Focused Vision Logo
Contact

Standardising Meeting Room AV Systems for Three Regional Councils

Case Study:

Standardising Meeting Room AV Systems

for Three Regional Councils

Strata Service Solutions, in collaboration with three regional councils in Southwest England, successfully implemented a standardised audiovisual (AV) solution across the councils’ meeting rooms. Partnering with Focused Vision, they addressed challenges posed by outdated or absent AV equipment by integrating Barco ClickShare for wireless connectivity, NEC LED displays, and tailored conferencing hardware achieving a seamless meeting experience across the sites.

Background

Strata Service Solutions oversees technology infrastructure for three regional councils in Southwest England, including a network of meeting rooms. These rooms, ranging in capacity suffered from inconsistent AV setups. Some rooms had outdated equipment, while others lacked any AV capabilities, leading to technical difficulties, inconsistent meeting experiences, and high levels of support requests. To improve efficiency and user experience, Strata Service Solutions sought to deploy a standardised AV solution that would be easy to use, scalable, and supportive of modern meeting room needs.

Close up of Barco ClickShare CX-30 with NEC LED display. Office meeting room with large display screen, laptop, coffee machine, and professional workspace setup.
Close up of Barco ClickShare CX-30 with NEC LED display.
Office meeting room with large display screen, laptop, coffee machine, and professional workspace setup.

Objectives
The project focused on achieving the following goals:

  • User Experience: Provide a uniform AV setup across all meeting rooms to simplify use for staff.
  • Scalability: Implement a solution that could be applied across multiple sites and room sizes.
  • BYOD Compatibility: Enable staff to connect personal devices effortlessly for flexible collaboration.
  • Reduced IT Support Needs: Minimise technical issues to decrease reliance on IT help desk support.
  • Enhanced Meeting Quality: Equip rooms with high-quality displays and audio-visual tools to improve communication.

 

Implementation Approach

Strata Service Solutions partnered with Focused Vision to design and deploy the AV solution, following a structured approach to ensure success.

Phase 1: Needs Assessment
Focused Vision conducted a detailed evaluation of the councils’ meeting rooms, assessing layouts and existing equipment. They collaborated with IT staff and council users to identify requirements, emphasising the need for a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) solution and consistent functionality.

Phase 2: Technology Selection
Focused Vision selected industry-leading technologies to create a reliable and cohesive system:

  • Barco ClickShare CX-30: A wireless presentation and conferencing system that supports BYOD, allowing users to share content and join calls from their own devices.
  • NEC LED Displays: High-resolution screens chosen for their clarity, reliability and adaptability to various room sizes.
  • Conferencing Equipment: Huddly cameras, BOSE speakers, and Nureva microphones, customised to suit the acoustic and spatial needs of each room.

The solution was designed to ensure uniformity across all rooms, streamlining the user experience.

Phase 3: Proof of Concept
This phase took a deep dive into the technology alongside manufacturer demonstrations and allowed the team to address issues, such as optimising audio settings and simplifying device connections, ensuring readiness for the broader implementation.

Phase 4: Deployment and Training
The AV solution was installed in all designated meeting rooms across the three councils. Focused Vision project managed the installation to ensure consistency and to support adoption along with training.

Outcomes
The standardised AV system delivered significant improvements:

  • Uniform Experience: users reported satisfaction with the consistent, intuitive setup across all rooms.
  • Reduced IT Workload: AV-related support requests decreased, allowing IT staff to focus on other priorities.
  • Efficient Meetings: Setup times for presentations and video calls were significantly reduced, improving productivity.
  • Scalable Solution: The system was successfully deployed across all designated meeting rooms, with flexibility for future expansion.
  • Improved Collaboration: Enhanced audio and visuals increased virtual meeting participation supporting hybrid work environments.

 

Conclusion:

Through collaboration with Focused Vision, Strata Service Solutions transformed the meeting room experience for three councils in the Southwest of England. The standardised AV system improved efficiency, reduced technical issues, and enhanced collaboration, demonstrating the value of thoughtful technology integration.