteer
  basis and who actively review curriculum
• In recent years, documented curriculum has
  highlighted best practices

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Installation Best Practices Reference

• Compilation of curriculum best practices
• Many photos added
• Released as training material and discussion
  encouraged
• Final copy in 07

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InfoComm Audiovisual Installation Program
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Situation Analysis Industry Needs Installers
While hundreds of students take InfoComm's
Installation Online course each year, limited
availability of classroom space for InfoComms
Installation School has students requesting
additional options. Many are also seeking to
achieve the Certified Technology Specialist in
Installation (CTS-I) designation.  In a recent
survey of 6,465 North American Systems
Integrators (184 responses), 59 of the
respondents stated that they were not aware of
InfoComm soldering practices and 63 do not have
documentation for soldering practices. 

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Addressing the Need for Installers

• InfoComm Board of Governors (BOG), SAVVI and ICAT
  members initiated discussions with the
  Professional Education and Training (PETC)
  Steering Committee regarding the critical need in
  the industry for more installation technicians
  and for improvement in the quality of
  installations industry-wide.
• PETC was charged to work with SAVVI and ICAT
  members to develop ways to take existing InfoComm
  Academy curriculum content and make it more
  available to train more installers.

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New Program Goals

• Train several hundred individuals at the
  installation basics level as quickly as possible.
• Remove distance barriers to current training
• Maintain reasonable costs
• Expand the use of InfoComm Academys installation
  best practices content by making it more
  available for discussion, use and acceptance
  throughout the industry.
• Provide a way to recognize the students
  achievement while still maintaining the integrity
  of CTS-I designation.

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Audience for New Class

• Entry level AV installers in their first year of
  hire. Refresher for current installers who are
  not using best practices.

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Materials

• Installation Best Practices Reference Guide
• 5 Modules
• Introduction to Audiovisual Installation
• Basic Mounting
• Cable Pulling
• Terminations
• Rack Building
• Blended learning materials made available
  online, streamed, instructor guides, skill
  assessment checklists, etc.

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Implementation Timeline

• Materials will be provided for the first 5
  modules starting in Fall 2006 to help companies
  train their employees on site.
• Phase 2 modules will be developed thereafter
• Audio Systems Installation
• Visual Systems Installation
• Control Systems Installation

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Taking CTS-I Prep On the Road

• Plans are under development
• The hands-on component of the Installation
  certification (CTS-I) requires a great deal of
  equipment and consumables
• InfoComm is currently investigating ways to
  maintain a hands-on component to demonstrate
  skills that is more accessible, while still
  maintaining the rigorous testing of its
  specialized programs. More information will be
  provided on this initiative by the end of 2006.

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Design Technical Best Practices

• Basics of Audio and Visual Systems Design already
  in print.
• AV Design Reference Manual (with BICSI) due out
  shortly. Will be able to order from online store
  at www.infocomm.org or by calling customer
  service at 703-273-7200.

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Future Point of View Webinars

• Look for more in the late Fall.