What to Expect When Hiring a Home Technology Integrator
Designing and building a smart home is an exciting time. It may be a once-in-a-lifetime event for some homeowners to create the dream home they've always wanted. We discussed finding the right architect in our last blog, but how do you choose the right home technology integrator? What should you expect before, during, and after your project is complete? It's best to ask what their process looks like and why they operate the way they do. The answers should look a bit like what we cover in this blog.
The Discovery Meeting and Scope of Work
Turning your beautiful place into a smart space starts with understanding how you live, work, and enjoy your home. Your desires should drive your integrator's decisions, not the other way around. When you speak to a salesperson, they should take the time to really listen to what YOU want to accomplish in your home. Listening means more than asking what you want; it means understanding how you want to live in your home. These early discussions about your lifestyle and preferences will allow your integrator to present the best technologies that fit the experiences you want to achieve in your home. Now that they know what matters most to you, they can collaborate with you and your design team to create a plan.
Engineered Design
Once the scope of work is set, it's time to get into the details. To design a reliable, intuitive system that looks beautiful in your space, it is essential to plan accordingly. This is the technical phase of the process, where every piece of your system is accounted for and planned. Comprehensive, customized drawings and documentation are essential, so your design team and technicians aren't left guessing when installing the system.
Implementation
Under the guidance of a Project Manager, programmers and installers bring your custom-designed system to life. Ideally, the install team has in-depth system documentation on-site to ensure the system is installed according to the engineering departments' specifications. Then, a project manager or team leader must make sure you are trained and comfortable using all aspects of your system. If you have questions, ask for help.
Service & Support
The end of a project is only the beginning of your home technology experience. After your job is complete, make sure you get contact information for a service manager. Can you be enrolled in an existing service and support program? If so, get that information as well. Your integrator should be a trusted partner for years to come and give you the tools to ensure that your system performs at its very best moving forward.
The process outlined above is how BRAVAS works in over 3,000 homes each year. Our goal is to make sure that BRAVAS San Francisco affords its clients the most reliable, intuitive, and attractive solutions available and to ensure you experience exceptional functionality and maximum enjoyment throughout the life of your system. Check out our Solutions guide here, and Contact us to find out how we can help with your next project.
