Not many companies can legitimately claim that they “invented” a product category, but Sonos can. The company created the wireless multiroom audio category way back in 2005. The rest is history, as the old adage goes. Since then, Sonos has diversified and today is the most-recognized consumer audio brand. The company has deftly balanced its direct-to-consumer business while at the same time building an industry-leading position for speakers, subwoofers and soundbars in the residential integration channel. Indeed, 22% of its global revenues are derived from the professional installation channel, which Casey Clemens, Senior Director of the Americas for Sonos, calls the company’s “sounding board” when they are developing new products. Just back from a brief sabbatical with a brand new baby in the family, Clemens joined the latest episode of the D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” podcast to bring us up to date on the company. In a wide-ranging discussion, Clemens touted the launch of the new premium Era 100 Pro speaker available exclusively via integrators, along with the company’s other integrator-friendly lines such Amp and Arc Ultra. “For the first time in our entire company history, we just launched a product exclusively for our installation partners,” says Clemens. “It’s the Era 100 Pro. It is addressing the No. 1 thing we have been asked for by our dealers for as long as I can remember, which is some sort of exclusive product line that serves our integration partners more than just the general consumer.” Clemens also touched on the dedicated support line for integrators, and he teased that in the coming months the company will be announcing something that was a “massive investment” by the company designed to simplify the way dealers and distributors do business with the company. Those details will be shared next month at the company's dealer appreciation event in Santa Barbara, Calif.…

In this episode of the D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” podcast, one of the industry’s leading consultants and a process expert – Jason Sayen of I Am Sayen – discusses the steps that integrators need to take to establish a process-driven business that will result in high efficiency not only when they are onboarding new employees, but during all operations. Sayen notes that one of the telltale signs that an integrator needs to have processes in place is when they believe they can’t sell any more projects because the company can’t handle the workload. Any time a company is refusing sales just because it will overburden the company is not a positive situation. He says there are common bottlenecks that almost every integration company encounters and needs to address. Sayen uses a Lean Six Sigma process called Value Mapping that captures a company’s processes as they exist today and maps it to a future state. That process allows him to evaluate the needs of a company. He has also developed a program he calls the Client Journey and G.U.I.D.E. (Great Utility and Documented Experiences) Workflow Activation System. These programs offer a step-by-step approach for integrators, manufacturers and distributors on how to get started in creating honed processes.…

Offering service plans can be crucial to the success of an integration business and move it away from relying solely on project-based income. Many integrators don’t where to start in terms of setting up their service plans. In this episode of the D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” Podcast, Martin Roseman of MC Group discusses the keys to creating and operating a profitable service department using what he calls “Performance Plans.” Among the keys areas Roseman addresses during the podcast are establishing a ticketing system, using a remote access service, having checklists and workflow charts in place, and the pros and cons of having dedicated service-department technicians. Roseman also emphasizes the best time for integrators to bring up a service plan with clients is from the very beginning. He advises integrators to have an elevator speech prepared from the outset of their conversations with clients that mentions “We design, we build and we support.” Finally, Roseman discusses how integrators can use the new D-Tools Service Module to create and manage their service plans. Part of MC Group’s services to integrators is helping them build those plans within D-Tools.…

Since 2009, Together For Cinema has installed 51 cinema rooms in the UK at a value of £1.35 million, or $1.9 million. All the products and services are donated. Ian Morrish, Founder and Managing Director of Together For Cinema, joined the D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” podcast to discuss the organization’s origins and achievements, and how suppliers and integrators can get involved.…

Marc Fisher, president of Origin Acoustics, pulled back the curtain during the most recent D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” podcast and provided a glimpse into what makes Origin Acoustics so successful. He discusses the company’s unique culture, how it goes about establishing its partnerships, and what new products are coming soon.…

It’s far too limiting to consider Azione Unlimited as just a “buying group.” It has evolved to become virtually an arm of its membership, emphasizing the importance of community, trust and shared goals, according to newly named executive director Patrick McCarthy, who joined the D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” podcast recently. In this Thanksgiving edition of the podcast, McCarthy discussed with hosts Tim Bigoness and Jason Knott of D-Tools the state of the market, the group's new affiliation with Nationwide Marketing Group , and how Azione is emphasizing communication and education to foster greater community within the association.…

Distributors are becoming more vital to the integration industry. Of course, the crux of that importance is primarily related to their ability to provide integrators with the products they need for their projects, but it stretches well beyond that. Distributors have truly become partners with integrators. Blackwire Designs is a great example of a distributor that has diversified to offer unique vital services for integrators, including lighting configuration, AV distribution configuration, and network provisioning. Cody Crossland, VP of sales, and Seth Johnson, software development manager, joined the October 2024 episode of the D-Tools "What's the Buzz" podcast to discuss how integrators can partner more closely with their distribution partners. The duo also discussed the general state of the industry and the hot category of lighting.…

