Acquiring a sophisticated communications network is not like buying a radio at your local big-box retailer. It requires patience, preparation and perseverance on your end and exacting attention to detail on ours to make sure you get the best return on your two-way radio investment. Your network will have multiple components — radios, repeaters, cabling, headsets, antennas — that have to be special-ordered from multiple manufacturers, tested on our site, installed on your site and adjusted to iron out any unanticipated wrinkles. That process typically takes six to eight weeks. Here’s a look at each key step in the installation and deployment phase. Phase one: ordering the equipment With your order in hand, BearCom will work with our manufacturing partners and their engineering teams to develop a system and configure the equipment to your precise requirements. The partners will help us develop a network of equipment that forms the backbone of your system. Whether you have one site or several, we'll make sure you have the appropriate number of portables, mobiles, repeaters and base stations. While we’re waiting for the equipment to arrive, we can get started on installing and implementing your antenna system. At this point, we can test all of its various metrics including power levels, frequencies and coverage. BearCom will make sure your site complies with R56 standards so that all equipment, racks, antennas and other gear have proper grounding. If your site is not R56 compliant, we can do an audit and correct any problems. This ensures that the equipment will operate in the safest possible environment and limits the risks from lightning strikes, power surges and other electrical anomalies that could damage your equipment. We'll also make sure your facilities meet all the environmental requirements — be it power, air conditioning or other issues. Phase two: testing at our site Once we have the equipment in hand from the manufacturer, it goes to a staging area on our site. This is where you’ll have your first opportunity to see the system working in a controlled environment. Why not install immediately on your site? Keep in mind that every radio, repeater and base station must be programmed to communicate on specific frequencies. If you’re going digital and connecting your radio network to your IT infrastructure, that adds another level of complexity that has to be worked out. In our controlled staging area, we can program and run system tests, checking performance and capacity to ensure that the products live up to your expectations. We can do this efficiently in the familiar terrain of our staging area. It would take a lot longer (and cost you more) to do this phase at your site. Our goal is that when our installation crew arrives at your site, the operation will be pretty much plug-and-play. Phase three: installation at your site Once you’ve had a chance to examine our network in the staging area, you sign off on an initial FATP, or functional acceptance test plan, which means that the system is functioning as you specified. We then will box it up, ship it to your site and begin the installation. After our technicians have installed the equipment, we’ll also confirm that we are providing all the coverage, capacity, applications and performance you need. To get to that point, BearCom will perform another round of tests to make sure everything’s working and create a punch list items of any issues or discrepancies that arise. Then we'll come back to you and point out any remaining details that have to be worked out. The next step is to either accept the system as installed or give us the opportunity to correct any places where we’re not meeting your needs. Finally, we do a full system ATP, or acceptance test plan, which is where you sign off on the final system. Next up: Extended warranties and service plans