By Rob Pries

Hi, I’m Rob Pries from the TLA Controls Department and I’m here to talk about how you can partner with CONNECT SOLUTIONS GROUP —or CSG— to ensure a seamless installation experience on your next project featuring Acuity Brands products.

Connect Solutions Group and The Lighting Agency are excited to present Preprogrammed Lighting Control Systems, custom built and assembled for your specific project

Read on to learn about the CONNECT Solutions Group and what they do.

Connect Solutions Group

Connect Solutions Group is a Denver-based team of highly skilled and trained lighting controls experts that provide a seamless, “concierge level” experiences for projects featuring Acuity Brands products, including the following “six-steps-to-success” services protocol:

1. Receive and inspect your shipment at the CSG Warehouse
2. Confirm Controls Sequence of Operation
3. Test and Program each room
4. Generate “Shop Drawings” and provide “Record Drawings” with device ID Bar-Codes with pre-programmed materials
5. Package & “Kit” by room & location
6. Ship to your job site or office

Six Steps to Success

What’s included in each of the Pre-programmed Lighting Solutions “six-steps-to-success?”

Step 1 – After the Submittal is approved, the Lighting Control Materials will ship from Acuity, directly to Connect Solutions Group’s warehouse where it will be received and fully inspected and inventoried. Any missing or damaged material will be corrected immediately.

Step 2 – To ensure proper operation, the Lighting Control Sequence of Operation will be confirmed through the Contract Documents, and if not clearly specified, a Pre-Con meeting will be scheduled with willing and applicable parties—End User, Design Team, and Contractors. This will also provide testing criteria for the CX agent.

Step 3 – Each Room or Area will be preprogrammed based on the approved Sequence of Operation. All devices will be bench tested for functionality. A pdf file will be marked up with Device ID sticker to denote exactly where a given component needs to be installed.

Step 4 – Shop Drawings are updated to reflect device addresses, Bluebeam Studio File Created and shared as well as Color.pdf Drawings. A software database file is loaded into system and saved for future reference including provisions for providing device replacements.

Step 5 – The Devices will be packaged, marked and kitted based on Room or Area; for example, all the devices in Classroom 101 will be marked and packaged together.

Step 6 – All Shipments go directly to the job site or Contractors Office per direction, using Quicksilver Couriers. Using the latest in GPS vehicle tracking and proof of delivery, we can ensure that the project will stay on-track and provide excellent communications with all involved.

Who benefits from using the Connect Solutions Group

There are many people who benefit from this collaborative process:

• Designers!
• Contractors!
• Distributors!
• End Users!

DESIGNING MADE EASY

• A System as Envisioned – with upfront collaboration on exactly how the Sequence of Operation should be implemented, the system will be deployed just as intended.

SLAM DUNK FOR THE EC

• Installation made EASY – with all the product being packaged and labeled on exactly where it goes, site installation errors can be minimized. Simply pull the product out, reference the Device ID drawings, and install as shown.
• Minimal defective product returns, no 11^th hour defective returns prior to project turnover.
• Cx Agents and Inspectors can be provided with an “as-programmed” checklist before any material gets installed.
• Preconfigured As-Built “Record Drawings” – with each device ID already located on submittal layout drawings

FOR THE DISTRIBUTOR

• No Need to inventory product, and any incorrectly shipped product will be handled by CSG/The Lighting Agency direct with the factory.
• Minimal defective product returns – with all devices being bench tested, any device deemed defective on arrival will be returned and replaced before it ever hits the site.

HOW THE END USER WINS

• By alleviating nearly all the “pitfalls” which might come with Lighting Control implementation, End Users will receive a fully functioning system optimized for energy savings.
• System Maintenance – with each device ID tracked and recorded, any potential warranty replacements can also be preprogrammed given the known programming database.

Want to learn more?  Contact your TLA Sales Rep or shoot me an email at rpries@thelightingagency.com.

Thanks for joining me today on the TLA Spotlight Blog and look forward to hearing from you!

PS We’re back in the office on a limited schedule.  Email your TLA Sales Rep, or send us an email at  getinfo@thelightingagency.com to make an appointment to see us in person.

We want to hear from you!  Do you have questions about upcoming events, or have an event that you’re hosting that we should know about? Email information to Dawn at  dwebber@thelightingagency.com.

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The Lighting Agency is a local construction allied company representing the premier lighting and controls manufacturers for Colorado and Southern Wyoming. We strive to be an integral part of the design process through our work with lighting specifiers, contractors, suppliers, and owners to create brilliant yet budget-sensitive results for projects big and small.