Through experience performing both large and small visual-information projects, ITI has discovered a simple truth - there is no such thing as beginning the planning and analysis too soon. Invariable, where you find projects with scheduling, cost or technical problems, the reasons in most cases can be traced back to the lack of attention given to the up front early planning and coordination with the client and their technical staff. This lack of up front preparation cascades later in the project into more serious problems creating client frustration and project overruns. To reduce this potential problem, ITI follows a proven process that helps facilitate clients through the various phases of their project. The phases consists of:

1. Requirements Assessment - Requirements Assessment is the most important phase of the design process. The results of this phase will determine the nature of the system, their infrastructure, and the system budget. The ITI Project Manager through a serious of questions guides the client to define in realistic terms what they need versus what they want, what budget constraints exist and the time-frame desired. The Project Manager after meeting with client analyzes the client's expectations against where the client is today to begin shaping an approach that will be fleshed out in the next steps. The goal is to define the functional requirements of the system based on the user's needs, desire, and application. Merely developing a bill of material (BOM) is not enough. This phase is completed with a Requirement Assessment report delivered to the customer.
   
   
2. Site Survey - The initial and most basic function of a site survey is to determine the feasibility and cost of implementing the project at a given site, usually in a specific facility or location.  As a rule, communications and coordination is a requisite to a successful site survey - it must be clear, concise and continuous throughout the survey process. During a site survey, clear coordination with the client and client facility manager, general contractor, and other architect and engineering elements involved sets the tone of the project relationships for the duration of the project. A poor relationship at this phase will almost certainly result in lost time and money once the project has begun. A typical site survey evaluates the facilities including:
   
   • Facility Physical Attributes;
   • HVAC requirements;
   • Power and Grounding Requirements;
   • Conduit Risers and Cabling Requirements
   • Floor Plans and Traffic Flow (ingress and egress);
   • Acoustical Reinforcement and Treatments Requirements (if any);
   • Facility Lighting Requirements
     
   
   
3. Design Phase - The Design phase begins after the review and approval of the Requirement Assessment and Site Survey report(s) by the client. The Requirement Assessment and Site Survey report(s) are the input document(s) for this phase. During this phase, design considerations are made based on technology, equipment specifications, budget, schedule and functional constraints. The first step is create concept drawings that are solutions to the problems identified in the Requirements Assessment and Site Survey Report(s). These drawings include concepts audio, video, and if necessary control. Concept Rack Elevation and architectural drawings are created to help the end users and project stakeholders visualize how the system will be integrated into the facility. Once the concept drawings are finished a bill of material is generated for the project. Equipment manufacturers are contacted and product evaluations are conducted and tradeoffs are done to select the right equipment for the project. This includes client owned equipment as well. The BOM includes the equipment by brand, model, description, quantity, and cost, and it includes product cut sheets and the justification for substitution of equipment (as appropriate). Long-lead order items are also identified. This concept design will also help establish the infrastructure and provide other project stakeholders information on:
   • Location of cameras and view angles
   • Conduit and back box locations are developed
   • Data outlet requirements provided to data/telecom
   • Power requirements
   • Heat loads provided
   Following review and approval of the Preliminary/Conceptual submittal, the "Critical Design Package" is developed. This package includes detailed or "Shop Drawings" plus any changes made during the "Preliminary/Conceptual" phase. These drawings also include floor and patch bay plans, rack, consoles and monitor walls elevation drawings, audio/video/control/communication block diagrams, ceiling and conduit reflection drawings, switcher and router mnemonics and acoustical, HVAC, power and grounding requirements. The final portion of the design package to be created is the "Testing and Acceptance" plan. It is composed of a Phase I - Physical Level, Phase II - Functional Testing and a Phase III - Operational Testing . Phase I - Physical Level provides for the testing of all cables and connections to ensure systems is wired as design. Phase II - Functionality Testing provides for the checking of the various major subsystems individually while Phase III - Operational Testing checks all the subsystems working together as a unit.
   
