14.4 - Installation

The previous section described the process of selecting and specifying the telephone system. This section will deal, in general terms with the installation process. Each system will have its own special requirements and it is important that the installing engineer know these before beginning the installation.

14.4.1 - What Is Required

Before the installation proper can begin it is necessary to ensure that the equipment required is available and ideally tested and known to be operable.

With a large system installation there will be several engineering staff involved. These people should be briefed before the start of the job so that each one knows how the system is to be installed, which areas they will be responsible for and how each of the areas is associated with the system as a whole.

At the end of the briefing all of the team should know what they are required to do and the timescales involved.

14.4.2 - Scheduling

When installing a system, especially when replacing an existing system, the disruption cased to the customer must be kept to a minimum and the introduction of the new system made as smoothly as possible from the point of view of the users.

In premises which are undergoing renovation or still under construction it will normally be possible to liaise with the contractors and schedule the work for the system around their work or be given time after they have finished before the customer moves in.

In premises which are already in use scheduling will become more difficult. With a small system it may be possible to work during normal operating hours. When installing a large system then the work will need to be conducted outside the customers normal business hours or over a weekend or holiday close down.

Scheduling is very important and must be agreed by both vendor and customer. Many stories exist about conflict between installers and customers when the work has disrupted the normal flow of business.

14.4.3 - Who Does The Work

The installation will normally be the responsibility of the vendor. However they may use their own staff or subcontract the installation.

Whoever does the work must be familiar with the requirements of the system and the equipment being installed. This usually requires that they have been trained by the manufacturer. They must comply with or exceed the current standards in force governing the quality control of their work.

No matter which option is used there should always be supervision by a member of staff from the vendor to ensure that the installation is going as planned and to deal with any problems directly. Their job is to provide a central point of contact between the customer and the installers.