It is 2023 and your organisation may have recently made significant investments in new AV technology systems to support hybrid working – especially in 2021 and 2022.

As you look around it is almost impossible not to notice how quickly AV technology progresses month after month. It can be very tempting to consider further upgrades, which would likely add value to your people and perhaps improve experiences with your customers.

Why wouldn’t you? Others are doing just that.

But hang on just a second.

Don’t get be wrong, I am the first to acknowledge the significant benefits that the ever-improving AV technology solutions in the market can bring to an organisation. However, you are running a business and there are not endless buckets of money available.

Instead, let’s look at what you currently have, and focus on ways to better manage and optimise things. Let’s seek out those tangible improvements and leverage your existing AV assets without investing significant time or money. Here are 3 options you could be considering, noting that the AV equipment should firstly be connected to a centralised network.

1. Remote monitoring and management.
2. Analysis of AV Technology Utilisation.
3. Proactive approach to Software Updates.

Picture that all too common situation where an end user books a room, turns up to start their meeting, and then finds out that the AV isn’t working. There is nothing more frustrating for them. A remote monitoring and management software can be used to help avoid such an issue. Receive alerts when a device goes offline or isn’t functioning correctly, and then take measures to rectify the problem before end users are affected. Often a device can be brought back online remotely. The result? Happier users and lower service and maintenance bills.

What AV tech is being used the most and by whom? What tech is rarely being used, and why? When you know the answers to these types of questions you can make the necessary adjustments across your workspaces and drive up utilisation levels. End users are happier, and the organisation enjoys a greater return on the AV investments it has made. A blend of software connected to your AV devices and some sensors can provide you with the data on utilisation.

How many AV devices do you have within your organisation? How many different manufacturers are there? What are the various age ranges of the equipment. If you are answering “lots” to these questions, then managing software updates can be quite a task to stay on top of. Manufacturers are regularly making improvements to their products and releasing new features. If you are not taking advantage of this you are simply not getting the most out of your AV investments. More importantly, you are potentially limiting the quality of experience for the organisation’s end users. A systemic and proactive approach to keeping software and firmware up to date across the AV fleet is key.

The above 3 optimisation strategies can often be managed by a single software solution. Some examples to investigate include: Crestron XIO Cloud, Q-SYS Reflect, and Innomesh.

Like some help with Optimising your existing AV Assets?

Feel free to reach out.