Retrofit Solutions

Approximately 50% of our projects are retrofit solutions ….??

A retrofit solution is an upgrade to the systems within an existing property where there are minimal if not no planned building works. These projects rely upon the existing infrastructure and are often fraught with complexity and challenge.

We thrive on these projects - we accept the challenges they bring, and we use our 'solutions driven' ethos to overcome these and find ways in which to bring the technology back to life even when we have little cabling available to us.?We tackle these projects in a comparable way to our new build projects. It always starts with the end goal - what does the client wish to achieve room by room, or system by system.

We always offer on-site consultations for these projects. We meet with the client and discuss the possibilities in terms of current technology, and we listen to their pain points and the way in which the house is not working for them at present.?We often visit each room and capture the required functionality along with an initial survey as to what cables are in place within the room - often tucked behind TV's or in cupboards.

We then visit each of the central locations within the property, documenting them with photographs and notes. There would often be a central data location where there might be an equipment rack already in place or a lighting control panel location.

We often are faced with properties that have absolutely no cables in them - or just the internet router in the study or hallway. We have ways in which we can overcome this by?decentralising?the installation, creating small local equipment locations in each room. We can even supply the furniture needed to house the equipment thanks to our great partnership with Clic in Denmark!

We are also very aware that sometimes there are elements of the existing installation which might still be fully working or a more recent purchase. We always work with the clients to evaluate the pros and cons of retaining this equipment and if it is right for the project and in working order, we will do everything we can to retain it in order to avoid additional costs.?

Once back in the office we sit down together as a Sales Team to discuss the list of requirements compared to the infrastructure that we found in place. We review the photographs, make notes on any floor plans and then we start to solve the puzzle and find a way forward.

We then put together a detailed, line?itemised?proposal split into systems and then rooms. This is often accompanied by a presentation and images. We send this to the client and then welcome a follow up debrief meeting online, at the property or in our Showroom. We highlight any areas of concern in terms of cabling, and we start to outline the scope for the detailed survey which would take place upon appointment.

During the detailed survey we ensure we have space for the equipment - we check TV dimensions, wall construction, rack space for example. We also test and certify the data cables which we would?utilise?for the new system to ensure that they all pass and the plan we have is viable. Sometimes we agree to install 2-3 new cables so during the survey we agree the routes for these with the client.

The engineers in charge of the survey then feedback the results to us and we make any minor amendments to the proposal before sending the equipment stage invoice to the client. The project then follows a normal rollout in that everything is prepared off site. The new equipment rack is built offsite at our HQ (if there is a rack), the network is preconfigured, and the control system pre-programmed. Once everything has been tested, we arrange a date to install the system with the client and we discuss how this can be done in a concise way to?minimise?downtime in the property. ?

This diligent process has been refined over many years and it ensures that we do not fail when deploying these complex upgrade solutions. Each time we have come across a challenge or an issue in the past we have amended our process to ensure this doesn't happen again.???

We are aware some companies steer away from these types of projects due to the unknowns and the elevated levels of risk. We see them as a massive opportunity, and we have carried out some of our most exciting projects for some incredible clients as upgrade projects. It gives the opportunity to breathe new life into ageing installations - the impact on the family is huge and immediate.

Over the years we have seen some 'horrors' as you can imagine. I have gathered a little selection of some of the world’s most dated technology, alongside some of the worst cable management ever seen! We will try and follow this up with before and afters in a future post!?