   


4. Procurement -   In order to reduce the logistics effort involved in the acquisition of systems components and reduce the cost to the customer, it is ITI’s policy to directly source the equipment. As a result, over the years ITI has developed relationships with numerous suppliers and manufacturers of visual-information equipment. The first step in ensuring that all equipment contained in a BOM is procured on a timely basis requires careful reviewed of the BOM for accuracy against the task order and design package. Once the BOM has been reviewed and certified, pricing from ITI’s vendor channels are procured. Multiple requests for quotes (RFQs) are generated and sent to vendors. Vendor discounts and product warranty along with deliver dates are negotiated by line item. Upon receipt of the vendor responses, prices and availability are compared and purchase orders are generated. When the purchase orders are generated, the anticipated receipt date is recorded in the system for tracking by ITI's Warehouse Manager. When the equipment arrives a complete inventory is performed along with immediate testing and burn-in by the maintenance engineer. At this stage the ITI Integration team is notified that the equipment has been tested and is available for in-house fabrication. As appropriate, equipment is drawn from the warehouse by the project team and integrated at the ITI warehouse according to the engineering design package.
   
   
   
5. ITI-Site Integration - The integration phase begins with the assembly of the equipment racks. This includes bolting the racks together, mounting the power strips, ground bus and the wiring horizontal bars. Simultaneous with the assembly of the equipment racks, the fabrication of the video, audio and control cables are done. This is done in a production type assembly line where the majority of the system cables are cut in bundles to specified lengths, temporarily labeled, prepared, and terminated at one end using high-speed termination equipment. Following the cable fabrication and assembly of the equipment racks, the racks are wired. The routing and dressing of cables in the racks is segregated to the extent possible to minimize interference. Cable runs are divided into four general categories; (a) audio, (b) video and pulse, (c) control and dc power, and (d) AC power. Audio cables runs if possible are further divided into low, medium and high level. The AC is run in a separate duct or conduit to meet building electrical code requirements and low level audio is protected as much as possible by running them in a separate conduit apart from the AC power. Intra-rack wiring is standardized to ensure a clean, neat appearance, by cable runs through the bottom of rack bases, when possible. Lacing bars and cable rings are employed to ensure neatness and strain relief. This avoids the unprofessional appearance associated with wiring running outside the rack. Equipment is mounted with sufficient cable slack to allow movement of the equipment on rack slides for access to the back controls and replacement and/or maintenance of the equipment. Video is usually done first (unless dictated otherwise by system design), followed by audio and control. The patch panels and multi-pin connectors are done on bench tables in parallel to facilitate the work effort. Routers and switcher electronics are generally mounted in the lower third of the racks for easy access to the equipment and cabling. Technicians work from wire run lists and interconnect diagrams to complete the cable preparation and terminations. All audio and video termination is done at this time. All wiring is tested for continuity as delineated in the wire run list and diagrams. Once the in-house testing has been completed, the Warehouse Manager prepares the system for shipping to the client-site. This includes storage and security of the equipment once it has been delivered to the customer’s site, who will sign for it, designate a staging area for unpacking and inventory, as well as working storage while the system is being installed. The Warehouse Manager performs an inventory of the system prior to packing and shipping the system. After inventory the system is disassembled into subsystems for packing and shipping to client site.
   
   
6. Client On-Site Integration - Prior to the client on-site integration phase a site preparation visit is conducted by the integration team to verify the site conditions. Site preparation includes the verifications of cable ways (conduits, cable trays, computer floors, etc.,) ) clean power, isolated ground, area cleanliness, adequate HVAC, secured storage space for equipment and installation tools, etc,. In situations where construction is taking place, ITI coordinates with the general contractor to ensure that the ducts have been blown out prior to bringing the equipment on-site. Once all site preparations are completed and the system has arrived and been inventoried, ITI begins to integrate the equipment from on-site. Subsystems are moved into place, all inter and intra-wiring is completed, a full test and signal measurement of the physical wiring is conducted, and the labeling of the racks and consoles, etc completed. Consoles and monitor walls are installed on-site at the customer’s location ensuring that they fit properly into their physical surroundings. At this point the system is ready for the testing and acceptance phase.
   
   
7. Testing and Acceptance - ITI develops the Final Testing & Acceptance plan early in the projects. This ensures that the Final Test and Acceptance plan ensures project quality and will satisfy the objectives for which it was undertaken. The testing & Acceptance plan also provides a roadmap for the integration team to design against and establishing the functional and operational parameters of the system. The testing and acceptance entails three distinct levels identified as Phase I – Physical Level , Phase II - Functional Level and a Phase III - Operational Level. During the Physical Level all the wiring and terminations are completely tested to ensure equipment calibration is correct, signals meet proper industry performance standards and that sources are routed to correct destinations. Phase II - Functional Level consists of the testing of subsystems usually as as stand-alone units. Typically this includes editing systems, automation and router controls, duplication systems, video, audio, control and communications systems. The final portion, Phase III -Operational Level provides for the full integration testing of  the subsystems as a single unit. Also at this time all existing legacy systems are also integrated with the subsystems and tested and burn-in for a period of time to ensure all systems are performing as specified.
   
