An old saying goes like this: “A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.” We’ve all seen this on the desks or walls of our colleagues, usually the folks who are in the critical path of some organizational process. What this is really saying though is quite the opposite: “Great planning on your part makes my job easier!”

做好安装LED发光标识前的规划工作非常重要，对于团队合作的人来说，“只有你的计划完美了才能让我的工作变得简单。”

This is certainly true in the sign industry, where great planning makes everyone’s job easier. LED channel letter and sign cabinet jobs are the bread and butter of the electrical side of the business these days. How can your shop be consistently profitable on these jobs? Methodical planning. It paves the way forward and eliminates a myriad of “Gotchas” that can eat into your profits.

在标识制作的实际情况中确实如此，想要你的标识商店不断获利，只有做好安装前的规划，消除安装过程中的失误，才能实现双赢。

The Job Specs

工作准则

In most cases the first thing you’ll see on a potential new job are the job specs and art. This ranges from a simple phone call or text message to a formal RFQ as a 100+page PDF. It is difficult to underestimate the importance of completely understanding the requirements of the job up front. Anything that is left out or left to interpretation can, and will, come back to haunt you later in the job, likely costing you money.

在大多数情况下，当你接手一样工作时，你需要在第一时间了解工作的规范和要求。其范围包括从技术人员的联系电话到正式的报价文件等，这项准备工作非常重要，任何遗漏或是没弄清楚的信息，都有可能影响后期开展的工作，甚至增加不必要的开支。

Don’t be afraid to go back to your client with questions or clarifications. More often than not, they will appreciate that you’re being thorough. And also, it’s okay to ask for better artwork. In many cases the customer just as well could have given you clean vector artwork instead of that poorly scanned PDF.

不要害怕回答客户的问题或向客户澄清些什么，通常情况下，他们还会对你细致的服务表示感激和认同。另外，向客户询要更高清的文件格式会更有利于后期的工作。

The Site Survey

现场调查

Super important to this process is the site survey. Unanswered questions from the job specs might be revealed when you visit the site. And be sure to bring your Spike measuring device to the site survey! Spike, made by ikeGPS, is a device that connects to your phone or tablet, and with the help of your device’s camera, takes accurate measurements of the scene in front of you.Maybe it is a cabinet retrofit, new signage to be installed, or border tubing. Whatever the case, leave the tape measure and bucket truck back at the shop. With a few clicks, drags, and taps, you can have dimensions, area, and perimeter of your new sign. If you didn’t have good (or any) artwork before, now you do.

对于安装前的规划，最重要的一点就是进行现场调查。当你在现场考察时，可能会发现一些工作说明中没有提到或是没有解答的问题。此外，现场调查时记得带上你的Spike测量设备，以便连接到你的手机或平板电脑上，可以准确测量周围的场景数据。

In addition to taking the measurements, you also need to consider what will be needed for installation. Where is the power source and how is the sign going to be wired? What special equipment and tools do I need? How many installers will be needed, and for how many hours? Does it have to be on a weekend, or in the evening?

除了进行测量之外，你还需要思考的问题有：在安装时的所需物品有哪些？电源在哪里？如何给标识连接电线？需要什么专业的设备和工具？需要几个安装人员？需要几个小时？工作必须在周末或在晚上进行吗？

Speaking of the evening, consider also visiting the site at night. What does the ambient light look like at night? Are there other illuminated signs nearby? What will the new sign be competing with, in terms of brightness, color/color temperature, and size? If you have a Nit gun, take some light measurements. Remember that cool white is the new white. If your nighttime site survey shows a competing sign that is very bright, with 7100k temperature modules in it, and you show up with 5000k temperature modules, your customer might just think that their new sign appears yellow and dingy.

