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Creating an AV Standard for Your Organisation: Where to Start

As organisations grow, workplace technology can quickly become inconsistent. Different meeting rooms may have different equipment, user experiences and connection methods, while individual offices or sites may operate with entirely different systems.

Over time, this can make technology harder to use, more difficult to support and increasingly expensive to maintain.

Establishing an Audio Visual (AV) standard is one way to address these challenges. By creating a consistent approach to how technology is selected, designed and deployed, organisations can simplify the user experience, improve reliability and make future upgrades easier to manage.

But where should you start?

  1. Understand Your Current AV Environment

Before deciding what your AV standard should look like, it’s important to understand what you already have.

Start by reviewing your existing meeting rooms, collaboration spaces, presentation areas and other technology-enabled environments. Consider the equipment in use, how each space is configured and whether there are any recurring issues or support challenges.

For organisations with multiple locations, this assessment can also highlight inconsistencies between sites and identify opportunities to consolidate equipment or standardise configurations.

Having a clear picture of your current environment provides a useful foundation for making informed decisions about what needs to change and what can be retained.

  1. Define Your Room Types and Requirements

Not every space needs the same technology. A small meeting room used for video calls will have different requirements from a large boardroom, training room or flexible collaboration space.

Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, consider grouping spaces into standard room types based on their size, purpose and typical use.

For example, an organisation might establish a set of core room categories:

  • Small meeting rooms: Simple video conferencing and content sharing for smaller groups.
  • Medium meeting rooms: Integrated audio, video and collaboration technology for everyday team meetings.
  • Large meeting rooms and boardrooms: More advanced microphone, speaker and camera systems to support larger groups and presentations.
  • Training and flexible spaces: Adaptable technology that supports different layouts, activities and presentation requirements.

Defining these categories helps establish a repeatable approach to room design while allowing for specific requirements where needed.

  1. Establish Approved Technology and Platforms

Once your room types are defined, the next step is to identify the technology and platforms that will form the basis of your standard.

This might include preferred video conferencing platforms, room control systems, displays, cameras, microphones, speakers and content-sharing solutions.

Consider how these technologies work together and whether they align with your organisation’s existing IT environment.

For example, if Microsoft Teams is your primary collaboration platform, establishing a consistent Microsoft Teams Rooms experience can help users move between meeting spaces without having to learn different systems.

Selecting a preferred range of compatible products and technologies also makes procurement, installation, support and future maintenance more straightforward.

The aim isn’t necessarily to use the same equipment in every room, but to establish a consistent and supported technology ecosystem.

  1. Think About the User Experience

A successful AV standard should make technology easier to use, not simply easier to purchase.

Consider what someone should expect when they walk into any meeting room across your organisation. Are the connection methods familiar? Are the controls intuitive? Can users join a meeting or share content without needing assistance?

Consistency in room layouts, control interfaces, connection options and user instructions can make a significant difference to the everyday experience.

It’s also worth involving employees and regular room users in the process. Understanding how people use different spaces can help ensure your standard reflects actual workplace requirements.

  1. Plan for Management and the Future

An AV standard shouldn’t stop at installation. Ongoing management, support and lifecycle planning are equally important.

Consider how systems will be monitored, maintained and updated over time. Where possible, selecting technologies that support remote monitoring and centralised management can help IT and support teams maintain visibility across multiple rooms and locations.

It’s also worth documenting your standard, including approved equipment, room configurations, installation requirements and support processes.

Having this information readily available makes it easier to maintain consistency as your organisation grows, new spaces are introduced and existing technology reaches the end of its lifecycle.

Start with a Plan, Not Just a Product List

Creating an AV standard is an opportunity to take a more strategic approach to workplace technology. It can reduce unnecessary complexity, improve the meeting room experience and provide a clearer framework for future investment.

The best place to start is with an understanding of your organisation’s current environment, how your spaces are used and what you want your technology to achieve.

At TenFour, we work with organisations to assess their existing AV environments, develop practical technology roadmaps and establish consistent solutions that support their people and business requirements.

Whether you’re standardising a single office or managing technology across multiple locations, having the right plan in place can make all the difference.

Thinking about creating or reviewing your organisation’s AV standard? Get in touch with the TenFour team to discuss where to start.