IT, Network, AV & Conference Rooms
The office is not open if people cannot connect and meet — and installed is not the same as working.
IT, Network, AV & Conference Rooms
What this is
Everything that lets people connect and meet: the internet circuit, Wi-Fi, wired network, the network closet, cabling and power, monitors, printers, and the conference-room audio/visual (AV) — cameras, microphones, speakers, displays, and booking.
Why it matters
This is the workstream most likely to look finished and not be. A room can be fully installed and still fail a real video call. So the standard isn’t “installed” — it’s tested the way an employee will use it, before opening day, not on it.
Who owns it
The IT lead and/or AV vendor do the work; the workplace lead owns the schedule, the testing, and making sure there’s support on opening morning.
First 48-hour questions
- Is the internet circuit live (or what’s its lead time)? This is often the longest pole.
- Are WAPs, cabling, power, and the network closet ready?
- Which conference rooms must work on day one?
- Who tests Wi-Fi, video calls, screens, microphones, speakers, and printers?
What to confirm / set up
- Internet circuit confirmed live — not just ordered.
- Wi-Fi coverage (and guest Wi-Fi), wired network if used, and the network closet.
- Conference-room AV for priority rooms: camera, mic, speakers, screen share, booking display.
- IT vendor access and after-hours install windows; device storage, asset tagging, testing.
- A full test before opening, plus IT support staffed for opening morning.
Work the IT/AV Readiness Checklist and its conference-room test script room by room.
Opening-critical vs. can-wait
Opening-critical: working Wi-Fi, a live circuit, and your priority conference rooms passing a real call. Can wait: secondary rooms (post a “opens next week” sign), digital signage, room displays that aren’t essential, and nice-to-have integrations.
Common misses
- The internet circuit lead time is missed — order/confirm it first.
- Rooms look ready but fail real calls (audio echo, wrong camera, no screen-share cable).
- Furniture install blocks cabling access — sequence cabling before desks go in.
- No IT support during opening morning, when first-hour issues are guaranteed.
From open to great
Opening safely means a call connects. Great means people never think about the tech at all:
- Meeting rooms that delight — one-touch join, a camera and mic that just work, no fiddling before every call.
- Headroom, not just pass/fail — Wi-Fi coverage and bandwidth that hold up on a full, busy floor, not only on opening morning.
- Cabling for where you’ll grow — pull extra and wire for the screens and desks you’ll want later.
Decide early — you can’t easily undo it: cabling and AV infrastructure in the walls and ceilings. Run more than you need now. See Aim to Open Great.
Tools for this workstream
- IT/AV Readiness Checklist — the day-one standard + room test script.
- Opening Readiness Checklist — the final gate.
- Open-Item Tracker — log failed tests with a re-test date.
Terms you’ll hear
Access date (for vendor install windows) · Minimum Viable Opening.