Project Phase Visualiser.
Pick a project profile and see the realistic Gantt-style timeline across our 7-stage delivery methodology — first conversation through brief, design, procurement, installation, commissioning and AMC.
- Stages
- 7
- Cinema build
- ≈ 16 wks
- Status cadence
- Fortnightly
- Locked at
- Stage 3
— Project methodology · 7 stages
From first conversation to AMC.
Pick a project profile and see the realistic timeline across our 7-stage delivery methodology. Hover any stage for the documented deliverables at that gate.
Hover any stage for documented deliverables and timing.
Indicative timeline; we do not promise faster than the work allows. Specific projects may compress or extend each stage based on architect coordination, civil schedule and procurement lead times — every brief gets a written project schedule before contract.
· Engineering advisory · Phase Visualiser
What the timeline tells you about delivery risk.
The seven-stage Gantt is the visible artefact; the four notes below frame what the timeline predicts about float, lead-time exposure, commissioning windows and the points where decisions get expensive.
Deployment observations
- The brief-and-design stages are the cheapest to extend and the most expensive to compress — an extra week at brief avoids a four-week re-spec at procurement. The visualiser shows realistic spans; squeezing stage 1 invites scope creep into stages 5-7 where the cost differential is 8-10x.
- Procurement lead-times are the dominant risk variable on premium-spec projects. European audio, fine-pitch LED tiles, addressable fire panels and rack-grade UPS all carry 12-18 week lead times — order long-lead items in parallel with design, not after design freeze.
- Commissioning windows are dictated by the surrounding building programme, not the AV/ELV programme. The visualiser shows a clean two-week commissioning slot; the reality is two weeks of access against a contractor schedule that re-prioritises every Monday.
Commissioning discipline
- Commissioning is not a fixed-duration event — it is iterative against the building's other trades. Allow contingency: a two-week stage 6 estimate becomes three weeks on every project above mid-complexity. The visualiser shows the optimistic case.
Operational notes
- The fortnightly status cadence is the operational discipline that catches drift early. Specify the cadence in the contract; without it, the project drifts to a monthly cadence by week four and a quarterly cadence by week twelve.
- Handover and training is stage 7, but it begins at stage 4 (installation) for any building with a non-trivial operations team. Operations should walk the racks during installation, not first encounter them on training day.
Lifecycle implications
- Stage 3 (design freeze) is the lock — changes after stage 3 cost money, time and trust. The visualiser highlights stage 3 as the decision moment; client governance should be timed against it, not deferred to commissioning.
- The AMC contract is structured during stage 6-7, not after handover — by then the operating context is fresh and the engineering team is on-site. Drafting AMC scope post-handover means re-discovering the building from documentation.
· Why it matters
A premium home cinema runs about sixteen weeks across the seven stages — three for brief and design, six for procurement (most kit is European, some has a real lead time), four for installation against the architect's programme, two for calibration and commissioning, and one for handover and training. A commercial network rolls out faster but with tighter overlap. Knowing where the float is — and where it isn't — is what separates a project from a wish.
· Frequently asked
The seven stages —
what people ask first.
What are the seven stages?
First conversation, written brief, schematic and detailed design, procurement, installation, commissioning and AMC. Each has named deliverables and a sign-off; no stage starts until the previous one is closed in writing.
Can stages run in parallel?
Procurement and installation overlap by design — long-lead European kit is ordered the day the design is signed. Design and brief never overlap; commissioning and installation never overlap. The visualiser shows what is concurrent and what is strictly sequential.
Where do most projects slip?
Stage 4 (procurement) for import-duty and shipping variance, and stage 5 (installation) when civil works are not ready on the date we were told. We track both with a fortnightly written status; surprises are rare, but they exist.
Is the timeline binding?
The visualiser shows realistic ranges, not a contract. The actual programme is locked at stage 3 (detailed design) against the architect's master schedule. Once locked, we hold the dates we sign.
What if the brief changes mid-project?
Change requests are written, priced and signed before they land in the build. Small scope changes (add two cameras, swap an AP model) absorb into the schedule; structural changes (add a new system, change platform) reset the affected stage.
· Begin
Need a delivery plan
for your project?
Send the project profile, the architect's programme and the target handover date. We will write back with a phased plan within two working days.