在晚上进行实地考察也很有必要。发光标识在夜晚看是什么样？附近是否有其他的照明标识？新型标识将会在什么方面产生竞争优势，亮度、颜色/色温还是尺寸大小？如果你有一个Nit枪，你就可以对光源进行测试。还需要记住的是，冷白光是一种新型的白色光源，如果你在夜间实地调查中，发现你的标识没有其他标识产生的光明亮，你的客户就会很不满意。

If, as a result of your review of the job specs and site survey, you feel like you can go back to the client with some suggestions that would make the sign more impactful, save the client money, or otherwise enhance the job, then do it. These would be “sign” things that you know about and maybe they don’t—such as using shallower returns, suggesting day/night vinyl on the faces, improvements to the cabinet or letters if it’s a retrofit, or the size/position of the sign.

在经过你对工作说明的仔细阅读和现场的实地考察之后，你再向客户提出一些合理的建议， 不仅能为后期工作的开展节省资金，还能在其他方面加强工作效率。你或许会知道一些关于制作标识的小技巧——比如为了降低成本，可以将日/夜乙烯基涂在标识表面，换掉更新的灯箱和发光字，帮你提高安装效率。

LED Selection

选择合适的LED

Now it’s time to choose the right LED modules for the job. Gone are the days when an LED module was a one-size-fits-all proposition. Okay, so what are the factors that go into choosing which LED module to use?

一种类型的LED模组不可能适合所有的安装情况，那么，我们应该根据哪些因素来挑选合适的LED模组呢？

Application Type—Is it a channel letter set or a sign cabinet? Is it new construction or a retrofit?

应用类型——是发光字还是标识灯箱？是新建还是改装？

Type of Lighting—Does the job call for backlight, sidelight, strip/tape lighting, halo lighting?

照明类型——是背面发光还是侧面发光？是光线直射还是晕光？

LED Brand—Is a brand specified, or are you free to choose a brand that you’ve had success using?

LED品牌——是指定品牌，还是自由选择你已经使用过并且非常好用的品牌？

Lumens/Watts—How much light output do you need?

流明/瓦特——你需要多少光源输出？

Depth—Is the application very shallow or very deep, requiring a special optic?

深度——发光标识的外观颜色是深还是浅？是否需要添加特殊的光学元件？

Color/Color Temperature—Is a special color needed?

颜色/色温——是否需要添加特殊的颜色？

UL listed— If UL listing is a requirement, is the LED module in the SAM Sign Component Manual?

UL列表——LED模组的规格符合标准吗？

Service—What kind of post-sale service can you expect from your supplier/dealer?

服务——您可以从供应商/经销商那里获得什么样的售后服务？

Warranty—What is the length of the warranty for parts and labor, and what does it include/exclude?

保修——零件和人工服务的保修期限是多少？保修内容包括哪些？

Availability—Can you get the LED right away?

可用性——获得的LED发光标识能马上使用吗？

Price—An important factor, but not the most important. Notice this is the last item on my list.

价格——这是一个重要因素，但不是最重要的。请注意，这是我列表中的最后一个项目。

Rather than thinking about the price of an LED, think about its value instead. Value is what you get for the price you pay. The price may in fact be “high” relative to other products, but so too can be the value. Maybe you get great service with the product, such as fast LED layout turnaround, an excellent warranty, useful installation instructions/videos, and next day shipping. Maybe the product requires far fewer individual modules, such as fluorescent replacement LED tubes or side light modules for cabinets. Maybe it is designed to save considerable installation labor time. Just focusing only on price is simplistic—consider the whole product and determine its overall value.

相比LED的出售价格，本身发挥的价值更为重要。虽然有时产品的价格会相对较高，但相应的价值也会得到提升，如快速的LED布局周转、完善的保修服务、实用的安装说明/视频，以及优质的运输服务等。

One final thought on this topic: it is tempting to use an LED that you have on the shelf, because, well, it is there on the shelf. You have already paid for it. You want to use it. But resist this temptation, unless it really is the right LED for the job based on the above criteria.

