Global rollouts are on the rise but come with a list of issues. Paul Milligan finds out how to navigate a way to success.
Globalisation has made the world smaller. It’s now easier than ever to operate in more than one country (or region). Does that mean that globalisation has taken hold in the AV world? Yes and no. The likes of Crestron and Extron have representatives around the globe to make sure their products are readily available in almost every location, and product support and service is never more than a (local) phone call away. For manufacturers trying to maximise sales, you’d expect this approach.
But in the world of systems integration, globalisation hasn’t taken the same hold, and there are only a very small handful (three or four maybe?) of truly global system integrators. This is partly because we’ve seen the emergence in the last 20 years of two global organisations, consisting of a network of system integrators from around the world, in the form of the Global Presence Alliance (GPA) which has a network of more than 170 global offices and the PSNI Global Alliance (265 global offices). Each will complete global rollouts by passing jobs from one partner to the next, depending on region.
Global rollouts of AV technology are becoming more common becuase it makes sense from a logistical and financial point of view for an organisation to outfit several of its offices in the same time (or financial) period. However, this comes with its own set of problems. This article will look at the issues caused by global rollouts, how to ensure consistency of supply and service around the world, and why flexibility is important when faced with different regional tastes.
Just what are the main difficulties in global rollouts? “There are regulatory issues, fiscal issues, the impact of VAT and local regulation and legislation. Although sometimes it feels quite easy, just from a compliance and legislation point of view there’s a lot to take into consideration,” says Bas Scheepens, VP of global distribution group, TD Synnex Maverick. They are much more difficult than they look agrees Robert Lingley, VP business development at integrator CTI (a PSNI member). “The skill and the experience that we have tends to make it look relatively simple from the client’s perspective. They don’t necessarily see a lot of the work that goes on behind the scenes.
That comes from having done quite a few, understanding those parameters, understanding that there are expectations at the corporate level, expectations at the user level, there are co-dependencies on equipment supply, on billing credentials, on taxation etc.”
Managing the expectations of all of the parties involved is tough says Chris Miller, executive director, PSNI. “Communication is absolutely the most challenging and difficult thing. You would think our industry would be very good at it, but the human side of communication is always challenging, and managing those expectations takes longer, and there are more challenges. We don’t know what we don’t know, in reality it just requires that much more planning.”
Beyond the difficulty of logistics, the real challenge lies in understanding and addressing the unique needs of each location says Chris Isak, digital marketing specialist, GPA. “Ensuring that the technology not only works but also enhances the experience for staff and guests.”
Your own location can create problems in global rollouts explains Suhas Mahashetti, senior manager, global strategies for systems integrator Online Instruments. “One of the major challenges is that most designs are developed in the United States, and therefore the products or brands specified in the design are often based on availability in that market. In some cases, even if the brand exists in multiple regions, certain models may not comply with local country norms or certifications. As a result, detailed design work cannot always be completed at a global level; only a high-level framework is possible, and local design consultants or integrators must still be involved to adapt it to regional requirements. This, in turn, leads to additional costs that the client often has to bear.”
Is the number of global rollouts a significant part of overall projects, and is that number on the rise? Miller says the number for the PSNI is growing, “We’re seeing it up in our engagement, 10 to 15% a year.” Global rollouts are becoming increasingly common says Mahashetti, in agreement with Miller, particularly among multinational corporations with ongoing expansion plans. “This growth is largely driven by the convergence of AV and IT tech. As AV and IT departments merge, companies are now appointing unified teams and shared points of contact for technology deployments across regions. This shift has made it far easier for global companies to standardise their workplace technology by engaging a single vendor for all AV projects across multiple geographies. The result is a more seamless, consistent, and hassle-free experience for the client.”
Global rollouts are growing in number adds Lingley, and he expects the number to continue to increase. “There are several drivers for that. One is that, overall, the client is coming more from globalised companies, it’s easier for them to access people and technology in places around the world than ever before.
There is a relatively equal ability for the whole world to source the top equipment from the top manufacturers. You can get it in Tokyo, in Nairobi, in London, and in California. Having global standards is easier than it
was before because it’s less regionalised equipment.” Lingley is seeing particular expansion in APAC: “There’s a lot of talent there, and a lot of investment in infrastructure there. Therefore there’s a lot of projects, but they tend to be the North American and European companies going to India, China, and APAC in general.”consistent supply of products too? Even with a global spread of offices, this is a challenge for TD Synnex Maverick admits Scheepens: “There are very few organisations that truly have global coverage, that truly offer all the same products and the same levels of service in all countries.
