To serve AV integrators and their clients well, it’s imperative to listen to, anticipate and meet evolving needs. For LinkLab, the standalone brand name of Almo’s robust services portfolio, this includes actively engaging in online forums and industry social media groups to get a from-the-trenches perspective.
This uniquely attentive approach to customer engagement has led to a significant expansion of LinkLab’s service offerings as the team addresses the most persistent pain points in the industry. These range from provisioning needs, to avoiding damaged displays, to remedying inadequate product documentation for engineers and technicians, to collaborating with integrators who are stretching beyond their core competencies.
LinkLab Leverages Warehouse Space for Advanced Provisioning Services
During the most recent E4 Experience, held on Oct. 7 in Chicago, Cory Allen, vice president of services at LinkLab, detailed the company’s latest strategic initiatives. “We have a lot of new [offerings],” Allen confirms. “The last time that we talked, we were really rounding out a new service offering that was utilizing our warehouse space.”
At the core of these new services is the strategic use of all that warehouse space, particularly in Philadelphia, to offer specialized solutions that go far beyond standard distribution. These include advanced provisioning services for thousands of devices — for example, VR headsets and media players — as well as comprehensive rack builds, asset tagging, and advanced staging and kitting.
LinkLab Rolls Out Display Protection Services
Another major focus for LinkLab has been tackling the age-old problem of product damage arising from shipping. Allen recounts how, for more than a decade, the most common industry-wide complaint has been from customers who receive damaged displays. To combat this, LinkLab has rolled out an over-boxing program that adds an extra layer of protective packaging. Notably, that is part of LinkLab’s even broader Display Protection Services offering. As Allen explains, “We’re actually inspecting displays before they ship for concealed damage, which isn’t a normal practice.” He adds, “We’re doing that to make sure if there is damage to a customer’s display upon arrival, we know where the fault is.”
This pre-shipment check allows LinkLab to identify and resolve any issues before products ever reach the customer. This streamlines the claims process and aligns with LinkLab’s next-day advanced replacement offering, marking a vast improvement over a potentially weeks-long resolution process that integrators and their clients sometimes must suffer through.
LinkLab Intros DocLAB Initiative
Another innovative service, born from closely monitoring integrator frustrations throughout the industry, is DocLAB. This initiative addresses the common issue of manufacturer-provided documentation that is ill-suited for the needs of technical personnel like engineers and field technicians. Instead of just spec sheets, DocLAB creates advanced documentation packages — complete with detailed drawings, elevations and recommended viewing distances — specifically tailored for integrators.
“A lot of what manufacturers create is for the benefit of the end user, not necessarily geared towards the integrator,” Allen notes. LinkLab partners directly with manufacturers to develop this content, filling a critical gap and strengthening partnerships. “We’re just trying to solve problems,” Allen declares. Too many times, he says, customers on an online forum are pleading, “Does anybody have anything better than this spec sheet that I can work off of?” Now, with the assistance of LinkLab, they do!
LinkLab Services: Helping Integrators Navigate Complexity and Variability
Beyond the enriched services already described, LinkLab continues to build on its established expertise in specialized technologies, such as direct-view LED (DVLED). As the DVLED market grows and becomes more competitive, the complexity and variability between manufacturers remain a challenge for integrators that seek to meet client preferences regarding brand and model. This likewise extends to control system programming and a range of ancillary areas.
LinkLab acts as a specialized partner, providing the necessary expertise to help integrators deploy systems from various manufacturers. This allows integrators to take on projects that fall outside their core competencies. This philosophy is a bedrock of LinkLab’s business: It enables small and midsize integration firms to scale without needing to master every technology on the market.
With a strategy of listening, innovating and specializing, LinkLab and its services offering are proving that the best way to add value is to identify and solve the real-world, everyday problems that customers face. And, judging by the demand already building, that strategy has hit the mark.
