The Most Common Mistakes When Installing a Video Conferencing Solution

This article is designed to help you avoid the most common mistakes when installing a video conferencing solution.

1. Poor planning.  Having too many cooks in the kitchen without a clear outcome in mind. This will allow your team to wander and your vendor or partner to drive the process. If you can, dedicate a project manager or point person so that communication, intent and the project stays focused.
2. Not involving all the stakeholders. This is not simply an I.T. event, make sure administrators and users are engaged in the planning process. If you are being tasked by a committee, an executive, an executive team or peer group to come up with solutions, be sure you have both adequate understanding of the decision process and an audience with them to provide initial findings prior to final selection.
3. Know the scope and the budget.  Not setting the project objectives up front will lead to confusion for the vendor and you having to digest far too many options. Have you stated what problems the video solution is solving and making sure that is still true once completed?
4. Static design will fail.  If you are planning only for room deployments without thinking about mobile or desktop, you are missing the trends and emerging needs.
5. Balance function, budget and reality. Not having a room design in mind or having one that does not work with the customer of your organization can create lots of adoption issues.  Also, know your facility and that will help keep costs down. Trace your wires, have a good floor plan and a firm design – even for simple rooms.

Over the years our team has seen these five components pop up across hundreds of designs. Use them as benchmarks and both you and your vendor will have a more perfect video conferencing experience.

Bonus round?  Yes. Here are two other items covered in previous posts in this series, but they show up often enough, it is worth posting again.

1. Not being prepared for content sharing. Who shows content and what is the experience expected? Start with this prior to even considering building out a solution.
2. Forgetting about ongoing training and support. Training – who, what, when, where and tune-ups?  Hey, products change and you change staff. How often do you refresh the training?  Has your vendor provided on-going support and as-built documentation? The more you help people use the rooms without challenges, the more adoption and adaption takes hold and the happier your clients (internal customers), staff and partners will be with the solution you have chosen.

Perfect Video Conferencing works with an outstanding community of partners to help you avoid these common mistakes. Sign up for a Free Demo today.

About Perfect Video Conferencing: Founded in 2009 by Randy N. Marcotte and John Killcommons, Perfect Video Conferencing was born of a commitment to integrity and partnership and the desire to create a boutique brand based on white-glove service to its customers.What started as a simple conversation about shared values evolved into Perfect Video Conferencing. Those seeds of dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction has moved PVC from a shining star in a clouded sky of VARs to our own constellation of VAP – Value-Added Partner.

As our industry evolves, we continue to innovate and forge relationships in order to provide our customers with the most up-to-date unified communications solutions backed by the most customer-focused support, remaining true to those inspirations that are at our foundation.