It’s autumn and the leaves on the trees are beginning to turn vibrant colors and blanket the ground. That means it’s time for the integration market to assess 2024 and start to look ahead to 2025. There is still uncertainty in the economic climate, but the consensus among several key industry leaders is a generally positive outlook for the year ahead. In this month’s D-Tools What’s the Buzz podcast, we spoke with a handful of attendees at the recent CEDIA Expo 2024 , which took place during the first week of September in Denver. For some, 2024 seems to have been a mixed bag, with the market ebbing and flowing up and down. Everyone sees the second half of 2024 as better than the first six months, with the momentum carrying into next year. Several interviewees mentioned that the high end of the market seems to be insulated with the mid-market experiencing a slowdown. Also, the commercial market appears to be lagging. Several of the attendees gave their opinions during an opening panel discussion on the Smart Stage at CEDIA Expo 2024. “I am hearing from some of our members a softening a little bit, but they are still plenty busy. It is a robust environment and I think it is a growing environment,” said Daryl Friedman, global president & CEO of CEDIA . Jon Robbins, executive director of the Home Technology Specialist of America (HTSA) , noted that the buying group’s members had a “very concerning” first quarter of 2024, but that the market picked back up in July and that pipelines look full moving ahead. Hank Alexander, director of the Oasys Residential Technology Group , echoed that sentiment. “The first half of the year was a little rough. It’s gotten a little bit better. When we talk to our members, we hear that the pipeline is getting better,” he said. Jim Pearse, president at ProSource , added, “The middle market is really struggling with low housing starts and retail. However, the CI space continues to explode at the high end, and is offsetting that tight business in the mid-market.” Chris Kane, vice president of North American residential sales at AVPro Global is very optimistic heading into next year. He says integrators are consistently bringing in new projects and opportunities they are working on for the coming year. “The big challenge is just finding enough people to work with them, which is a good sign because it shows there is a lot of business out there,” he added. You can download the full audio version of the podcast on Apple, Spotify and many other podcast platforms, or watch the commentary on our YouTube channel.…

In this episode of the D-Tools "What's the Buzz" podcast, Richard Charschan, president of AcousticSmart Home Theater Interiors , discusses his new book "Home Theaterology" and some key trends facing the home theater market. The book features 15 incredible home theater projects as well as some recommended demo clips for integrators to use to showcase home theaters to potential clients. The book is designed to help educate home theater designers, architects, builders and clients about the importance of room acoustics when planning a home theater project. "We want to educate architects and interior designers why we put acoustics in these theaters and some of the issues that we encounter along the way in designing these theaters, so they can learn how we had to think out of the box because every room is a journey," explains Charschan. "My feeling is when we can do a theater and somebody gets lost in the experience, is totally immersed and they don't know where they are for two hours... that's job well done. We want the clients to know that sitting in a living room with a big TV and a couch is not a home theater. It's not to give you that experience." AcousticSmart will be debuting the book at the upcoming CEDIA Expo 2024 in Denver from September 5-7. There will be book signings in the company's booth #4220. D-Tools will also have a book signing in its booth #2724. Charschan also shared with co-hosts Jason Knott and Tim Bigoness of D-Tools some of the acoustic challenges associated with seating heights and the problems created by installing large videowalls in a home theater environment versus a projector-and-screen combination. Namely, he notes that videowalls are extremely bright and the hard surface creates challenges for the ability the emulate the sound emanating from the screen itself, which is something a woven screen permits because the speakers can be placed behind the screen material. "When you have a woven screen and you have that center channel in back of that screen in the left and right, if the screen is big enough, then everybody gets the same sound. It's a win-win for everybody and it's a much better experience," he says.…

What are the two most important business metrics for integrators to track? It’s an important question that gets asked all the time to Matt Bernath, principal at industry consulting firm VITAL . “We track more than 30 key metrics at VITAL, and we review those monthly with our members and they serve as a report card,” says Bernath, who was a longtime integrator himself and sold his company before joining, then acquiring VITAL. “The most important metric for any business is gross margin, and second to that is labor utilization. Those are the two areas that most integrators have the biggest opportunity.” Bernath recently joined the D-Tools “What’s the Buzz” podcast with hosts Tim Bigoness and Jason Knott of D-Tools to discuss some of the important operational objectives that integrators need to be targeting to keep moving their businesses forward.…

