QA Graphics recently spoke with a long-time client who has partnered with them for eight years. The discussion centered on the client’s choice to outsource additional building automation floor plan and system graphics tasks as their business expanded. Interestingly, this was not a small contractor seeking assistance due to a lack of resources. They were already a substantially sized controls system integrator when they initially approached QA Graphics.
Although this narrative highlights a single client, the scenario is quite common. QA Graphics has observed a comparable trajectory with numerous controls integrators they assist. As a business expands, project loads rise, and client demands evolve, controls technicians often get drawn into graphics tasks that pull them away from programming, startup, service, and customer care. Companies attempt to establish internal standards, but maintaining them proves difficult when responsibilities are divided between in-house personnel and various external vendors. Eventually, the challenge shifts from whether the integrator has the capability to do the work to whether their process is scalable.
This particular client operated in a fiercely competitive market within the Southeast United States and was experiencing substantial expansion. Being part of a broader corporation that offered mechanical and related building services, they were starting to target larger prospects. This expansion brought fresh pressures on their controls staff, project managers, and their methodology for delivering BAS floor plans, system graphics, and user interface standards to their clientele.
When the Initial Process Stops Working
Similar to many controls integrators, this company’s technicians were generating system graphics as a routine part of their duties. These techs were already tasked with controls, programming, startup, and addressing customer requirements, yet completing graphics concurrently was also an expectation.
For floor plans, they utilized a blended strategy. An internal employee managed some of the workload on a part-time basis, while other assignments were outsourced to small, independent contractors. They had previously engaged QA Graphics for a handful of floor plan jobs, including one substantial project, and were satisfied with the outcomes.
For a time, this hybrid approach functioned adequately. However, as the enterprise expanded and the number of projects grew, flaws began to emerge. Client expectations shifted, with requests for more intricate building automation floor plans and an increasing desire for 3D BAS layouts. More extensive projects necessitated heightened consistency, improved coordination, and superior visual standards. The independent contractors struggled to maintain pace with the workload, making turnaround times challenging to control. Because the internal staff member was only part-time, the ultimate deliverable fluctuated based on who executed the task.
The core problem was not a lack of effort. The issue was a lack of scale.
The Challenge of Unmanaged Standards
The client had attempted to implement a standard for their 3D floor plans, but it lacked consistent management across the various contributors. Output from the internal employee frequently differed from the work submitted by external vendors. Every individual applied their own style, workflow, and interpretation to the final design.
As the company continued its upward trajectory, this inconsistency generated complications. Newly hired project managers or controls technicians were not consistently provided with a definitive standard to follow. Furthermore, when a client anticipated a specific aesthetic or level of detail, the final product could fluctuate depending on the assigned resource. They required more than mere assistance with overflow tasks. They needed a dependable, repeatable workflow for outsourced floor plan services tailored to system integrators.
Overcoming Assumptions About QA Graphics
The client was familiar with QA Graphics, having collaborated previously and appreciated the results. Nevertheless, they harbored an assumption frequently encountered by QA Graphics over the years. They presumed that because QA Graphics possessed a sizable in-house team, the firm might solely focus on large-scale opportunities. They also questioned whether QA Graphics would be more costly than the independent contractors they currently employed.
QA Graphics understands this apprehension, but their floor plan operations function differently. Floor plan services rely heavily on volume, with small and mid-sized assignments constituting a substantial portion of their workload. QA Graphics is not exclusively structured for massive, singular projects; rather, they are designed to manage a consistent stream of work across diverse clients, platforms, and facility types.
Cost was similarly not a barrier. Although QA Graphics operates on a larger scale than many outsourcing alternatives, this scale provides distinct benefits. Over the past two decades, they have cultivated internal tools, production methodologies, standards, and training programs that facilitate highly efficient workflows. Their base in Iowa further enables them to maintain competitive pricing relative to many other regions in the country.
Ultimately, the client recognized that a more substantial team was not a drawback. It was a vital component of the solution. They required a collaborator capable of supporting minor tasks, expansive projects, and increasing workloads without compromising on uniformity.
Establishing the Floor Plan Standard
During a partnership meeting with QA Graphics, the client detailed their existing predicament. The initial phase involved evaluating previously finished work. QA Graphics requested to see an assortment of floor plan projects generated both internally and by various external vendors. It quickly became apparent that while standards had been proposed, they were not effectively implemented. The construction of the floor plans, the presentation of data, and the visual appearance of the final product exhibited too many discrepancies from one project to the next.
Collaboratively, QA Graphics assisted the client in developing a repeatable template to function as the foundation for the majority of their tasks. The objective was not to completely redesign every assignment, but to establish a dependable base standard for 2D and 3D floor plans that could accommodate approximately 90 percent of their clients’ requirements. This standard introduced uniformity to both the user interface and the specific floor plan elements. Components such as zoning hues, ductwork, sensors, and other crucial floor plan characteristics were managed with greater predictability.