I don’t think these companies actually exist in all honesty. Depending on where you want to ship the goods to, where you want to deploy the services, do the installation etc, you need to look into whether you have an agreement with the vendor to be able to actually sell the goods in that country. If that’s not the case, how do I then maybe ship it to a specific country?” This is where a reliable distributor can really demonstrate their value to integrators he adds: “More and more we are bundling products [for integrators]. We are seeing more global agreements being signed where they purchase systems from one country, and we support those integrators in bundling those products into one box, almost like an Ikea box. And then local agents will roll this out in the countries and do the installation. It’s almost like ‘here’s the manual, this is what you need to do to make it work’. It’s a way of doing it that’s more convenient to everyone.”
Both the GPA and PSNI have a strictly controlled network of approved manufacturers to ensure consistency whenever possible around the world. “Consistency is achieved through strong partnerships with global manufacturers, standardised product specifications, and a robust global procurement strategy. Through our Global Partnership Program, we work with manufacturers who are actually able to provide those global capabilities,” says Isak.
Even with such programs in place, it is always possible to get the same pieces of kit halfway around the world? There are occasions where certain brands or models aren’t available locally due to regional restrictions, certification differences, or import regulations says Mahashetti. “In such cases we develop a change management plan and propose suitable local alternatives that meet the same technical specifications. If the client insists on using the exact model from the original design, we can facilitate drop shipping through our global logistics network to ensure availability. This flexibility allows us to maintain both design integrity and client satisfaction, regardless of geography.”
This raises another point: if you can’t get the same kit for your global rollout, who decides on the workaround, is it the client, the distributor or the integrator? “It might be that actually this is a client-led choice on the equipment because they’ve set a standard and that equipment isn’t available somewhere else,” says Lingley.
“Part of that project then is to understand what the need actually is. And the need is very rarely for a specific piece of equipment. The need is a use case, it’s a result the client is trying to achieve. Once we understand that result, we can look at the engineering department, whether that’s the engineering department within an individual CSP [Certified Solution Providers], so CTI in my example, or we go to the working group at PSNI to say ‘we’ve got this request, they want to use this equipment, but we can’t get it. We know we can get Lightware, does Lightware have a box that is equivalent? And we can run through a process which can assess that it will be a like-for-like or equivalent.”
An issue always raised when discussing global rollouts is the regional differences that can occur. For example, you have a global rollout planned but the New York office likes Zoom while Tokyo uses Teams. What do you do? “If a client insists on regional variations, we adapt by using products and designs that support multiple UC platforms like Teams and Google Meet. This ensures that the end-user experience remains seamless and system performance remains consistent across platforms, even when preferences differ between offices,” says Mahashetti.
This should be dealt with early on, as part of the original design says Miller. “CSPs who work with enterprise clients understand that these complexities are all part of the design that is reviewed and approved by the client, CSP and the regional CSPs who become the partners on the projects. There are often regional budgets and preferences that require open discussion and the client makes the final decision.” The GPA will provide in-depth consultation says Isak, but usually it’s the client who dictates what direction they want to go. “We can build bridges and make it a great experience, but we won’t try to steer them away from what they have set to use.”
For the final question we turn to the important subject of service, with different teams, or even different companies if the job is passed on through the GPA or PSNI, how do you ensure you are providing the same quality of service during the rollout when you are in different parts of the world? Documentation is the key says Lingley. “There are guidelines, regulations, and certifications for global deployment, global service, strategic account management, and quality assurance, which are all PSNI programs. They also have a PSNI playbook, and the CSPs are required to have personnel who are trained and are certified. It’s about having that framework that gives you that quality outcome. What steps do we need to take to ensure we get there? What’s in the checklist? What are the milestones? How do we make that outcome predictable? How do we assure that quality?”
The approach is similar for the GPA, which has its Global Care managed service. Isak explains how it works: “We think of it as ITSM (Information Technology Service Management), but covering all technology and services, not just IT. We can cater to the client’s preferences here, whether that’s by leveraging follow-the-sun team setups or providing purely local support. It’s really important to figure this out together with the client, not build something and try to make it fit. We listen to what they have and what they want, and we establish that vision together.”
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