Common Crestron Issues: Consistency of Quality
We have discussed many times in this blog the ways that GMI and the #DoneRightNotEasy crew separate ourselves from others in the industry. Our combined decades of experience designing, building, and programming Crestron automation systems has given us a unique perspective into both the systems themselves, but also the needs of our luxury clients. Having been around so many failed Crestron systems we’ve been hired to replace, we’ve noticed a significant trend, that is the failure to keep a consistent quality in every part of a system.
A quality system begins with the design and consultation stage. Many integrators will use this step of the process to show off the kinds of high end audio and video systems they’ve installed, attempting to lure customers into purchasing a big ticket item that may not fit their needs. By working directly with our new clients and asking second level questions about the way everyone will be using the system, we can streamline the specifications of a Crestron system specifically to our end users. While the needs of every customer will vary, the process by which we work with them and design their system remains the same, and this consistency in processes sets us the right way.
While the end user experience will determine the nuances of how a Crestron system is built and placed, consistency of design is still important across jobs. One aspect of this is equipment placement and centralization. Centralizing control racks and equipment leads not only to more efficient control systems, it also reduces the need for complicated maintenance and builds customer confidence in the product and your work. We often find other integrators having control equipment distributed haphazardly throughout a space, which can lead to failure, or worse, a danger to the property and the clients themselves.
Once we begin to build out a new control system, or takeover a non-functioning system, our consistency of quality becomes apparent. The most important aspect of a well functioning and high powered Crestron control system is cleanly installed racks and wiring at every level. Each wire is not only selected and designated for it’s own unique function, but is labeled at each end for easy replacement or diagnostic re-seating. Additionally, every single wire is terminated and run cleanly and orderly, even when the customer cannot see it. This is done in this fashion because we understand what it takes for a system to run properly, and this consistency is paramount to our success.
As a system is being built, another level of our consistent quality becomes more and more important, that being the simplified and powerful Crestron coding and programming. As Albert Einstein said “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Simple though does not mean easy, this is where the name #DoneRightNotEasyCrew comes from, we aren’t just programming automation commands, but full fledged conversations between gear who oftentimes are speaking different programming languages. The more consistent and streamlined our code is, the better all of the systems we build work at the highest possible level.
It’s easy to see why consistency of quality, from design, to installation, to programming, is important for a powerful and reliable Crestron automation system. Before you decide on an integrator for your next luxury automation project, be sure to understand how they approach quality on every level.
Interested in learning more about automating your luxury home? Contact us today!
- Common Crestron Issues: Server Room and Rack Management - November 14, 2017
- Common Crestron Issues: Consistency of Quality - October 24, 2017
- Going Deeper: The Next Level of Automation - October 17, 2017
