Audiovisual
We all have our ways of coping with nightmares. Sometimes, going to bed early and skipping the midnight snack is enough to keep the bad dreams at bay. Other times, we call up our friend (…or friendly therapist) and talk through what might be causing them. But what can we do when the bad dreams refuse to stop, and instead, follow us into the office space? What happens when the office ITSELF is the nightmare, all due to AV issues?
You may think we’re exaggerating, but if anything, we’re putting things lightly. Bad AV can cost a company time, money, and even employees. Conversely, good AV can streamline meetings, increase profits, and lead to a more positive workforce.
Here are 3 nightmarish AV issues that can impede productivity (along with 3 ways to handle your frightening tech problems):
1. Poorly Functioning Technology
Poorly functioning technology can be frustrating, especially when you use it on a daily basis. If your equipment isn’t working as intended, a meeting can quickly deteriorate. In fact, 45% of conference call issues are due to speakerphones with inconsistent audio quality. Additionally, about 10% of meeting delays are a result of IT issues, and on average, ineffective meetings cost the US $37 billion a year. Of those billions of dollars, several thousands or millions could be coming from your own company.
If your technology isn’t working, your only option is to get it fixed. This might mean calling your helpdesk and finding out what’s wrong, or in more extreme cases, it could require re-cabling your building and updating your devices. The best way to avoid this issue is to make sure your equipment is installed properly from the get-go, which means entrusting its design and implementation to a professional, reliable company.
2. Not Enough Space or Rooms
Stop me if this has happened to you before: you’re just about to settle in for an important meeting when you realize that the room you’ve booked is occupied. Maybe your coworker didn’t notice you’d booked it, or maybe their own booked room was already taken. Regardless, the only room left is tiny, screenless, and poorly insulated for sound. Sure, you could have your meeting here… but it’s not going to be a productive one.
If you don’t have enough space or room specifically for AV, you’re doing your company a disservice—in order to get the most out of your AV, you need spaces designed with AV in mind, like huddle rooms, and you need enough of these rooms to meet your employees’ needs. Those needs might be greater than you think, since over a quarter of the challenges faced in video conferencing revolve around a lack of meeting space. In short, if meetings are a core part of your company’s daily schedule (…which they are), huddle rooms need to be a core component as well.
3. Poorly Understood Tech
Ok, so you’ve found your meeting room, you’ve had no problem reserving it, and the equipment is up and running. You’re good to go, right? Only, you start up your video and are met with silence. Or maybe you hear something but are unable to see it. In this case, the issue may not lie with your equipment, but instead, with a lack of knowledge on how to use it.
Ineffective AV training is a huge component of AV dissatisfaction. Relatedly, overly complicated AV can make it harder to use and understand your tech. As the remote workforce continues to grow, it’s integral that all employees are trained in AV equipment and that said equipment is easy to use. Already, video conferencing is used by 62% of workers, and in the next few years, that number will likely increase exponentially.
Waking up from an AV nightmare isn’t as simple as pinching yourself; the panic and fear behind AV issues is very real, from glitchy presentations that leave executives frustrated or unimpressed to delayed or unpolished pitch meetings that lose business. Proper installation, sufficient room space, and adequate training are all key in getting the most out of your AV. Avoid tech issues entirely by being proactive in the design and implementation of your devices; a good AV setup will stop the nightmare, increase productivity, and get your company closer to achieving the success it’s always dreamed about.