In this episode of the D-Tools What’s the Buzz podcast, Jason Knott and Tim Bigoness from D-Tools speak with Dan Ferrisi, Group Editor for Commercial Integrator and Security Sales & Integration, leading industry publications and websites, about the upcoming InfoComm 2024 trade show in Las Vegas. In addition to the exhibits at the Las Vegas Convention Center from June 12-14, there are educational sessions that start as early as June 8. There are several exciting special events planned, including a tour of the spectacular Sphere concert venue. D-Tools will be at the show at booth C8257 showcasing its System Integrator V21 on premises software, and demoing its award-winning D-Tools Cloud software at InfoComm for the first time. In the podcast, Ferrisi shares his insights on the opportunities and challenges facing integrators, the trends in experiential and immersive applications, and the convergence with security. One emerging integrator opportunity is in the physical security space. Ferrisi is moderating a panel session with top integrators who have moved into security. The session will explore the pros and cons of AV specialists branching out into security, and the potential entry points and niches. The session, titled “Emerging Integrator Opportunities in the Physical-Security Space,” takes place on Thursday, June 13 at 8:30 a.m. One other session Ferrisi recommends is on autism in AV. “We all hear a lot about DEI these days, inclusivity, belonging and things like that. Rob Voorhees from Exertis Almo is going to be doing a session on autism and AV and that's going to underscore the idea of inclusivity and belonging from a neurodivergence point of view, making sure that you have a nurturing environment,” he says. Other key pertinent areas that integrators should explore at the show are experiential signage, spatial sound and business process automation software. Lastly, InfoComm 2024 is a chance for everyone in the AV Tweeps community to reconnect and meet with their industry friends, peers and partners at the show. You can subscribe to listen to the D-Tools What’s the Buzz podcast on Spotify, Apple and other platforms, or subscribe to watch the podcast on YouTube.…

Welcome everyone! We are so excited to start the D-Tools ’ “What’s the Buzz?” podcast and take you along on this adventure with us. Co-hosts Jason Knott, data solutions architect & evangelist at D-Tools, and Tim Bigoness, Chief Marketing Officer, at D-Tools, have a combined over 50 years serving the integration industry. They have lots of information to share and lots of industry friends with even better stories to tell. The electronic integration industry is very unique. Therre is a great commonality among everyone involved in it… and that common element is unadulterated passion. Integrators, manufacturers, distributors and reps all have an ardent devotion to this industry that was created and nurtured by each individual in a totally interesting way. We wanted to create a platform to share some of those adventures and let everyone hear these individual stories. Unfortunately, everyone in this close-knit industry only gets to see each other face to face one, two, or maybe three times per year if we are lucky, yet for so many of us we pick up right where we left off because of our friendships. Those gaps between conversations are just too few and far between, so ultimately I guess you could say that Jason and Tim really want to hang out with their friends more often! At the same time we thought… who wouldn’t want to hang out more with Tim and Jason? The What’s the Buzz podcast is our chance to share some valuable insights that we are able to glean from our aggregated data in D-Tools. This information can be vital to help everyone who is listening run their businesses better. We plan to discuss sales, operations, employee management, project management, profits, service and more. After all, helping you run your businesses better is the mission of D-Tools software. We not only plan to talk about the latest buzz in the industry, but create some buzz too. If you want to join us, let us know. Make sure to hit the subscribe button in Spotify or Apple so you don’t miss a single episode.…

In this first-ever D-Tools "What's the Buzz" podcast, Tim Bigoness and Jason Knott of D-Tools run through the best practices for establishing a profitable and well-run service department for an integration company. Recently, D-Tools collaborated with OneVision Resources , the industry’s leading provider of service solutions for integrators, on a special report on the keys to success for a service department. To dig into the dos and don’ts of service and give everyone a bit of sneak preview of the special report, Joey Kolchinsky, founder and CEO of OneVision Resources, and Jason Griffing, Director of Product with OneVision, joined Tim and Jason as guests on the What's the Buzz podcast. A very successful integrator once said: “Anybody can do an installation of residential or commercial electronics, but not everybody can service that system afterwards.” He, like many other integrators, sees service as his company’s major differentiator in the market. The benefits of quality ongoing service are numerous. It paves the way for future upgrades at the same location with those customers because you are in touch with them. It opens the door for additional future projects with those customers at a different location such as their new home, a second home or office. It produces more chance of getting referrals from those customers to their friends. It brings much-needed cashflow to the company in the form of service contracts It adds long-term value to the integration company that has an exit strategy. In the podcast, Kolchinsky and Griffing of OneVision Resources discuss how and why OneVison was founded, and then outline important service department elements such as how to set up tiered service plans, how to price them appropriately, and how to staff them. If you are looking for ways to either establish or improve your service department profitability, this podcast is a must-listen-to event.…