Unlock Your Ideal Setup with Our Audio-Visual Consultation Services

December 15, 2023

Century AV Team

Let us be your collaborative partner during your next Audio Visual Project

A strategic audio-visual consultation will help you achieve effective communication and dynamic presentations, essentials in Canada’s evolving business climate. At Century AV, we understand that your enterprise’s audio-visual needs are as unique as your business itself. That’s why we don’t just sell AV equipment; we partner with you to create immersive and impactful audio-visual experiences.

From the boardroom’s teleconferencing setup to the vibrant digital signage that represents your brand, our tailored consultation services are designed to unlock the full potential of your AV systems. With us, you’re not just buying technology; you’re investing in a long-term solution that grows and adapts to your business.

Let’s look at how we can transform your audio-visual landscape and ensure your message is not just seen and heard but felt and remembered.

The Necessity of High-Quality AV Systems in Today’s Business Environment

Modern Ontarians expect results. They expect gratification. They often have issues with delayed results. Okay, this is a worst-case scenario, but one thing is for sure: Ontarians like and understand technology. You, as a business owner or manager, should be taking advantage.

High-quality AV systems help you communicate in a more impactful way. Similarly, with so many organizations working globally, communication with others across boundaries like oceans is a necessity. That’s where your audio-visual equipment comes into play.

AV applications that help you and your team communicate clearly and in real-time help your organization grow, make decisions, and, in many cases, are responsible for presentations involving sales. Many aspects of modern business are driven through the interactions of personnel in one company with personnel in another. In Ontario, this is a fact of business.

Yet, despite the necessity for high-quality communications, there are still a great many organizations that don’t utilize the equipment available to make those communications more straightforward, more accessible, and higher quality. In the sales world, first impressions are everything. So, do you really want to leave those impressions to the devices of old, poor-quality video, or even worse, video or audio that cuts out completely (and typically at the most inopportune moment)?

Good communication is impactful. Training is similarly impactful when presented on these audio-visual systems. Furthermore, AV systems that function as intended often highly increase team member engagement. In fact, according to a Gallup poll conducted in 2020⁽¹⁾, they confirmed the connection between team member engagement and 11 performance outcomes:

absenteeism
customer loyalty/engagement
organizational citizenship (participation)
patient safety incidents
productivity
profitability
quality (defects)
safety incidents
shrinkage (theft)
turnover (for high-turnover and low-turnover organizations)
wellbeing (net thriving employees)

Each of these items is positively affected by a more engaged workforce. The results of this poll basically tell us that the more impactful our AV equipment in the workplace is, the better the results of workforce output. At Century AV, we strive for the highest impact and can show you how we can do the same for your team.

Common Challenges with AV Systems in Enterprises

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Modern business faces several challenges that are often roadblocks for organizations to move forward. Here are four of the most common challenges we’ve heard of from clients relating to the audio-visual transformation to modern systems:

1. Continuous Support and Upgrades

The most common thing we hear about is a poor customer experience with a previous supplier. Customer experience is the difference between a company with good reviews and one without. Customer experience (CX) is essential to today’s markets and is anticipated to grow at a compounded annual rate of 15.4% from 2023 to 2030⁽²⁾.

New clients often point out how poor the support (CX) was with their previous audio-visual support. Frequently, the support seems to disappear after the sale or installation of equipment. The cessation of good support often leaves people feeling like they are left behind. Furthermore, if no equipment upgrades or even updates to software don’t occur, they can leave systems connected to networks vulnerable to security intrusions. That’s why at Century AV, we believe in providing strong follow-up and ongoing support.

Staying Current with Technology: Regular updates and upgrades to keep AV systems secure, efficient, and modern are a necessity for the long-term success of your AV systems.
Ongoing Training and Support: Continuous training for staff to effectively use the AV systems, especially after software updates that add new features, is crucial for the continued use of updated systems. Furthermore, ongoing training and support offer personnel the advanced abilities to take advantage of technology for their benefit.

2. Preventive Maintenance

Many people consider AV equipment installation as the be-all and end-all of equipment requirements. However, it is not the truth. Even electronics need maintenance. Heat sinks gather dust, fans and cooling systems can become blocked and cause equipment to overheat. Not only is overheating a concern when considering equipment failure, but it is also a cause of excessive hydro usage that can add up over time. Furthermore, software updates and patches help to resolve security vulnerabilities, so leaving equipment to its own devices will inevitably lead to equipment failure or, worse, downtime to your operations or security leaks that could spell bad news for your organization and those affected.

Reducing Downtime: Preventive maintenance can minimize system breakdowns and disruptions, thus preventing costly downtime.
Cost Savings: Regular maintenance can save costs in the long run by preventing major repairs. Furthermore, ensuring that equipment works as it should when you need it is of equally valuable importance.

3. Customized Solutions and Support

Audio-visual solutions are not a one-size-fits-all concept. In fact, most systems tend to be original and cater to the needs of the organization, the space where it operates, and the needs of the project. Businesses are not all the same, and their AV solutions need to reflect that.

Personalized Service Plans: Tailored support plans that align with specific business needs are crucial in today’s audio-visual-dependent climate.
Responsive Technical Assistance: The importance of having reliable, quick-response technical support for resolving issues cannot be understated. Technical support ensures that you keep costly downtime to a minimum.

