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Why installation and commissioning should come with the equipment
By Kennedy Ougo, Senior ICT Consultant 1 min read
Equipment delivered in boxes is not a working system. Installation, configuration and testing are where value is created — or lost.
It is tempting to buy equipment from the cheapest supplier and arrange installation separately. Often the savings disappear in the gap between the two.
What goes wrong
- Equipment arrives in the wrong specification for the site.
- Nobody owns configuration, so devices run on defaults.
- Faults are blamed on the installation, the installation is blamed on the equipment.
- Warranty claims stall because the installer and supplier differ.
What commissioning means
Commissioning is the step that proves the system works as intended: devices configured, connected, tested together and documented. It should end with a test record and handover documents.
Buy outcomes, not boxes
Specify the result you need — "an office network with these outlets and Wi-Fi coverage, tested and documented" — and let the supplier be responsible for both equipment and installation.
Keep the paperwork
Ask for serial numbers, warranty details, configurations and test results at handover, and add them to your asset register.
See our ICT supply and installation services.
About the author
Kennedy Ougo
Senior ICT Consultant
Kennedy Ougo writes about ICT project delivery, equipment deployment and intelligent transport systems.