Commercial Integrator February 2023 - 13

INTEGRATOR INSIGHTS
Edge Leaders Share 23 Considerations for 2023
Are you prepared for what might be the most defining year to date in our industry?
These factors will help shape the months ahead. By Edge, formerly USAV Group
NOW, WHILE INTEGRATORS are preparing
for products to ship and bracing for another
year of uncertainty, is an ideal time to look at
important discussion points we should keep
front and center in our industry.
Aftermath of the
Great Supply-Chain Break
One way or another, supply chain will continue
to dominate conversations this year.
Efforts to identify products and solutions outside
the norm have been ramping up. Those
" other manufacturers " are seeing record
sales because they have product available.
There are costs to making changes, and
cashflow remains strained, which means
projects must be run more efficiently. And
there have already been changes to how we
handle product warehousing. How many
containers can you fit in your parking lot?
" Just in time " is replaced with " just in case, "
which ties up more cash, while the banks
have reduced lending credit on inventory.
Managed Services
Expand in Breadth and Depth
Speaking of banks, higher interest rates
mean the cost of money is increasing. That
puts pressure on the entire business model.
Many integrators are finally beginning
to make more significant movement into
managed services after all the CapEx
versus OpEx discussions we have had
over the years. The audiovisual-as-a-service
conversation needs a fresh look, and there
are plenty of options in the market today.
The recent change to how Microsoft handles
Day Two support for Microsoft Teams
Rooms is a prime example of how the
industry is shifting. There is an opportunity
in the lesser-known world of softwareas-a-service
(SaaS). The AV channel has
long ignored licensing agreements; now,
however, could be the time for a deeper
dive. This type of business can create
positive cashflow and alleviate some of the
pressures elsewhere in the business model.
And what about cybersecurity - that is,
the need to protect our own companies
commercialintegrator.com
(L-R): Mike Boettcher, president
of Edge, and Patrick Whipkey,
vice president of Edge.
and the work we perform? Yes, we must be
compliant, but does cybersecurity become
part of the SaaS offering, too?
The Continued Evolution
of Meeting Experiences
All this will be driven by our clients, who continue
to figure out their collective back-tothe-office
policies. But, as we have learned,
no one-size-fits-all solution exists. That means
we must be flexible in creating solutions that
fit into the new hybrid workflow. Prepandemic,
we finished building out openspace
plans and huddle rooms; now, that is
all changing again. From an AV perspective,
we must determine what it means to design
for meeting equity for all attendees. Will
this involve the new 21:9 aspect ratio that
seems to be all the rage today? Or, conversely,
will that go the way of 16:10? Most
certainly, our end users' entire unified communications
and collaboration (UC&C) team
will discuss the overall direction. Integrators
should be part of those conversations.
Balancing Labor Needs
Going back to the supply chain, we see light
at the end of this tunnel, however faint. And
as we get closer to that light, we will see other
problems brought on by the resolution.
As product becomes available and backlogs
start to unwind quickly, labor resources will
need to be solidified. One possible solution
lies in subcontracting. The outsourcing
conversation will be of interest to many
companies and in more disciplines. Managing
that process is quite different from the
typical integrator model, so we can expect
to see this process evolve. Integrators
have been reluctant to hire additional staff,
perhaps because of the looming recession
(or the one we are already in). And, in some
cases, layoffs have started already.
New Dynamics and Crossover
Amid cashflow challenges, will some go
out of business or find alternatives for their
exit strategy? This leads us to M&A activity,
which continues to disrupt the channel. The
landscape of the AV space is changing, and
so are other technology spaces that have
become more intertwined in our world.
Integrators, distributors, manufacturers, IT,
telephony, security, residential and more
are all starting to blend, creating a new
dynamic that will require attention in the
coming years. As is evident from how trade
shows continue to evolve, there is more
crossover than ever before. Will the large
shows prevail? Do regional ones pick up
even more momentum? Or do we see some
combined efforts moving forward? The
focus is now back to return on investment
- less on networking and not so much on
just showing up for the party. Travel has
certainly changed. Will that get any better,
or are we stuck worrying about delays and
cancellations? And how do we fit all these
shows in? How many is too many?
As you can see, there is no shortage of
topics for 2023. Each topic has multiple
layers and involves many different people
within an organization. Communication with
your team is paramount. And having Unparalleled
Partnerships to rely on can help
you navigate the challenges that await in
what could be the most defining year to date
in our industry. So, bring on 2023, and let's
make it another great year in technology.
Edge, formerly USAV Group, bonds lowvoltage
systems integrators together as an
elite industry team. With integrator members
throughout the world, partnerships
with top AV manufacturers and service providers,
and alignment with leading industry
associations, the advantage EDGE provides
is unparalleled by any other industry association.
Learn more at Edge.technology.
FEBRUARY 2023 Commercial Integrator
13
http://www.commercialintegrator.com
Commercial Integrator February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator February 2023
