D-Tools Helps Millennium Systems Design Save Time and Money on Multi-room Installation
Millennium Systems Design, an Orlando-based custom integrator, leveraged D-Tools System Integrator software to streamline their multi-room AV and control system installations—such as a high-profile athlete's home with an Elan g! Control system—resulting in 5-10% project cost savings, improved accuracy in bids and pick lists, reduced labor underestimation, minimized forgotten accessories, enhanced professionalism, and increased customer satisfaction leading to repeat business and significant profitability on $100,000-$150,000 projects.
When a high-profile athlete needed a whole-home distributed AV and control system, Millennium Systems Design (MSD) was called upon to deliver a comprehensive solution. Tackling a multi-room installation project that includes a whole home control system, distributed audio and video, and a dedicated home theater with Dolby Atmos 3D surround sound presents several challenges:
- Forgetting to include certain accessories (such as wiring and cables) in the initial bid, reducing profitability
- Underestimating labor involved, which increases project timelines and reduces profitability
- Leaving small but important parts back at the warehouse due to incomplete pick lists, leading to added mileage, wasted time, and reduced profits
Each of these errors can also upset the customer by delaying the project and presenting the firm as less than professional. However, getting all the details right leads to satisfied customers and repeat business. This was the case for MSD, an Orlando, FL-based custom integrator, when they were called to install an extensive Elan g! Control system in the Winter Garden, Florida, home of a high-profile athlete.
Streamlined Business Process Equals Repeat Customers
Mauricio Barrientos, Director of Operations for MSD, explained that the client had used MSD at their previous home and, due to the success of that project, chose them again for this new construction. MSD Owner Mike Barry credits their systems and processes, developed using D-Tools, for their ongoing success. Barry estimates that MSD has saved 5 to 10 percent in project costs over the years thanks to the efficiencies added by D-Tools. For projects averaging between $100,000 and $150,000, this increase in profit is significant.
MSD is a 90-percent referral-based company, and D-Tools System Integrator is central to their operations, from quoting and pick-lists to design and project management. Previously, MSD used Excel spreadsheets for bids and pick lists, which sometimes resulted in missing products or improperly captured labor, increasing internal costs and reducing profitability. After discovering the D-Tools SI platform at CEDIA ten years ago, MSD adopted it to address these challenges. Today, the team confidently designs large, multi-zone, whole-home systems for high-profile clients.
D-Tools Data Library Offers Simple-to-Use, State-of-the-Art Tech for Project
A key to the project's success was managing product data. D-Tools Data Library provided MSD with access to a comprehensive library of manufacturers’ products, including those needed for the customer’s AV, control, and lighting needs. The family required a whole-home control system and a sophisticated intercom for easy communication within their 10,000-square-foot, single-story house. The husband wanted a state-of-the-art system for controlling audio, video, and lighting, while the wife needed something simple to use.
MSD met these needs with an Elan g! system using in-wall touch panels, handheld remote controls, keypads, and a mobile app to control 32 audio and 16 video zones, smart lighting, surveillance cameras, pool technology, irrigation control, and a smart doorbell and intercom. The system also manages all technology in the dedicated home theater.
The home theater features KEF in-wall, three-way LCR speakers behind a 123” acoustically transparent Stewart Filmscreen projection screen, powered by a Digital Projection LED projector. This setup allows the family to watch movies in 3D, play video games, and use the Internet on a large screen. The 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos system includes 7 KEF in-wall and 4 KEF in-ceiling THX-certified surround speakers, plus 3 KEF in-wall THX certified subs. Audio and video are processed by a Yamaha AVentage AV receiver and controlled via an Elan HR2 handheld remote or the Elan mobile app.
Beyond the theater, the house offers distributed stereo audio through 50 Origin Acoustics in-ceiling speakers in various rooms and outdoor areas, with surround sound in larger spaces. Each room is its own audio zone, with a 5-stream digital media player as the source, eight sources reserved for video distribution, and three more available for expansion. Five out of 16 video zones are currently in use, receiving feeds from multiple sources, including cable/satellite receivers, a Sony Blu-Ray player, and a client-supplied AppleTV/Roku box.
Project Design and Management Made Easy
Managing such a vast multi-room project is typically challenging, especially regarding labor estimation. D-Tools helped MSD with time management by allowing them to budget time per device and schedule a profitable project. Installation reports improved overall organization, enabling MSD to manage time, projects, and schedules, and assign technicians to different rooms efficiently.
D-Tools also simplified and improved the design process. Accessories could be attached to each item as needed, ensuring nothing was overlooked. For example, adding a Sony Blu-Ray player automatically included the necessary HDMI cable. MSD used packages to streamline the design and bid process, such as creating a television package that includes the screen, mount, surge protection, HDMI cable, and labor, which could be inserted into proposals as needed.
Once products are specified, they automatically populate pick lists, which can be ordered by phase for accurate inventory and placement. This ensures all equipment is in the right room at the right time.
Designing and Documenting Robust Networking Systems
A project with many IP-controlled devices requires an enterprise-grade network. MSD designed a full gigabit hardwired network with five indoor and one outdoor wireless access points for comprehensive coverage. This network supports the control system, media systems, and personal devices. The network and wiring systems allow AV equipment to be hidden in a technology closet without reducing signal quality. D-Tools’ AutoCAD integration helped technicians and subcontractors view detailed project plans and make real-time changes, with updates reflected across all reports, minimizing data entry and reducing errors.
Improved Design Processes, Scheduling, Documentation, and Time Management
D-Tools has improved MSD’s design processes, scheduling, time management, and ordering. MSD now uses D-Tools for all projects, considering it the best tool for proposals, documentation, and system design. The result is a satisfied client with an easy-to-use, elegant, and reliable system that enhances daily life and entertainment. D-Tools’ data-driven estimation, design, and proposal capabilities helped MSD manage the project from start to finish, streamlining business processes and resulting in a very satisfied client.
Photographer Credit: Michael Lowry Photography
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