HTA Update - 09/30/2008 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
URGE CONGRESS TO PASS A FINANCIAL RESCUE PACKAGE!
What to Look for in an Electronic Systems Contractor
Home Automation – From Simplistic to Grandiose, A Solid Addition to Builder’s Repertoire
More Home Owners Seeking Energy-Efficiency Upgrades
Home Technology Education Sessions
Custom Builder Symposium Can Help Navigate Downturn
Industry Recognition

What to Look for in an Electronic Systems Contractor

You might be wondering:

how to increase your profits on projects you're building
how to dramatically increase the odds that a customer will refer you to someone they know in the future
how to tap into the exploding trend toward automation, providing your customers with "future proof" homes
how to tap into the trend toward "green" homeownership through technology

You might be wondering how to accomplish all of this with very little work on your part, and without the need to learn all the details of these new technologies.

An experienced electronic systems contractor (ESC) can help you cut through any confusion you may have. They can also help you and your customers navigate the choices and murky waters of electronic systems--from conception, design, installation and after-sale service.

First, let's start with what an electronic systems contractor (ESC) does.

According to CEDIA (Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association), an ESC is a company that "provides sales, installation, and service on life safety systems, sound communication, entertainment, and environmental control systems." These electronic systems can range from fire and burglar alarms, to whole-house audio, to home theater and media rooms, to home and landscape lighting controls.

Systems can be as basic as allowing your homeowner to turn on music throughout the house with the touch of a button or allowing whole-house paging using existing telephones and speakers. They can be as involved as having lights that turn on to just 30% to give a toddler an illuminated path from the bedroom to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Systems can also provide high quality sound-isolated media rooms that rival the local cinemaplex.

ESCs work with builders and homeowners to provide automated systems that allow consumers to spend more quality time with their families.

What should you look for in an ESC?

Your relationship with your customer is absolutely key, and the ESC should enhance that relationship every step of the way. Make sure that your ESC understands and agrees that their #1 job is to make you look good!
The ESC should be CEDIA Certified. CEDIA is an international trade association of companies that specialize in planning and installing electronic systems for the home. CEDIA certification requires professionals to abide by a strict code of conduct and ethics, pass one or more written & practical tests, and attend continuing education. This certification tests for skills and requires a minimum number of years’ experience in the field.
There are other certifying agencies as well, and an ESC having multiple certifications is icing on the cake. Groups like HAA (the Home Acoustics Alliance), THX, ISF (the Imaging Science Foundation) and others provide certifications that show your ESC is committed to education and continued learning. This industry moves extremely fast and certifications and their continuing education requirements ensure professionals stay up-to-date on on the latest technologies.
The ESC should work full-time at being an electronic systems contractor, and nothing else.
The ESC should be able to provide strong user references on systems similar to or exactly like the ones you're thinking of supplying to your homeowners.
The ESC should guarantee to you up-front several things at a minimum with regard to the work itself:
1. That the system will work perfectly upon installation.
2. That your client's grandmother will be able to operate the system with minimum or no training. Nothing frustrates homeowners more (and causes calls for support) than systems they can't figure out or that don't work.
3. That the ESC will handle all follow-up calls from homeowners on the systems the ESC installed, so that you need not be in the support loop at all (unless you choose to be).
4. That the ESC will install only A-stock (brand new, never used) equipment.
5. The ESC's technicians will leave the site as good as when they arrived on the job, whether new construction or retrofit.
6. That if there is a problem (hey, stuff does happen) the ESC will be onsite to remedy the problem right away (particularly important if the problem relates to one of the life safety systems).

So once you've decided to use an electronic systems contractor, how do you find one? The best way is to go to CEDIA's website and do a search in your area. See http://www.cedia.org/homeowners/finder.php for links to certified ESCs in your area.

And finally, when's the best time to include an ESC in your plans? Get the ESC involved at the design stage, well before the first foundation hole is dug, and enjoy their input on things like room design, cabling layouts, lighting and sound controls, and conveniences your homeowners "don't know they don't know" about.

Work with a great ESC, and you'll save yourself and your customers time, money, and aggravation. And you'll put more bottom-line profits in your pocket at the same time! Does it get any better than that?

Ed Kmetz is the President of Pure Sight & Sound, Inc., a home theater and automation design & installation company in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Before founding Pure Sight & Sound, Ed worked in Engineering, Sales, and Executive positions in high-tech companies, both in the US and 13 years in Asia. His key to success is professional persistence. Contact Ed at 570-992-2992.

The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) is an international trade association of companies that specialize in planning and installing electronic systems for the home. These systems include home networking, home automation and communication systems, media rooms, single or multi-room entertainment systems, and integrated whole-house subsystems providing lighting control, security, and HVAC systems. CEDIA provides top-ranked educational conferences, industry professional training, and certification focused on the installation and integration of residential electronic systems that consumers use to enhance their lifestyles. Find residential electronic systems contractors by using the free CEDIA Finder Service. Visit the association’s website at http://www.cedia.org/.