Is it the true cost?
Tim Gorter - A.
Helping Major Sporting Events & Superyachts Solve Connectivity and AV/IT Challenges
Lately I have been reviewing quite a few proposals for AV & IT refits where I have asked myself if yachts are being given a realistic picture. It is true that many of the proposals will see a review once the integrator has been chosen, but still some of the proposed costs are simply extraordinarily high!
For me any proposal needs to be clear, where the client not only sees a final number to sign off on, but a breakdown where the costs are specified to what you actually get. There will always be a trade-of where in one part the integrator may have a very low return compared to another service where it is a higher return, but that is simply good management.
A recent review I did the price indicator was put at €300,000, yet when I looked deeper I saw that hardware costs could not even break €100,000. And this was for a simple system without fancy programming, a straight AV control of limited sources.
If you are heading into a refit period where you wish to make a substantial upgrade to the AV or IT installation, there are some simple guidelines that I suggest you follow.
Before starting make sure that you get someone in to write you a report.
- IT survey
- AV survey
- Wi-Fi survey
- An analysis of what you, the client, really want from a new system.
Portions of this some suppliers will do for free or at a minimal costs to cover expenses. This depends on how in-depth you want it to be. I'd suggest paying someone as you are then more guaranteed to get an impartial picture.
With that report you will not only get a clear view of where you are at, but also when asking for quotes, you can get a more comparative quote from suppliers or integrators. And as for anything, get at least 2 quotes, if not 3!
Also, make sure that your choices will be future looking, there are tremendous advances in the ideas of how IT and AV are applied now. AV has mostly moved over into the IT space making it extremely flexible, amazingly compact and above all hugely reduced wiring, making cable runs oh so much easier!
Further, a big portion of the installation is the programming, but even this has become so streamlined with templates and pre-coded APIs (a snippet of code supplied by the manufacturer) that getting a true pleasurable experience in its use can be done by any good integrator.
So bottom line, get a decent report before you start. Have any proposal show you where the costs apply, and what you get from it! Make sure it has enough transparency for you to be comfortable that the wool is not simply being pulled over your eyes!
And more than ever, ensure you get the full documentation at the end of the project, so that you remain flexible and future proof when the next round comes along!
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4 年Totally agreed that knowing exactly where you stand and forming a very clear picture of where you want to go before you start asking for proposals is the best way to approach it. Ask 3 different integrators for a proposal based on a brief explanation of your desires and you are likely to get three different approaches at different price points. Nobody enjoys having to try and compare apples with oranges and it makes for a very inefficient process that seldom leads to the best end result.
Primary Teacher
4 年AV-IT re-fit can mean many things. Although, the Systems have become simpler to wire on the control side...... the power side is still basically the same. You have it right when you prepare by having an extensive document prepared in detail. That is the best money spent for it outlines what happens going forward. We did a few along the way during our 34 years and hope the work becomes available again in our part of the woods but for now and the past 10 years, it has dried UP. Give us a call.