On many commercial projects, AV is considered a finishing touch. Equipment like cameras, projectors, and TV screens aren’t usually considered until the last minute. As a result, it’s common for project managers to put off finalizing a design and budget while they attend to more pressing matters.

But AV systems are not just high-tech decoration. They are integral to how the building functions and how your peers work every day. They can also save money and generate profit. And like other large capital projects, they don’t materialize overnight.

So how do you show how important your project is? At your facility, AV systems have to compete with other budget priorities for funding.

Here are three ways you can win support from day one.

Let The Users Make Their Case

A good AV install supports the real-world needs of your company or client’s operations. These needs—and how well the system satisfies them—will become apparent one way or another, sooner or later. Avoid late-stage surprises by speaking with the appropriate stakeholders before budget talks.

What frustrates them about the systems they’re familiar with? How could technology make their work easier? An effective AV system doesn’t just provide clear sound and bright images, but also simple and intuitive controls. These operational requirements form the foundation of your AV project. Bringing their perspective into the earliest budget meetings will help you establish realistic cost expectations from the outset.

Prioritize While Keeping An Eye On The Future

Make clear from the beginning which AV projects are urgent. These are the proposals that will meet pressing needs, maintain critical services, or yield significant savings.

Be equally honest about projects that are worthwhile but can be deferred or funded in stages. Then, even if the organization is not ready to commit to part of the design, you can “piggy-back” future infrastructure on the approved install at a low cost—and significantly reduce the expense of future upgrades.

You can also help by estimating the lifecycle of existing systems. The average commercial AV system has a lifecycle of around seven years, though it varies by component. For example, computers can age out in three to five years, while speakers and screens may last for more than a decade.

A forward-looking AV plan or spreadsheet can help track the end-of-life date for each major component. Once built, you can easily reference the document each year to identify those urgent needs—and illustrate the risk of running systems to the point of failure or obsolescence.

Develop Metrics Where You Can

What matters most to your budget committee? Of course, nothing speaks louder than dollars and cents, but do they also put a premium on saving time? PR and facility reputation? Energy-saving systems and infrastructure? Workplace experience?

Any of these objectives can be integrated into an AV proposal, but it always helps to take the extra step of translating goals into tangible metrics.

Would a new video conference system save X staff Y hours in travel each year? Are there energy consumption targets that must be met to achieve or maintain a green building designation? Could more bookings be made each day if every room had a dedicated wireless microphone and didn’t require technical staff for setup?

The common denominators are money and time. Finding ways to measure ROI will provide powerful funding arguments in a language everyone understands.

Every chance you have to propose an AV upgrade—whether for new construction projects or annual budget meetings—is an opportunity to enhance your organization. But always remember that fancy new technology, on its own, is not a good reason to spend big bucks. AV is a fast-moving industry; there will always be fancy new technology. Your organization has many needs an effective AV system can satisfy and many processes it can enhance. Consult internal stakeholders on those needs and processes, understand what’s urgent and what will save money down the line, and find ways to translate the benefits into a tangible ROI.

If you do this, you won’t just find yourself more prepared for your budget meeting: you’ll keep costs down over time, avoid unpleasant surprises, and make your fellow staff and clients very happy when they go to use their system for the first time and it works just as it should.

If you’d like to consult an AV expert for your project, Chroma can help.