   
8. Documentation - It is ITI’s standard practice to provide manufacturers operational and maintenance manuals prior to on-site system testing and acceptance.  This allows the clients consultants or engineers to verify proper equipment setup and calibration. It also provides great assistance in troubleshooting the equipment. In addition, ITI also typically provides "System Operational Manuals" for use by the client maintenance and operational personnel. The manuals typically include the following:
   
   
   • Maintenance Manuals -   All hardware, firmware, and software, as provided by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for each piece of equipment;
     
   • Operational Manuals -   These manuals contain the procedures, drawings, wire run lists, etc necessary to properly operation and troubleshoot the system;
   • Product Instruction Manuals - ITI can provide for each piece of equipment, bound neatly in alphabetical order in 3-ring binders, with clear vinyl pockets on cover and spine for project title and tabular dividers with legends for divisions;
     
   • Engineering Drawings - Multiple sets of "D" size as-built drawings containing interconnect wiring drawings, equipment rack elevations and wire lists in Excel format.  Drawings and wire lists can be provided in print and on CD-ROM.  Drawing files can be submitted in *.dwg (AutoCAD drawing) or *.dxf (drawing exchange format) file format that are compatible with the AutoCAD; and,
     
   • Product data binders showing complete equipment list for each system, quantities, manufacturers’ model number(s), reference to system specifications and deviations from approved equipment specification list; catalog data sheets for both approved and substitutions.
   
   

9. Training -The on-site training programs include Basic and Supplemental Training. Basic training is provided by ITI as part of each system installed and consists of a description of the overall operation of the system, operator procedures including the various software operations for the software and operator's troubleshooting for isolating equipment malfunctions. Supplemental training is defined as any additional training on systems installed by ITI above and beyond the ITI Basic Training. This generally includes a lesson plans tailored to the specific needs and experience of the client's technical personnel. Lesson plans incorporate a course outline, specific equipment 'hands-on' setup and calibration, application configuration techniques, set of operator manuals and study guides, and testing materials, literature and training aids.
   
   

10. Warranty Support - All new equipment provided as part of ITI systems are warranted to be free of manufacturing defects per the terms and conditions of the original manufacturer’s warranty. All manufacturers’ warranties are honored and serviced by ITI.

• DURATION

1. • One (1) year, this will begin immediately following final acceptance or beneficial first use of the system by client.
     

THE WARRANTY SHALL INCLUDE:

1. • Warranty services in accordance with the warranty clauses of the client and ITI contract.  If not specifically delineated in a contract, company policy is to provide a one-year warranty on the workmanship, (cables/connectors) of system integrated;
   • Manufacturer's equipment warranty for hardware and software is a 'Pass-Through' from the OEM to customer;.
   • Maximum two (2) business day’s for telephone and/or fax and email response time for technical support;
   • Parts and materials to restore system performance as required;
   • Complete labor to repair/service the system, components and parts in order to restore the system to complete operational condition.
     

THE WARRANTY SHALL NOT INCLUDE:

1. • Replacement of consumable items such as video heads, optical blocks, plasma screens, LCD panels, CRT’s, camera pick-up tubes or chips, projection tubes, lamps, batteries, and slide trays. Costs will be billed at the then current equipment and labor rates unless a manufacturing defect is discovered during the manufacturer’s standard warranty period;
   • Requests for services classified as “operator error”;
   • Service required as a result of negligence, misuse, attempted repairs by anyone other than the ITI, or damage, or for equipment supplied & installed by others;.
   • Warranty costs for Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) or Owner Furnished Equipment (OFE).
   • Loaner equipment that is in place while the originally installed equipment it has replaced is under repair.  “Ready spares” for systems installed, unless required by separate contract;
   • Connections or modifications to the system made by others, (Under these conditions, the warranty will become null and void and charges will be applicable per our standard repair service policy).