Tracking a $20M Project: Breakthrough with Client
By Mark Sipe
The crew explains to the client the importance of system design. Also, we have the detailed proposals, floor plans, schematics, pre-wire plans, rack elevations and more.

While the iPad is making serious inroads in our channel, not every client wants it, not yet. The client on this job continually references a system I did for him 15 years ago as the last system he liked.

The problem is he thinks it was the technology, not the way it was designed around him and his family. Until our last meeting he still wanted a lighting keypad, an audio-only keypad and an on-wall thermostat in every room. And the TVs would have cable remotes, which he mentioned he hated and couldn't use.



After nearly a year of some rather heated arguments, I brought in my handheld remote, iTouch and an iPad and "made" him use them. Three hours later, he decided there should be touchscreens in the rooms and no thermostats. What changed for him was that the new interfaces are so well laid out and easy to use that he finally saw it as an improvement.

Since the project I did for him years ago, he has had multiple systems that the dealers, while using great products, didn't build to fit him but rather what they thought he should have. When I chose Control4, Ron Callis and Firefly Design Group were concerned with functionality and asked for a clear understanding of my design. Ron was familiar with Control4 and designs around it on a regular basis, but not on a project this large.

Ron brought up another good point about the design. Saving on hardware translated into more boxes in some cases, and more boxes equals more design/engineering, installation time. Going with a multi-provider solution brings up additional problems of connectivity and interfacing. Five or ten years ago that would have been a bigger problem, today I have solicited the assistance of network specialist, BlackWire Design, as part of our team to create the drivers and to anticipate and resolve any problems.

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