Why AV-9000?

The Problem

Rapid advancement in AV technology has resulted in more product knowledge than ever before, which merely underscores the need for fundamental education in the operational art. Infocomm International has addressed only individual training, not the requisite quality management of the AV companies performing the services.

With AV technology moving from the eclectic to the mainstream of our corporate and educational cultures, the cost of technology exceeds $80B and is steadily growing worldwide. The estimates on the cost of poor quality, defects, lost hours, rework, etc. exceed $15B.

In other words…

Customers, manufacturers, designers, integrators, independent programmers all want to know how to contain and control these costs. This begs the question:

What companies can effectively manage their quality to assure the client always gets their AV system as it was ordered, in its entirety, and that the system performs at levels as intended, and that it was provided in accordance with best industry practices?

Introducing AQAV, a nonprofit organization dedicated to quality

The Association for Quality in Audio Visual Technology, Inc. focuses on the quality management systems (the “human systems”) that AV companies use to assure consistent quality. We “Point to” applicable standards and best practices developed by Infocomm International, AES, SMPTE, and others.

The AQAV Solution

AQAV has defined the standard for quality management for AV companies for the benefit of all the stakeholders, including the users of integrated AV technology so as to:

• Better systems and services for the users
• Improve in operational art
• Reduce waste and its resultant cost impact to profits

The Approach

1.      Start with the auditable ISO9000:2008 standard, (already the 176- country international consensus on Quality Management Systems)

2.      Add AV industry-specific language to help clarify its application to AV work

3.      Add AV metrics for monitoring and measuring activities (Steps two and three are a consensus of a cross-functional representative forum of the AV industry. The quality checklists in the metrics have proven to be effective in achieving zero-defect systems for years and in fact have been adopted for over a thousand systems)

The AV 9000 Result

Companies are “AV9000 Certified” when they successfully pass the audit at their location(s).

• Registration is for three years. Surveillance audits are performed each year.
• Certified ISO9000 auditors verify the company’s documented quality management system for compliance to the standard, and to the AV 9000 metrics
•  The audit confirms that the processes are applied consistently by everyone in the organization that has an impact on the quality of the services

Nothing New

This exact approach has been applied successfully in the following industries:

• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Telecommunications

…and is currently underway in several others.

How would my company benefit?

AV 9000 compliance benefits any AV company, whether they achieve certification or not. The benefits are substantial:

• Greater efficiency
• Definitive increase in profits
• More satisfied clients
• Boost in employee morale, lower employee turnover
• Ease in training new employees due to documented procedures 

How Does My Company Achieve Certification?

There are several paths, depending on your company’s current situation. The first step in any case is to order your copy of the Standard.

• For those companies who are not ISO 9000 certified, you will need to address this, even as you start to incorporate the checklists into your procedures, however developed they are at the time. You will more than likely engage an ISO 9000 consultant who will lead you through the process. An AV 9000 Consultant can assist in preparing you for the industry metrics of the standard. Both will lead you to a pre-registration audit so that you may be prepared for the Registration audit. The Registrar confirms that your Quality Management System complies with both ISO 9000 and AV 9000, and there is sufficient evidence to show that your company consistently follows your system by everyone in the organization, for every project it engages in. When successful, you earn the certification. The certification is valid for three years, and requires an annual surveillance audit to verify that the organization remains in compliance, and there are signs of continual improvement.
• For companies that are ISO 9000 certified already, things are much simpler. The Registrar confirms that the Quality Management System, as documented in the organization’s Quality Manual and Procedure Manual “points to” the AV 9000 metrics. The AV9000 Registrar inspects the quality records to confirm that the organization is performing the tests listed in the checklists; the equipment is calibrated, etc

Once certification is attained, the only annual costs would be a reasonable fee for the surveillance audits. The consultants are generally used in the first time around. If significant changes in the organization occur or if future guidance is required, they can always be engaged as needed.