Gear or Infrastructure? Where to Invest Your Funds on a New Install

Many of our clients struggle with where to invest their funds on a new project. It always comes down to deciding whether to spend funds on a scoreboard’s infrastructure or its gear. Ideally, you’d be able to spend an equal amount on both the structure and the technology, but there usually has to be some give and take.

Here are a few things to consider when deciding where to spend your funds:

• Integration labor costs less on new scoreboard construction than what remodel labor would cost.
• It takes less time to install cabling on new construction. Less time = less money.
• Make a list of required gear vs. wanted gear to prioritize your needs.
• Make a list of equipment you don’t need immediately but you could budget for in the future.
• Realize that infrastructure isn’t sexy but it is necessary for long-term success.
• Go through the management of the scoreboard system (who/when/where/how? Central vs. decentralized).
• It is easier to build for future infrastructure while the walls and ceiling are open during construction than once the remodel is finished.
• Realize the difference between cable labor and gear labor—although they seem similar, understanding how they differentiate is essential for successful budgeting and planning.
• Is there enough electrical infrastructure to support your board’s technology infrastructure?

Hopefully, some of these tips will help you and your team decide if you need to keep, add, or subtract infrastructure or gear to achieve your short-term and long-term goals. Planning ahead will help keep perspective of cost in regards to the complete project when making these decisions. 

A good rule of thumb for a scoreboard with minimum technology is 7-12% of the entire project, or for maximum technology, closer to 13-20% of the total project. These numbers may seem high at first, but remember, in modern times, technology isn’t an accessory, but essential to the organization’s existence and growth. Stay brand agnostic but solution-based and you will come out a winner every time.