This is the 16th in an ongoing series of organizational project management maturity articles by InfoComm University senior instructor Brad Malone. To read the 15th installment, detailing the process of managing project changes, click here. To read all the articles in this highly respected and informative series, click here.

By Bradley A. Malone, PMP

Project closure, which as project managers know, simply means closing out a project at its conclusion, can happen many ways. Some of them are positive; many are negative. In my experience working with multiple AV integration companies, I’ve seen all types of scenarios play out. And I’m sad to say that in over half of them, the closure process was riddled with incomplete deliverables, missed hand-offs, payment delays (read: lost profits), and damaged customer relationships.

If you’ve ever taken my project management classes, offered through InfoComm University, you know that this is the only industry where I’ve ever heard the phrase, “Did you want it ‘done’ or ‘done done’?”

How does sloppy project closure keep happening? More importantly, how does an AV company prevent it in the first place? Put simply, it’s all about process and disciplined application (no exceptions).

In a maturely managed organization, where each discipline sees itself as part of a larger, interconnected whole, project closure is a natural outcome of documented processes, disciplined execution, and diligent handoffs.  Each group in the process sees its successor as a valued customer, not a dumping ground. I’ve seen some best-practice AV integration organizations where the following is routine — not just a lucky occurrence:

• Sales staff composes a comprehensive Scope of Work, creates a professional relationship with the client, and sets achievable expectations.
• Engineering creates a well-documented design that is current, achievable, and in alignment with a validated site survey.
• Installation (including all the related functions — head-end, production, programming, etc.) performs its tasks according to documented standards, validating that the installation is correct and any modifications to the work have been documented.
• Project managers consistently align the client’s expectations with the project’s evolving changes and document all incremental milestones and signoffs (especially on larger projects).
• Client training is handled professionally, based on the most recent drawings and programming.
• Commissioning is thorough and provides a smooth transition and a firm foundation for the service team to achieve the client’s operational objectives.

We’ve discussed the importance of design and installation checklists, as well as adhering to standards, in other project management articles. That same kind of professional discipline must also hold true when it comes to training and commissioning. These processes are crucial to successful project closure.

Training needs to be a formal project milestone that gets client sign-off. The client should formally acknowledge:

• A list of everybody who attended the training
• The training syllabus (if possible)
• A list training obligations, if more training will be offered
• A method of follow-up, based on a communicated procedure, for those who were not present at the training

The client must also be aware of their responsibilities during the training process, including scheduling time with the correct attendees and the ramifications if users don’t attend the training. This step is often overlooked, both during sales and implementation.

You should also have a milestone for “substantial completion,” traditionally a contract term used in architecture and construction that helps ensure a smooth project closure process. Part of the final inspection process, substantial completion allows the AV integration company to begin final billing procedures, as well as take credit for a bulk of the effort already expended on the project. This process should include — at minimum — a final inspection that covers:

• A check list of items on the bill of materials, with function testing
• Acknowledgement of design changes or add-ins
• Equipment identification (via serial numbers)
• Review of workmanship/site cleanup
• Test and measurement data (if required)
• Programming test protocol
• Network testing
• Sign off by the client, which clearly states it is complete to bill

The result is a notice of substantial completion (a.k.a. the punch list). This list is generated via the final inspection and should be done with cooperation from the client. You need to start it early enough so that you have time to fix any issues that come up. But your main goal is to be able to start final billing, or at least partial billing.

Following the final inspection, there may be several items outstanding on the punch list. These items often represent less than 1 percent of the total effort expended on a project, but can amount to 10 percent of the project’s billing, to say nothing about its worth in client satisfaction.

Most resource schedulers, technicians, and even some project managers are unaware of how much money and reputation are at risk at this stage of project closure. They often see only “a couple things” need cleaning up when they get some free time. Of course, there’s rarely free time because other emergencies come up.

This attitude often results from a lack of knowledge by the installation department (and sometimes procurement and warehousing) about the financial perspective. This can set off a lot of finger-pointing within the company. Companies that complete their punch lists in a timely fashion do so because they consider them as important as that next, special job, and they address their punch lists with the entire organization focused on their successful completion.

Companies that view and treat their service department