Looking for best practices for system testing or a check list for installers and project managers to sign off when done.

PM me if you can help.

Anything on this? Id like a copy as well.

I don't have anything to share. I have tried on several occasions to come up with a document for this but every time i run into a wall and give up. The major issue is that our industry (like many others) has so many bits and pieces. For example...the carpenter is done when the last nail goes in and the inspector says "pass". Same with the roofer and the plumber (does water come out when you turn the knob? Done). With us there isn't an obvious end point so we have to create a scope of work with various stages to explain "what done is". Since every project is slightly different this can get tricky in terms of a quality assurance checklist.

These are the 3 things i (as an installer project manager) focus on:

Physical installation. Is it all here and wired up? Trim plates? DOA stuff returned and replaced? Wires managed etc. House is buttoned up and clean and ready to be programmed.

User experience. Test every button for every source or device on every interface...after every upload. A list of issues is recorded and passed to the programmer or corrected by the installer. Rinse and repeat until no issues are observed. Anyone should be able to walk into any room and grab any interface and press any button and it should do what its supposed to.

Documentation & Programming files. All floor plans notes and programming files generated throughout the project are organized and stored on the company server and the clients rack PC.

These 3 phases could be broken up into a dozen tasks each.

What's the opposite of exaggerate? You inxaggerate, sir!

Before I saw Mac's post I was going to suggest that we try to grow our own in this thread. Mac's done a pretty good job. As he says, there are so many things to consider, and there are many details unique to each job, so listing the individual tasks is pretty custom. "Test all buttons after each upload" is general and accurate, but is stated so simply that the large amount of tasks involved is not obvious. This is especially so when the button that is pressed might give different results depending on the previous button pressed.

Note also that what one guy assumes is obvious others may not even do; cable bundled, sticker on the distribution board with your company name and number, boxes stored, serial numbers maintained, photographs taken of front and back of installation, remote programming documented and saved, notes on potential concerns and additional business, and on and on.

Recommend Atul Gawande's book "The Checklist Manifesto" for all project managers...

take a look at aqav's AV9000 stuff, Its targeted more at commercial, but is still fairly useful. when i get back to the shop, i'll see if i can scan a checklist for you.

infocomm also has a decent checklist.

[Link: infocomm.org]

count me in - l would love an example

Thanks a bunch dude.