I love it when a plan comes together!

You ever have one of those plans that you want to be like Hannibal on the A-Team with the members only jacket and a cigar and say “I love it when a plan comes together.”   Even though this is a TV show from the 80’s and now a fun movie there is still some truth to be gleaned from this team of mercenaries.

Hannibal never said “well, I’m glad that all worked out.”  Most of time they had a plan then the implemented it effectively.  Even if everything did not go according to plan they still had an approach to the situation.  This is vital in any install.  I have seen so many installs that there was no plan or previous thought into the install.  This caused wasted money, time and caused huge frustrations.  It is always best to start a plan.

Initial plan

This is the fun part!  Now you can sit down with everyone who uses the systems and figure out the answers to some critical questions like the ones below.  I like to be involved in these meetings becasue this is where I get to really hear the vision of what everyone wants for their systems.  Then the design process is much easier and reflects better your goals.

Important questions to ask

1. What problems need to be fixed?
2. What additions do you need to make?
3. What additions do you want to make?
4. How much do you want to be able to expand the system to in the future?

From here you can start the process with everyone on your team excited about the initial plan you developed.  Then you can buy the cigars and jackets for when the plan all comes together!