Large companies and organizations of all types rely on the function of their AV tools to get things done. Integration of technology for commercial spaces, government facilities, and higher education institutions promote collaboration, innovation and productivity. When equipment malfunctions, user experience is instantly effected, and productivity can take an immediate hit.
Applying a break-fix mentality, system owners wait until the crucial moment when a conference room or display system goes down, and then scramble to get things working again. Obviously, this can be a stressful and expensive way to handle repairs.
Preventative maintenance for AV can be a better solution in terms of cost, stress and user experience. This blog explores three reasons why preventative maintenance of AV systems is a cheaper, better solution than only performing break-fixes.
When AV problems occur, system experts usually credit machine malfunctions rather than outside forces breaking the systems. This means, you are more likely to watch your equipment fail rather than watch the pieces fall apart. However, these internal repairs can get pricey. Preventative maintenance is proven to be a price saving solution compared to fixing something when it breaks.
Systems Run Better With Preventative Maintenance for AV
Hardware and software updates are both important aspects for preventative maintenance, and are integral to keeping AV and communication systems running the way that they should.
If your AV systems are not protected under preventative maintenance, you may not experience any failures or outages, but it is likely that your equipment will fail to run as well as it would if you had opted for preventative maintenance that ensures the proper hardware and software updates.
Preventative Maintenance for AV Saves Time
When parts of your audiovisual equipment or communication technology systems go down, there are usually several steps to complete before the problem can be resolved. From reporting to an existing team or vendor (or, even worse, finding a new vendor to fix the issue under pressure), to opening a support ticket, and getting a team of technicians to address the issue, the process can take several days or even weeks.
Additionally, technicians who come in to look at one maintenance problem often find hidden problems under the surface of the equipment. Studies show 39% of time spent on AV maintenance repairs is spent on unforeseen issues. This compared to preventative maintenance which consumes only 20% of the time of an initial AV installation project.
In the meantime, your office or organization productivity suffers, but having a preventative maintenance plan in place before a break occurs provides a much better solution. Compare the time to report, hire, diagnose, fix and close a problem to time it takes trusted preventative technicians install software, provide a needed update, or make other adjustments.
The Hidden Cost of AV Issues
A faulty AV system reflects poorly on the day-to-day operations of your business. This is not a risk worth taking when dealing with high-value client opportunities, important collaboration meetings, or public events that rely on seamless audiovisual.
To some, the cost of maintaining a good AV system feels like an unnecessary expense. It is true that preventative maintenance for AV costs more than an average installation job, but it is important to think about the cost of your system going down.
For instance, picture a well lit and elegantly decorated conference room. The style communicates a well running and high end business, but AV problems linked to the equipment in the room communicate the opposite.
Running Your Business Without Preventative Maintenance for AV
Better performance as a company starts with investing in preventative maintenance for AV. Though this is true, not all companies follow this advice. There are some ways to secure the longevity of your equipment without preventative maintenance.
You can begin by ensuring that all AV systems are shut down before leaving the office every day. This gives AV systems the chance to restart the next day and start up the way it was designed to.
Make sure you have back up gear on site. Adapting to unfortunate AV issues starts by having a plan B. Swapping out rather than rebooting will save time and the embarrassment of standing in front of an important client with nothing to show.
You can avoid visiting sites that are not secured or downloading content that might be harmful to the system. These steps will prevent your sources from interacting with potential viruses that will internally hurt the devices.
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