Supplemental. We hear the word all the time and live it out daily. I am an avid cross – fitter and use supplemental elements in my routine. I wake up and take vitamins, I set up for a back squat and never forget my knee sleeves, I go to the gym, and drink protein afterward. In all these actions, I’m providing myself with additional support, to complete and enhance the result.
Supplemental support doesn’t just apply to CrossFit though; we see it in the AV business world too. Sometimes we take on a little too much or need to get something done sooner rather than later and need extra support.
That’s why BTX partnered with an AV Labor professional; to offer supplemental help when our customers need it the most. Supplemental labor is an extra set of hands to help you complete and enhance your projects.
These 3 tips will help ensure your project goes as smoothly as possible the next time you decide to enhance your projects with AV labor:
1. All technicians should be hired to work under an onsite project lead.
No one knows your company better than you and your employees. And when it comes to supplemental labor, no one knows a project better than one of your project leads. When deciding to use supplemental labor, there needs to be a project lead who knows your company and project better than anyone else.
No two installations are ever the same, and every project has unique requirements. And while supplemental labor can help you achieve your goals faster, it only works when there is someone who can direct what needs to be done.
Therefore, all techs need to work under an onsite project lead. They need to be given direction as to what and where they are pulling cable or hanging projectors. Techs don’t know your business or project as well as you do, and while they are an indispensable form of supplemental labor, they cannot replace an active project lead.
2. Technicians usually are general installation technicians -Techs can do the labor, saving your employees for more laborious tasks
The main point of supplemental labor is to get an extra set of hands to help with all the work that can bog you or your employees down. Techs can perform any of the following tasks to help speed up your project:
1. Pull and terminate cable
2. Hang projectors
3. Wire broadcast/networking equipment
4. Test AV equipment
5. Move materials
Hiring techs to perform this kind of work frees up your time and the time of your employees to handle the other, more critical parts of a project.
Of course, specialized techs are available upon request, but a higher scope of work is needed to help us find the right supplemental labor for your project.
3. The scope of work provided is everything and then some.
The scope of work is hands down the most critical stage in the labor process. It allows us to set up a roadmap, mapping out the most effective route to get to our destination on time. Every scope of work should include a:
1. Project Overview - briefly describe your project, what you’re looking to have done.
2. Project Deliverables - If you have any prints/ drawings, send them our way, we would love to get a visual idea of the work that needs to be done.
3. Project Schedule - Let us know your deadlines, keep us updated on the progress of your construction site.
The key to a great scope of work is communication. Discussing and understanding all the little details that many seem to overlook.
It’s inevitable, we all need a little extra support, whether it be in the gym or the field. Hopefully, these tips help ensure your success with outsourced labor.
Want to learn more about our labor program? Watch our top three reasons to use av labor video.
