What the Changing World Means for Your Budgeting Needs

As we rapidly approach the close of the first quarter of 2022, it’s time to consider the money that your organization or company is pouring (or is thinking about pouring) into the continued maintenance of remote audio and visual systems. It’s also time to abandon the dangerous pitfall that has been menacing us all: that any system is ‘good enough for the time being.’ The ‘time being’ has been the last two years; rather than thinking of your existing sound and video systems as ‘short term fixes’, it has become vital to focus on the potential for maintenance and longevity. The essential tools to maintain any system haven’t changed; we rely now, as we always have, on intelligent planning, quality equipment, and clarity of vision to preserve what works and fix what doesn’t. It isn’t about the next new thing. It has always been about getting back to the basics of project planning and budgeting.
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‘Maintenance and longevity’ can mean different things according to your industry or organization, your needs, and the needs of your patrons, clients, etc. In budgeting terms, maintenance costs can take many forms: replacement equipment, third-party subscriptions (think Zoom,) upgraded equipment, and more. However, consider what those costs actually look like: buying whatever equipment is available, whether or not it actually satisfies your business or organizations needs; struggling to find new solutions when natural changes in software and hardware availability mean unexpected obstacles and issues in the AV system that you cobbled together yourself, or with the help of a local or staffed IT department; basically, a lot of wasted time spent working to patch up the symptoms of long-term problems with short term solutions.
 
Therefore, when we talk about budgeting for a potential professional sound system installation project, it’s important that you look beyond basic costs. Professional sound companies, or professional AV integrators like design-build integrators at Sound Planning provide sustainable solutions for the deeper issues that are causing the systemic short term disruptions. Consider a system of integrated microphones, speakers, and even video designed on the basis of real and actual specifics of your conference or boardroom. The Audio Visual and Integrated Experience’s (AVIXA’s) Pro-AV Business Index (1), which has continually tracked trends in sales of AV equipment and the employment of AV professionals since November of 2020, continues to predict a steady demand on equipment and business professionals. In-house upgrades of outdated systems might not only be difficult to maintain in the long term; they will most likely consistently suffer from the scarcity of resources that has been a primary issue throughout this era of on-and-off lock-downs.

The Sound Planning experience isn’t just about the best equipment for the best price. Sound Planning brings advanced experience and training to the table

It may seem trite, but there is immense value in peace of mind. Sound Planning understands that you have spent the last two years looking for the best ways to stay connected to one another; regardless of industry or end-user, the clarity that we have always craved from virtual connection hasn’t changed. Whether it’s an upgrade, a fully integrated system, or just the intelligent tools to work smarter to achieve the same goals, it’s time to reconsider the real cost of the items for which we’ve been budgeting. 

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Author

Alexandria Womack