I retired my timing light in 2003; I hope yours is retired too. The day of the shade-tree mechanic is long gone — car repair is a whole new ballgame. So what?
Your role as a “Pro AV professional” may be in jeopardy of similar shifts in the next five years. I cut my teeth as a systems engineer, first on aerospace systems and then information technology. Both of these segments have undergone radical changes and I believe AV integrators are headed down the same path.
Here’s some context. If you are a component integrator, recognize that your “components,” that is, projectors, screens, control systems, switchers, etc., are being integrated, standardized, and abstracted. In the IT world, entire systems (the ones I used to sell!) have been shrunk onto a single chip. Multi-million dollar datacenters have been abstracted into $5,000 monthly payment to Amazon Web Services.
In aerospace, multi-billion dollar satellites have been “commoditized” into relatively inexpensive “microsats.” Your component integration skillsets are becoming obsolete at an ever increasing pace! Your cheese is moving, whether you know it or not. But, take heart, the solution is straightforward; simple, no, but straightforward, yes.
Start now by rethinking your place in the value chain. Drop the “video,” drop the “audio,” drop the “programmer,” and become a real electronic systems integrator who focuses on commercial organizations. These organizations will always need integration professionals who deploy systems engineering skills to integrate electronic systems.
More Industry Predictions for 2021
Brad Grimes: Future AV Integrators: Why You Will Need to Retain Your ‘Go-To’ Status
Dale Bottcher:Keep Your Eyes Focused on User Experience
Jim Hatcher: Diversification: The Key to Commercial Integration Survival in 2021
Jeff SingerL Why Selling Products Will Lead to Certain Failure for the AV Integrator
Let’s face it, banks are focused on being banks, schools focus on teaching, retailers focus on selling. Very few organizations want or can afford to develop competencies in electronic systems integration. You can! But, and it’s a big “but,” the nature, complexity and scope of the electronic systems in question will change rapidly over the next five years.
We must develop skills that deliver fully functional electronic systems that solve customer problems across traditional system boundaries. We can no longer afford the “luxury” (arrogance?) of saying “we’ll do your conference rooms, but we don’t do security systems.” Customers want integrated systems.
Integrators who don’t deliver are the Edsels of the future. If you’re with me so far, you may be asking how do I get started? Start by reconsidering your business model and identifying core competencies that will serve you well in this new world of electronic systems integration. I’d suggest the following for starters:
1. Build Your Consultative Selling Skills
We can no longer sell from our company toolkits. Teach your sales professionals (and yourself!) how to listen, empathize, visualize and tell stories. Get immersed in design thinking. Customers increasingly expect you to deliver an experience, not just a product or service. If your sales team can’t engage customers at the experience level, they’re toast — and maybe you’re toast too.
2. Develop Systems Engineering Methodologies
Starting in the early 1960s the NASA space program developed systems engineering as a discipline, not just a buzzword. Systems engineering involves documented system-level requirements; flow-down of requirements to the subsystem and component levels; design integration; periodic design reviews; subsystem and system level test plans and testing; user acceptance testing based on the documented requirements; and delivery, which includes system documentation and an ongoing support plan.
The days of slamming stuff in and hoping the customer will figure it out are about to be as dated as my ancient timing light. Learn and develop your systems engineering competency.
3. Change Your Subcontracting Perspective
Today most integrators view subcontracting as “I know a guy in Toledo who might be able to … ” Change your perspective; imagine you are launching a moonshot. No one company has the internal expertise, skills and bandwidth to individually design and deliver tomorrow’s complex electronic systems.
As an electronic systems integrator you need to develop teambuilding skills and contracting methodologies. Winning integrators will be those who can assemble, manage and gracefully disband extended teams of specialists, both companies and individuals.
Customers want a “single bellybutton to push” and they’ll pay well for the company that can deliver. Develop contracting and subcontracting skills. If you’re thinking these changes are radical, you’re right. But, history has shown that the pace of change waits for no man, or woman.
And your company won’t change by itself. Lead the change by starting to think of yourself as an electronics systems integrator. Figure out how to deliver compelling solutions across the spectrum. Reward those who join in and lead the charge; help those who want to change but struggle; part ways with those who cling to the past.
I loved my timing light but it just wasn’t part of my future. Jettison the baggage that’s tying you to the past and launch a new future.
