6 Pop Songs Great for Audio Demos
Worst DIY Installs Ever Part 7
10 Must-Have Products for Your Next Install
6 Amazing High-End Home Theaters
Print
Email
Comments (0)
Share
Firefly Design Group: Intelligent Design
In a tough economy, more integrators are outsourcing engineering, documentation and design to companies to increase profitability.
Ron Callis of Firefly Design Group, seen here, recommends integrators charge 5 percent to 10 percent of a job’s gross revenue for engineering, design and documentation services.
"For a job that costs over a certain amount, the integrator will have our company do the design work," he explains.
Firefly bills its services against a retainer. This allows the integrator to determine how much business to send to Firefly.
Callis sets a good guideline for dealers. He suggests charging engineering fees between 5 percent and 10 percent of the gross project value.
Firefly's costs typically run between 3 percent and 6 percent of the overall job cost. Dealers can mark up those outsourced services however high they want.
Callis does make the point that in order for an integration company to charge customers a line item for design, engineering and documentation services, it actually has to provide those services.
If a company does not legitimately engineer and design the system, it should not charge the customer.
"The dealer must believe their engineering, documentation and processes are of the highest caliber in order to successfully look his customer in the eye and tell them why he charges for those services," Callis says.
Firefly's client base is currently in South Florida, the Caribbean and Las Vegas. It is expanding into New York and London. It is also expanding its business in a few other ways.
One of the ways the company is expanding is by the institution of a new training component. Firefly will be bringing in a special trainer to teach courses to integration companies.
Courses are already underway or being planned.
The company will also be releasing its Project Intake documentation as a separate product available to all. Callis calls the documentation a "system for gathering information."
"It is a great way to formalize a sales meeting," he says. Firefly has training available for the product.
Callis believes the Project Intake tool will help integrators focus on pricing.
"What should determine price is the scope of work," he says, "including what you want the system to do and what products you will use."
Donna Englander is a Massachusetts-based freelance writer.
Firefly bills its services against a retainer. This allows the integrator to determine how much business to send to Firefly.
Callis sets a good guideline for dealers. He suggests charging engineering fees between 5 percent and 10 percent of the gross project value.
Firefly's costs typically run between 3 percent and 6 percent of the overall job cost. Dealers can mark up those outsourced services however high they want.
Callis does make the point that in order for an integration company to charge customers a line item for design, engineering and documentation services, it actually has to provide those services.
If a company does not legitimately engineer and design the system, it should not charge the customer.
"The dealer must believe their engineering, documentation and processes are of the highest caliber in order to successfully look his customer in the eye and tell them why he charges for those services," Callis says.
Expanding the Company
Firefly's client base is currently in South Florida, the Caribbean and Las Vegas. It is expanding into New York and London. It is also expanding its business in a few other ways.
One of the ways the company is expanding is by the institution of a new training component. Firefly will be bringing in a special trainer to teach courses to integration companies.
Courses are already underway or being planned.
The company will also be releasing its Project Intake documentation as a separate product available to all. Callis calls the documentation a "system for gathering information."
"It is a great way to formalize a sales meeting," he says. Firefly has training available for the product.
Callis believes the Project Intake tool will help integrators focus on pricing.
"What should determine price is the scope of work," he says, "including what you want the system to do and what products you will use."
Donna Englander is a Massachusetts-based freelance writer.
Post a comment