Determine User Requirements - I/O, Deliverables, and workflow

Scope of Work

The Scope of Work document has six primary purposes:

Upfront Considerations

The objective of the Project Definition Phase is to create a system design foundation. The goal is then to get information (the big picture) from the client, put it on paper, and then get the client to sign-off the paperwork.

What to do

The Scope of Work in a final System Sale Agreement is VERY important. Always read the Scope of Work at the start of a project and consult it during the course of a project whenever the client requests changes, asks for additional services, or questions the project in any way.

Ensure that there is a hand-off of all pertinent materials and information to Engineering.

There also should be a signed-off Master Equipment List with an approved Margin Analysis before any equipment should be purchased.

Always ask how you can get back on the air quickly when any critical piece of equipment fails.

Use same drawing logic in conceptual as are used in the synoptic. Use conceptual as a way to acclimate the customer to getting used to reading the detailed synoptic.

What not to do

Not fighting hard for all the patch bays required to provide ample patch circuits for patching around critical signal devices and for monitoring signal path. Try to bring spare monitor inputs and at least one spare output per peripheral out to patch.

Blindly creating drawings because the drawing list has a title and number reserved for the drawing, even if drawing will have very little information on it and much empty space. Always combine drawings when possible, for example instead of having a separate floorplan drawing for each small edit suite you could combine four edit suites on a page. This faux pas also creates too many conceptual drawings. Only do conceptual for systems that can’t be put on a single synoptic.

Creating too many conceptuals. Conceptuals should be generated only for systems that are so complex that they need clarification. Do not create conceptuals for systems that can be easily understood by reading a single synoptic.