Commissioning
Commissioning refers to the process of testing, configuring, and ensuring that systems function correctly according to design specifications. It typically occurs after the equipment has been installed and before the system is handed over for use. The commissioning process is crucial for confirming that all system components work seamlessly together. Key steps include:
-
Verification of Equipment: Checking that all components have been installed correctly and are functional.
-
System Configuration: Adjusting settings, calibrating devices, and integrating the various components to work together.
-
Testing: To ensure the system performs as expected in real-world conditions.
-
Troubleshooting: Identifying and resolving any issues or faults that may arise during the testing phase.
-
Documentation: Providing detailed reports, schematics, and user manuals to ensure future maintenance and operation are efficient.
The goal of commissioning is to deliver a fully operational system that not only meets the intended requirements, but that also provides a smooth user experience. This is the most important stage of the project, and it is what we are most often called upon to do.
This is also the point at which, if something doesn't go as planned, budgets go out the window. And things can get very expensive. How do we mitigate this risk?
Pre-Installation Testing
Hardware costs are fixed. Design and engineering costs are also relatively fixed. Labor, on the other hand, can be difficult to estimate, and when unanticipated problems arise, cost of labor can get out of control very quickly. Our goal is to minimize everyone's time on site, and we have been successful in achieving this by performing pre-installation testing. By building and testing all of the equipment off site, we greatly reduce on-site problems, often cutting install time by half. Not only do we unbox, build, update and test all of the equipment before shipping, but we also load every processor, every touch panel, and every device (including displays) to confirm everything works properly. We also set up and configure the IT infrastructure based on the IP scope documentation provided by the client. Finally, we generate testing documentation, detailing what has been tested (RS232, IR, TCP/IP), when it was tested, and by whom. Compare pre-installation testing to shipping equipment directly to the job site and it is easy to see how much time can be saved. The system essentially becomes plug and play.
Another benefit of pre-install testing is in limiting future scope creep. By providing all of the testing documentation and a video of the control interfaces, you can get a client sign off on functionality before the system has even shipped. This makes it easier to manage last minute client requested changes because functionality has been approved before the equipment has even been received.
Pre-install testing has saved our clients hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we encourage you to do it.
Remote Commissioning
Remote commissioning is another great way of saving on labor costs. We will send you a laptop pre-configured with all of the software you need, along with a hotspot in case the network isn't yet operational. Your technicians simply connect the equipment, either off-site for testing or on-site, and we will configure and program it. We also provide a checklist for testing all devices so nothing is overlooked. If your techs can get the equipment on the network, we can make it work.
On-Site Commissioning
When qualified technicians are available, all commissioning can be done remotely. Nonetheless, some dealers prefer to let us handle it. When pre-install testing is not a possibility, or when qualified technicians aren't available, we are happy to step in. Having a presence on-site can also be beneficial when commissioning very large systems. We have remotely commissioned enormous systems, but sometimes it is simply easier to have us with you on-site.
Another reason for considering on-site commissioning is trust. Especially when onboarding a new dealer, we find it helps to get to know the technicians involved. This not only allows us to gauge everyone's qualifications (which we have found vary wildly), but it also helps us to connect on a personal level. No one wants a stranger with a laptop halfway across the country telling you that your RS232 termination is bad. But after a few days in the trenches together, our ability to work with even the most begrudgingly antisocial (or hungover) technician improves greatly. Additionally, when there is mutual respect, we find that technical problems tend to get resolved much more quickly.
Travel
We have commissioned systems across the country and internationally, in timeframes as short as 24 hours to over six weeks. We travel with all the tools we need to get the job done (along with extra tweakers and null-modems for your technicians). Finally, you may wonder why we travel with multiple laptops. It is because, when we have boots on the ground, there are always several team members in the background working remotely. We can have one person programming the control processor, another person testing the DSP, a third setting up the network, while our man in the field is terminating CAT6 behind a rack. This level of coordination is rarely needed, but when deadlines approach, nothing beats working as a team.
In short, whether you choose commissioning off-site, on-site, or a hybrid, we can make it happen.