Qualities to Look for in a Technology Master Planner
When planning how you’ll incorporate audiovisual and technology solutions into a space, leveraging the expertise of an experienced and proven AV consultant from end to end can make all the difference.
However, how can you be sure that you’ve selected the correct partner in planning how best to meet your unique technology needs and operational challenges?
From working alongside you during initial conceptualization for a brand-new space to planning a renovation and revitalization of an existing one, let’s explore what you should look for when selecting an industry-leading technology master planner.
Selecting the Right Technology Master Planner
Critical considerations when selecting the right technology master planner for your project include:
- Choosing a company with a history of innovation.
In the search for a trusted partner in any venture, proven experience and results are critical. In planning a future-proof technology solution for your space, an emphasis on selecting a partner with an established history of innovation is even more important.
Your organization must select a technology master planner with an eye toward the future, not one simply looking to give you what’s available today and call it a job well done. A space should be a living and breathing part of your organization, able to flex and adapt to the changing demands of your industry and new innovations that come down the pipeline.
“When thinking about Technology Master Planning™, [Electrosonic’s proprietary methodology], it is not just a point-to-point connection for a specific platform,” said Yiannis Cabolis, Electrosonic Director, Technical Innovation. “It’s more of a study that will provide agile connectivity to alleviate current pains while accommodating future functionality and growth demands or desires.” - Choosing a company that incorporates technology into architecture.
Technology should seamlessly integrate with the architecture and capabilities of your space.
That’s why successful planning mirrors the architectural master planning process. By applying the same effort to collaborate, connect and communicate with all parties throughout the life of a project, a more holistic solution can be designed that provides lasting benefits.
A technology master planner should also be able to facilitate the foundational aspects of a solution’s ability to deliver the results you’re after.
“Although the exact functionality of the endpoints will vary and can be scaled, the foundation needs to be in place. A good analogy is that of a utility company,” Cabolis said. “Electricity comes to each building or residence and is available at an electrical panel for distribution within each corresponding structure. It can feed a desk lamp or the latest model display or an imported Espresso Maker or a fan.” - Choosing a company with the technological acumen to look forward.
Having the will to craft a forward-looking space is one thing. Having the acumen and expertise to make it a reality is another.
When selecting a technology master planner, study the company’s history of actually implementing and modernizing solutions to get an idea for how capable your potential partner is in terms of following through on that future-proof promise.
“Technology Master Planning™ differs from a typical AV Conduit Plan with some spare cable types or a pull string left in place, as it is based on experiential design,” Cabolis said. “Experiential design is all those ‘what-ifs’ that can make or break a good user or visitor experience. The best head start for any experience is a good Technology Master Planning™ approach, and experience and knowhow is what drives it.” - Choosing a company with an ecosystem of partners to help guide implementation.
Finally, successfully implementing the technology plan you’ve devised is perhaps the most important step of all. No plan can be successful or feasible without partners that can provide the execution that makes it a reality.
A good technology master planner has a roster of established relationships forming a thorough ecosystem of partners that can help take a thorough master plan to a technological solution that saves money, saves time, and provides an excellent user or visitor experience.
Choosing Electrosonic
Electrosonic’s proprietary Technology Master Planning™ process, part of our Electrosonic Technology Design Consulting solution, helps overlay technology design into the design of a space, itself. This generates a holistic solution that not only saves time and money and crafts a space using the latest technology but prepares the space for future expansion and adaptation to ever-changing goals.
In short, Technology Master Planning™ is a way to ensure you make the most of your opportunity to outfit your space with leading AV technology. Technology is no longer a “nice-to-have” – it’s a must-have, and Technology Master Planning™ mirrors the architectural master planning process to bring collaboration, connections and, overall, a successful result.
“In urban planning, we identify community needs and develop short and long-term plans to create, grow, or revitalize a community or area. Technology Master Planning™ is no different, only it concentrates on technology aspects,” Cabolis said. “It considers the necessary handshakes and pathways, so the end result adheres to communication and control protocols, I/O demands, data acquisition and distribution between systems and sub-systems, control or processing points, and far end devices or nodes to achieve interoperability, integration, and immersion of technology.”
At Electrosonic, we take pride in delivering innovative, future-proof technological solutions and partnering with the industry’s premier companies to make that happen.
Our proprietary Technology Master Planning™ process is ready to help take your space’s technological capabilities from vision to reality, offering you a path toward a lasting solution ready to help you excel in the post-COVID “next normal.”
To learn more about how Electrosonic can help guide your next project, contact us today.
Chris Kratochwill
Chris Kratochwill, Design Consulting Manager at Electrosonic, writes with insider knowledge on what it takes to bring visions to reality. He has more than 25 years’ experience working with end-users, architects and planners to design award-winning experiences for multi-million-dollar projects in the leisure and hospitality sector.