Considering Operations Center Spaces Pre-Construction

Like with any project, success comes from having a great understanding of what you want to accomplish. If you are building a new operations center, there are many variables that can make or break a successful implementation. Constant Technologies has extensive experience in mission critical space planning, technology furniture solutions and audio/visual integration. We can help to analyze and refine your requirements pre-construction to ensure that all the right elements come together, creating the best possible mission critical space.

SPACE DESIGN

Room size is an important component and there are many factors to consider. First, it’s best to think about how many operators need to work in the space and what role they will play. Are there engineers who may need a more private desking solution or maybe there are analysts who need a clear view to display technology for group collaboration. Do managers need space within the room or would it be better to have them in adjacent offices? Also, what type of equipment does each operator need at their console position? A console with eight 24” monitors will take up a larger footprint than one with two 19” monitors. There is also the equipment to be stored within the base cabinet, which needs to be analyzed both for fit and for proper ventilation. Constant’s team helps you to review all of these requirements and develop multiple design options to find how to best lay out your space. This is important to do in the early phases of the project to be sure that the space allocated to the operations center will be sufficient, when floor plans can still be adjusted.

OPERATOR COMFORT

Ergonomics are another factor of a well-designed operations center. Mission Critical operators often work long shifts and need to be comfortable to work at peak productivity. Constant analyzes display wall viewing angles to minimize strain on the operators. Sit/Stand solutions are also becoming a norm in the mission critical space. At Constant, we offer customized console and workstation solutions that allow for operator flexibility while maintaining the highest levels of ergonomics. Our sit-stand consoles enable operators to quickly and easily adjust from a seated configuration to standing, while maintaining sight lines to monitors and access to keyboards and other peripheral devices.

TOURS OF THE OPERATIONS CENTER

Visitors into the space are also something to think about in advance. Tours can be an important part of an operations center and even function as a corporate sales tool for securing new clients. It may be disruptive to the operators in the space to have tours run through the room; a viewing area outside the room or an adjacent conference room with a glass wall can be a great solution.

COLLABORATIVE SPACE

Conferencing space can be important for tours but is also vital for the staff of the control room. Conferencing space may be adjacent to the room or there may need to be huddle spaces within the actual operations center for staff collaboration. Constant offers a wide range of customized conferencing solutions, taking into account all important functionality necessary to the operation. We can also integrate receptacles for power/voice/data into your conference room furniture to connect efficiently to the resources of your operations center. There are also options for sit/stand collaboration tables which can be very useful within an operations center environment.

DISPLAY WALL REQUIREMENTS

Mission critical operators must be able to easily monitor and interpret multiple sources of information, making decisions that can impact an entire organization. When starting the process for a new operations center, Constant analyzes the clients display wall applications and operational requirements along with available display wall real estate and operator viewing angles so that we select the appropriate display technology for your command center. We offer a wide range of display options such as LED, LCD, Rear Projection and 4K as well as video wall processing solutions to help you best utilize your video wall content.

SOURCE ROUTING AND CONTROL

A thorough analysis of your display wall sources may be the most important aspect of building your A/V system correctly for Day 1 and into the future. A multitude of sources can be integrated into your operations center to allow a single viewing portal that elicits a rapid response from your team. What sources do you need on your display wall to keep your operators fully informed? Applications may be running from local workstations or rack mounted PCs. Will there be a need for a television feed and would it be cable, satellite or IPTV? Audio or Video Conferencing may also be important. When all the sources and signal types have been determined a switcher can be implemented with enough space for current sources and space for future growth.

Without the right interface to route and control sources, key information can be lost in the shuffle. Constant Technologies offers customized control systems specifically designed and programmed for 24/7 environments. Our control systems simplify the way that the operations staff interacts with the audio-visual technology that is available to them. With the increasing number of technologies and operating platforms available, control systems can solve the complexity of managing this technology with reliable, consistent and scalable systems.

These systems provide centralized control of operations center displays, processors, audio/ video switchers, video and audio conferencing equipment, cable television receivers, DVD players and more. They can also be utilized to control non-display wall related systems, such as lighting, shades and privacy glass.

IMPLEMENTATION

Proper planning can be irrelevant without a skilled team of technicians and installers. Our installation experience ensures that your command center is not just carefully planned, but flawlessly staged and implemented. We know what it takes to bring your operations center seamlessly to reality.

• Project Coordination
• Documentation
• Freight Logistics
• Experienced Technicians
• Control System Programming
• After-Sale Support

At Constant Technologies, we pride ourselves on unparalleled customer service. We take great care in the integration of our command center solutions. After your project is installed, Constant remains close at hand for additional support whenever you need it.

PROPER PLANNING EQUALS SUPERIOR RESULTS

When all of these factors are considered before a build-out the end result will be in line with the necessary requirements of the mission critical space. This saves time and money in the long run and helps to ensure that an operations center able to handle its main objective.

Constant’s team of designers, project managers, programming engineers and installation technicians are here to assist if you are planning a renovation or new buildout for your operations center space. With over 30 years’ experience, we have the access and experience with sensitive environments, such as Cyber Defense and Homeland Security. Constant designs, installs and services projects of all scopes and size to create solutions with the highest levels of security, aesthetics and functionality in mind.

We have worked with clients on a wide variety of command center projects including Network Operations Centers (NOC), Security Operations Centers (SOC), Security Information Centers (SIC), Cyber Security Operations Centers (CSOC), Emergency Operations Centers(EOC), Fusion Operations Centers, Joint Operations Centers (JOC), Tactical Operations Centers (TOC), Combined Operations Centers (COS), C4ISR Environments and Social Media Command Centers.

Contact us today to get started on your project.

Learn more at constanttech.com