最后一个需要考虑的是直接使用现货的LED，使用现货是非常方便的，除非你有更符合你的工程标准的LED产品。

LED Layout

LED的设计

A critical element of your estimate and proposal, and hopefully your production process, is the LED layout. The layout will tell you how many LEDs you need and exactly where they should be positioned for optimal results. It will also tell you how many power supplies are needed, and show how they are loaded. You may also be able to estimate the face and back materials from the area of the job, as well as the trim cap and return coil from the perimeter measurement.

提前做好布局安排非常重要，例如，你需要多少个LED模组，将它们如何定位才能获得最佳效果；又或者需要准备多少电源供给，如何显示、如何加载它们；你也需要从工程区域估算表面和背部所需的材料数量，根据对周边的测量来确认装饰板盖和回流线圈的长度。

This layout may come from your LED supplier or sign supply dealer as a service, or you may create it yourself in-house. Regardless of the origin, the estimator/sales manager and the installer/production manager should use the LED layout to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Getting agreement up front on the layout reduces the chances of the job being produced differently from how it was sold.

一般情况下，LED的设计是由标识供应商负责，但是客户也可以自己设计LED。制作安装生人员会了解LED的各方面情况后，才统一意见，选择最佳的制作安装方式。

To take this a step further, this same LED layout file can be the source of your production files—including exported DXFs for your channel letter bender and your router. Marking or scoring the position of each LED directly on your letter backs leaves no room for poor interpretation of your layout.

为了方便安装的工作，我们可以将同一个LED文件作为生产的源文件，导出DXFs文件制作槽型发光字，然后在发光字上直接标记或记录每个LED模组的位置，会实现更好的效果。

Material and Labor Estimates

材料和劳动力的预算

Everything from the job specs, the site survey, and the LED module layout should be rolled up into the material and labor estimates. Maybe you’re doing this with the help of your shop management software, or maybe you have a detailed spreadsheet with various formulas. But the important thing here is that you have a consistent and repeatable process that yields an accurate estimate for every job you encounter.

工作规范、现场调查和LED模组布局等一切都应该计入到材料和劳动力预算中。也许在管理软件或者在详细的电子表格的公式帮助下，就轻松地完成这些事情，但值得我们注意的是，你需要一个清楚的预算来架构整个过程。

Producing and Installing the Job

生产和安装工作

Congratulations! You won the job! Now all that planning comes together to help you produce and install the job at or below budget so that your shop makes money. But you’ve already done perhaps the hardest parts. Your methodical preparation will help the job go smoothly, since you’ve already anticipated any roadblocks. It is like a musician, athlete, or public speaker, who has practiced so thoroughly that the actual performance is easy.

当所有的前期规划完成后，就能顺利地进行安装工作了，前期工作是最难的部分，前期的准备工作帮助你预料到了后期工作中会遇到的困难。所谓台上一分钟，台下十年功。

As part of the production of the job, don’t forget to document the appropriate info for the UL folks. What do they want to see when they come knocking? LED layouts, wiring diagrams, installation drawings, all using UL-listed products in the SAM (now available online: http://iq.ul.com/signs) and following the appropriate procedures. They might also check to make sure those same modules, drivers, wire, etc. are on your shelf.

作为安装工作的一部分，不要忘记为UL用户提供相应的信息。当他们来拜访的时候，他们想看的是什么？你要为他们提供相应的LED布局、接线图、安装图，以及UL列出的所有产品。

Post-Mortem Analysis

事后分析

Often the simplest questions to ask are the most difficult to answer. In a post-mortem, for example, you might ask, “What did we make from this job?” A basic cost accounting system should give you the answer, and the data should flow directly from your estimates. But beyond the numbers, and from the planning perspective, the more interesting question is, “What did we learn from this job?”

在实地考察后，你可能会问：“在这份前期工作中我们得到了什么？”一个基础的成本核算系统应该会给您答案，数据会直接从你的预算中统计出来。