4. Long-Term Partnership Approach

It seems to be that the major downside to most AV suppliers in Ontario is their lack of long-term vision. Most companies seek a quick sale where they can sell some equipment and then move on to the next sale. This approach might work for short-term gain, but it leaves their clients feeling like they were hung out to dry and forgotten. At Century AV, we believe that long-term support is a part of the job. It’s a part of life and a need that many organizations struggle with.

Beyond the Sale: Having a long-term partner who understands your enterprise’s evolving needs is crucial for your successful implementation and fruitful long-term use of AV equipment and systems.
Building Trust and Reliability: Consistent and reliable support builds trust and a sense of security for the enterprise, knowing that should equipment fail, support is only a phone call away.

Century AV’s Unique Approach to Audio-Visual Consultation: We Deliver Solutions

At Century AV, we love the big picture (no pun intended). By the big picture, I mean that we look at every AV project as a collection of stages, not just a sale. Let’s look at the five critical steps of systems that organizations must consider:

System Design

System design is critical to any AV project. The AV system must take into consideration at least these factors:

Purpose of intended installation (how will the equipment be used, or how does the organization need to perform?).
Location of installation, including cable routing, networking, cooling/venting, and other location-specific factors
Location soundproofing and acoustics.
Location lighting
Equipment Installation

Installation must adhere to the strictest policies, including proper routing of power and network cables to avoid signal conflicts, installation of soundproofing and venting, and other considerations.

Equipment Use Training

According to reports from 2021-2022⁽³⁾, the average training hours per team member in the year were 62. That’s basically a week and a half that each team member spends training. If we assume that the training is impactful, then we can assume a positive net result. However, if the training is not impactful, the opposite must, therefore, be true.

Proper equipment installation must have appropriate post-installation training for your team. Personnel can only take advantage of features they know exist and that they know how to use. At Century AV, we ensure that your team is well-informed on how to best take advantage of and use equipment features.

System Maintenance

As mentioned previously, system maintenance can include things like heatsink, fan, or filter cleaning, connection checks, running system integrity verification processes, and even updating and patching software. The point is that AV equipment is not an install-and-forget scenario, not if you want peak performance and longevity of your equipment.

System Repair/Upgrade

No audio-visual equipment runs forever. Inevitably, all equipment will fail at some point and for whatever reason. It could be a fault in a circuit causing ‘dirty’ power, or it could be a part that has worn or software that becomes corrupted. There are a number of things that can affect any type of equipment. Like anything else, eventually, the hardware needs repair. That’s where a trusted partner like Century AV comes in.

As new technology emerges and trends in business communication change, you may find your organization at a juncture where you want more features than your current system provides. However, knowing which system or equipment to upgrade can be challenging in an evolving market. That’s why at Century AV, we stay on top of the trends and modern systems and features so you don’t have to. We can help your organization find the right solutions, whether that means replacing a single component in a system with an entirely new system design. We’re with you from end to end of your audio-visual project with ongoing support and honest advice.

The Consultation Process: Tailoring Solutions to Your Needs

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No two businesses are the same, just as no two people are the same. That’s the reason why you shouldn’t settle for a one-size-fits-all solution. Most of the time, these solutions only add flaws to the potential for what you need.

As no business or space is the same as another, you need to consider customized solutions that fit your business. After all, it would help if you didn’t have to change your business to fit the solution.

Long-Term Support: Our Commitment to Your Success

I cannot stress enough the need for reliable, long-term support that considers the needs of an organization. We are not a ‘sell you equipment and run’ kind of company. At Century AV, we’re committed to our clients for the long haul, and we would have it no other way. Whether it’s fixing a faulty piece of equipment, helping you troubleshoot system failures, or merely on-site training for the use of equipment features, we’ve got you covered.

In Ontario, the industry norm might be to sell equipment and move on. At Century AV, we’re proud to stand out amongst the crowd to give your organization what it needs: ongoing, trusted support.

Why Choose Century AV for Your Enterprise AV Needs

At Century AV, we offer customized solutions to fit your needs, your space, and your budget. We provide cutting-edge technology that is often not available to the general public – solutions intended for commercial use and applications. That means that you don’t get big box stuff sold online; you get commercial equipment intended for consistent and long-term service.

We also offer reliable support for our cutting-edge solutions. That’s the real difference that makes Century AV stand out in the Canadian market – we are your long-term partner for success. We’ve seen other companies come and go; at Century AV, we’re here to stay. If it’s a reliable, knowledgeable, and responsive long-term audio-visual supplier and service you are looking for, then look no further. At Century AV, we don’t just talk the talk; we deliver results, keeping your organization ahead of the curve.

Elevating Your Enterprise’s AV Experience

Choose Century AV and elevate your enterprise’s communication to unprecedented heights. Our commitment to superior audio-visual solutions extends far beyond the initial sale – it’s a long-term partnership for your continued success.

With us, your AV system becomes more than just equipment; it’s a dynamic tool tailored to your unique business needs. From custom design to ongoing support and upgrades, we ensure your AV solutions not only meet but exceed expectations.

Embrace a future where your messages resonate powerfully and memorably. With Century AV, step into a world of impeccable communication and presentation, ensuring your business stays ahead in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

Century AV isn’t just a choice; we’re your business’s gateway to an amplified AV experience. Unlock your ideal setup today. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact the Century Audio Visual Team Today