T & M Work Process

We offer a service called time and material, or T&M for short. This means that the customer is charged for the time and material we spend to do any given job.

There are two main types of T&M jobs. One is a service call, which involves troubleshooting an issue and solving it. The other is a general installation, which involves installing equipment, devices, lighting, etc.

Here’s the general process for T&M work:

1. A customer calls in and wants to have some work done, but doesn’t want an official quote; they just want to do it T&M. Note: not all projects qualify for T&M work. If they are sizable, we will always do a quote first to ensure we are all on the same page regarding time and effort and cost.
2. The customer’s call is routed to our Scheduling Department, who will get all the necessary info needed to understand what the customer needs done and their specific timeline.
3. The Scheduling Department will coordinate with our Production Managers to set the job on the calendar. They will assign a Job In-Charge to the job as well as a specific Production Manager. The Job In-Charge will be your point of contact on site. The Production Manager will oversee all Job In-Charges and projects and helps as needed.
4. Our technicians will come out and perform the work. They carefully track their time and material spent working on the job.
5. Once the job is complete, an invoice will be provided with the total time and material.

Quote Process:

We provide free quotes for projects with known scope. This is mostly for installations, but can also include repairs when the scope is known.

When a customer requests a quote, here are the steps that occur:

1. Our Sales Department will gather all of the information regarding what you need quoted and your timeline. In most cases we will set up a site visit for one of our technicians to perform a job walk. In the case where drawings or information is available to quote from here, we will review and provide an RFI as needed.
2. Our technician will arrive at your facility at their scheduled time and day. They’ll walk the job with you, gathering information on exactly how the work will be performed, taking pictures and drawing maps as necessary.
3. The technician will put together the scope of work and the pricing, obtaining vendor quotes as needed. The turn-around time for a quote is typically 1-2 weeks from the time of the site visit. It depends on the size of the project. However, we work with everyone’s schedule as best as we can, and strive to meet our customer’s timeline. If you have a specific deadline, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
4. Once your quote is finalized and approved internally, your Account Manager will call you to discuss the quote and answer any questions you may have. They will then email you the quote.
5. When the customer is ready to go ahead – the approval is given (dependent on what Finance Terms you have with SIE), the job will be turned over to our Production Department to execute. See the next section on that full process

Quoted Job Process:

1. Once a quote has been approved, our Sales Department will compile all of the necessary information our Production Team needs to know to complete the work. This includes all materials that need to be ordered, any pictures or maps, all the information regarding your schedule and timeline and any additional information that is specific to you and your project.
2. Our Scheduling Department receives the project and will make initial contact with you to further discuss the timeline and the steps moving forward. They will then coordinate preparing for the project start date.
3. Our Purchasing Department will prepare any major material for the project. We have certain items in stock in our warehouse and others are ordered from our vendors.
4. Our Scheduling Department will coordinate the assignment of a Job In-Charge and a crew as needed and finalize the schedule. They will contact you to finalize the start date.
5. The Job IC will walk the job with you on the first day to verify the scope and ensure correct placements of devices and equipment. They will be the main point of contact on site and throughout the project, updating you on the stages of the project and when the job is complete.
6. Each project also has a Production Manager assigned to it. The Production Manager oversees the Job In-Charge and the project to ensure our highest standard. If you ever need further assistance, you can contact our Scheduling Department to get you in touch with the Production Manager for your project.
7. The project will be invoiced in progress billings if it is a multi-week or multi-month project. The project will be invoiced upon completion if it is a week or less in duration. Some project terms vary.

Our Success Department will follow up with you and ensure all went well and you’re completely satisfied with the service.