Basic Install Guidelines

This page will outline basic tips and tricks when preparing to install any equipment.

Table of Contents

Before You Begin

As a technician, when you arrive at a job site you know that you will be performing some type of installation whether it be cable, cameras, door access hardware or any number of other items that might be on your scope of work. Before you start any installation, it is critical that you know several things:

• What is the scope of work?

• What kind of equipment you will be looking for on site

• What kind of tools you will need

• What kind of hardware you will need (screws, nuts, bolts, etc.).

You also need to be aware of your timelines:

• How long am I scheduled on site?

• How long should each task take?

• What hours can I work on the job site?

These things must be thought through and planned for ahead of time. Your PM (project management) team and/or your Service team should have most, if not all this information ready to go but you must understand it before you begin.

The Game Plan

You should have a kick-off call scheduled with your team prior to arriving on any job site. Here, you will cover the items mentioned above along with several others:

• Scope of work

  • What are we installing and where?

  • Task list review

    • This will also give an indication of how long each task should take.

  • Floor Plan review

• What to expect in terms of equipment deliveries

  • Tracking

  • Expected delivery dates

  • Any equipment back-ordered or not expected to arrive

• Timelines

  • Projected project length

  • Start times

  • Are there times we can be in certain areas but not in others?

  • Shift length expectation

• Point of contact for the site

  • Store Manager

  • AP Manager

  • GC

• Site-specific details

  • Will you need PPE?

  • Will there be lifts required and when they will be there?

• Travel Plans (if needed)

  • What time is my flight?

  • Where am I picking up my car?

  • Where is my hotel?

  • Where is the job site?

  • How far is it from the hotel to the job site?

On the Job Site

Once you are on site you should already have a full understanding of your scope and expectations. Now you will want to connect with your point of contact. Identify all of your equipment, make sure to review your task list and ask your site contact for a walk of all locations before you start installing. This way you can get ahead of any needs that may not have been accounted for (conduit, lifts, etc.) and become familiar with how to navigate the site.

This is also a critical time to discuss the customers needs in terms of higher priority items, then develop your plan of attack:

• Are there cameras, doors or other devices on my task list that are more important to the customer than others?

• Are there a large number of tasks that are geographically grouped together or are they spread out?

• How can I meet the customer’s needs and be as efficient as possible in completing my tasks?

Now that you have all your equipment, tools and plans make sure you have the following:

• Ladder

  • If you traveled by air to the job site you may not have been able to bring your own ladder. Partner with the facilities team to figure out where ladders are located that you can use.

• A place for trash

  • Most installations are messy and produce dust and other debris. Make sure to clean as you go.

• A box for extra parts and paperwork from the equipment boxes

  • This may be the first box you pull equipment out of.

Installation

Proceed to unboxing your equipment, taking measurements if needed and beginning your installation. Be sure to consult the equipment manual and your training resources if you aren’t familiar with the equipment you are installing.

As you work through your installations, be thinking ahead a few steps and ask yourself the following questions:

• Am I going to need parts that weren’t planned for?

  • Specific sizes of screws, nuts or other hardware

  • Silicone for weather sealing

  • Other hardware or parts that can be picked up locally

  • Special hardware or parts that cannot be picked up locally that will need to be ordered

• Are there situational circumstances that will prevent your progress as you move through the day?

  • Other trades working in areas you need to be in

  • Things that are dependent on other trades

    • Cable pathways

    • Penetrations

    • Outlets

  • Inclement weather

  • Planned meetings you are expected to attend

• Where is a good stopping point for a break that won’t cause me to leave a mess of parts and tools for an extended period of time?

Tool Tips

It can be very difficult to organize tools in work vans and tool bags. There are some things you can do to help make your job more efficient and easier:

• Know what tools you are going to need before you start installing.

  • Review product manuals ahead of time

  • Refer to training materials to help understand what you need

• Keep your tools organized

• Know what tools you have and their condition before traveling

  • If any tools are damaged or missing when you get your bag out of baggage claim, notify your supervisor immediately so a replacement can be procured.

Recaps

While this may not be the glamorous part of the job, it is one of the most important. You are provided an electronic form that will need to be filled out each day that will serve as a recap of what was accomplished. This process helps your management team understand your progress each day and as a whole. There may be times that we need to shift strategy and the recap helps make that information ready at any moment. It also helps the team relay information to the customer as soon as they need it.