Volume 19, Issue 13 — April 8, 2021

rAVe ProAV Edition — Volume 19, Issue 13

April 8, 2021 | Volume: 19 | Issue: 13

Do you ever tell yourself that lie, “If I can just get through this week, it’s smooth sailing?” I do this constantly. And now, here I am, back from a weeklong vacation, wondering once more when it’s going to be smooth sailing.

I tell you this because AV projects also seem to have that effect, according to rAVe writer Murphy Daley. She’s a seasoned project manager in our industry and has pretty much seen it all. Her latest blog is all about the bill of materials. If you’ve ever worked on a project that had one part come in eight boxes or eight parts come in one box, you’ll know how important staying organized is. Murphy is here to help with these tips, and if you follow them, it just might be smooth sailing from there.

Also featured this week is Tom Kehr’s ultimate list of resources for becoming “your best AV self.” During Almo’s spring E4v, Kehr spoke about a few of his favorite resources, but the people wanted to know more. This list not only includes his favorite books, guides and materials but also includes advice for networking and finding mentors. We’re delighted to get to share it with you.

That’s enough talking from me; you know where to find all the best news. Just scroll down. I have to get back to work.

P.S. Check out the announcement from THE rAVe Agency about the joint venture with XTEN-AV!

— Steph Beckett

COLUMNS

+ The BOM’s Incredible Journey [Murphy Daley]

Some projects have time to complete. Some projects are urgent. The tighter the timeline, the more monitoring required. Each AV integrator has tools for gathering this information. These include forms from purchasing, the warehouse and info from the suppliers. The delivery tracking numbers will come from FedEx, UPS and other delivery services. All these different sources of information have to be aggregated and tracked. I create a Microsoft Excel sheet for each job to track and update it as I go. I’ve gathered questions to consider as the equipment is on its way.

+ Resources for Becoming Your Best AV Self [Tom Kehr]

Like many of you, I tripped into this whole AV thing. My first lessons started in college, learning how to over-and-under wrap 50-foot mic cables and putting microphones away at the end of the day. When the school installed a new console in their auditorium in the spring of 1986, I met the integrator, David Bretzke, who sold them the new 48-channel console. That also turned into my first all-nighter. Thus began a two-year, part-time internship with David — and I soaked up everything I could. David was my first mentor, my first resource. But over the years, I’ve found many invaluable resources to build my knowledge upon — people, organizations, websites and papers.

+ “Alexa, Clean Out My Desk” [Tony Sprando]

The statements, “Alexa schedule my meetings for next week,” or “hey Google what conference room is open?” Might sound a little outlandish, they’re actually both current technology used in the corporate world. Starting in November 2017, Amazon launched Alexa for Business, which is an Alexa platform designed for more business-type use, scheduling meetings, general questions around the office, dimming lights, etc. It’s a very unique idea that something we use in our homes could also be so useful in the office.