Instead of tackling each project differently based on the assigned personnel, the integrator now possessed a definitive foundation that could be repeatedly deployed. That was a major turning point. The focus shifted from merely completing floor plans to forging a building automation floor plan standard capable of scaling alongside their expansion.
Experiencing the Immediate Impact
Following the client’s approval of the standard, QA Graphics assumed responsibility for their high-volume floor plan requirements. According to the client, this transition yielded an instantaneous improvement. Their controls technicians felt confident that the floor plan aspect of their projects was professionally managed. The work no longer required haphazard internal assembly or coordinating with multiple busy external contractors.
Swift turnaround times emerged as a significant benefit for their staff. To accommodate their surging project load, they needed floor plans executed rapidly, but without any loss of quality or uniformity. Partnering with a dedicated production firm allowed them to maintain project momentum, eliminating delays caused by strained internal staff or overwhelmed independent vendors.
The newly established standard proved advantageous for their internal personnel as well. When onboarding a new project manager or controls technician, the company could present a uniform product, outline the procedure, and consistently supply the same caliber of finished floor plan across all projects.
During the initial 18 months, the collaboration concentrated almost exclusively on floor plan services. The client was highly satisfied with the outcomes, and the streamlined process equipped them with a more reliable and agile method for managing their escalating project demands. This foundation of trust eventually paved the way for further discussions.
Broadening the Scope to System Graphics
The client was preparing for an extensive school system project and required assistance with system graphics. The scope was too massive to be managed solely by their internal team. QA Graphics maintains an experienced system graphics department and applies many of the same core principles used in their floor plans to their building automation system graphics. They prioritize establishing a standard, defining the UI trajectory, and building from a uniform foundation. This standard is then utilized to facilitate the actual project execution.
Historically for this client, system graphics were a duty expected of the controls technicians as part of their standard workflow. While this practice is widespread in the industry, relying on controls technicians for graphics can lead to bottlenecks when project demands escalate or when clients demand a more refined user experience. Consequently, QA Graphics ensured one crucial point was explicitly understood. They were not stepping in to replace the client’s technicians. They were there to work alongside them.
Once the benchmark for the system graphics was set, the inaugural project commenced. The QA Graphics team collaborated directly with the client’s controls technicians, utilizing a secure VPN connection to access the system and execute the graphics work jointly. The endeavor was a success. This initial system graphics assignment facilitated the expansion of their partnership beyond mere floor plans, serving as a prime illustration of how an external partner can support system graphics for controls integrators without usurping control from the internal staff.
Operating as a Support Partner, Not a Competitor
Trust formed another critical pillar of their relationship. QA Graphics does not operate as a controls contractor, system integrator, mechanical contractor, or an on-site engineering entity. They avoid competing with their clients for controls projects, programming, installation, service contracts, or owner relationships. That matters.
When a system integrator provides QA Graphics with project details, standards, databases, floor plans, or graphics requirements, they are collaborating with a supportive partner rather than a future competitor. QA Graphics’ objective is to assist the client’s team in producing a better and more uniform deliverable, thereby allowing the client’s personnel to concentrate on controls execution, client coordination, startup procedures, and long-term service.
For this particular client, this dynamic facilitated a smoother expansion of the partnership, as QA Graphics was clearly not attempting to take over their work. Instead, QA Graphics aided them in scaling the specific operational areas that were causing bottlenecks. This non-competitive stance is a primary reason QA Graphics serves as a strong support partner for system integrators.
Eight Years Later
Presently, after eight years of collaboration, QA Graphics manages 100 percent of this client’s floor plan services. They also frequently collaborate alongside the client’s team on system graphics assignments. Furthermore, the integrator utilizes both of QA Graphics’ symbol collections, specifically the V5 Symbol Library and the Vector Symbol Library. The client has additionally acquired numerous 3D HVAC equipment models from QA Graphics to support their projects. What began as a few modest floor plan jobs has evolved into an enduring relationship founded on consistency, capacity, rapid turnaround times, and trust.
The Broader Takeaway
The trajectory of this client perfectly illustrates the challenges encountered by many expanding controls integrators. At a certain point, attempting to execute everything in-house or depending on a few minor external resources becomes difficult to manage. Such an approach might suffice when volume is low, but as opportunities grow in scale and customer expectations intensify, the operational process needs to mature.
BAS graphics outsourcing is not always about replacing internal staff. In many cases, it is about supporting them. Controls technicians ought to direct their attention toward controls, programming, startup, troubleshooting, and customer relationships. Project managers require a consistent deliverable they can show and repeat. Customers should receive a polished product that looks like it originated from a singular standard process, not several different sources.
That is exactly where QA Graphics fits best. They are not trying to replace or compete with a controls team. They are there to work alongside them, help them scale, and make sure the graphics and floor plan side of the work is handled consistently. QA Graphics takes pride in their output, but they are even more proud of the enduring relationships they build. After eight years, they are happy to continue being a quiet part of this client’s team.
