1.16.25 – CEPro
Vendors and distributors are enabling small-to-medium integrators to focus on other important tasks by taking on network, lighting, audio, and other designs off their hands.
It’s easier than ever for integrators to tether their project designs to suppliers. Many lighting providers offer lighting design services; leading home networking companies generate wireless heat maps; audio makers spec indoor and outdoor speaker designs; and suppliers do more in other categories such as energy/power management and video surveillance.
Why Integrators Are Leaning More Towards Supplier Design Services
Adam Zell of Boston Automations is like any other custom integrator trying to build his business and maximize his investment into the company. For Zell, the pragmatic decision was to take vendors and distributors up on their standing offer to support their dealers with value-added services, typically offered at no cost.
According to him, it’s often easier and more logical to rely on supplier relationships rather than stretch himself and his staff thin by taking on too much, as is often the case with newer, more demanding technologies.
Home networking, for example, has become a mission-critical technology for integration customers, but dealers don’t always have the resources to generate network heat maps that ensure the installation is optimized. Linear lighting, too, is a notoriously complex, yet a wildly popular category that garners plenty of interest from clients.
“Rather than hire an engineer who’s going to do all of these things and may be very good at one thing and OK at seven other things, why not lean on [a distributor] and say, ‘Hey, I need you to design me a perfect [network] heat map for this 12,000-square-foot house; it’s going to have brick walls here, radiant flooring here, some other sort of insulation and I don’t want to screw it up — you guys take can care of it,’” Zell explains.
For Zell and integrators like him, these services reduce the potential for on-site troubleshooting while also enhancing overall operations. More than that, however, distribution companies, like Blackwire, who focuses on lighting and network design services, say integrators have leveraged the company’s services to win projects and enhance the overall profitability of their work.
It’s Not Just Newer Technologies Benefiting from These Services, However
In another example mentioned by Zell, Sonance delivers designs to address the performance and aesthetic aspects of installing architectural speakers.
Since 2020, Sonance has made significant investments into dedicated Design Services resources because the company recognized that sophisticated architectural audio integration requires more than just superior products.
“It demands expertise in achieving seamless integration with design while delivering optimal acoustic performance. This holistic approach helps our dealers confidently tackle complex projects while differentiating themselves in an increasingly competitive market,” says the Design Services team’s Brian Dempsey, CTS.
“By ensuring speakers and lights match in size, shape, and alignment, we helped dealers deliver truly cohesive ceiling designs. From these aesthetic foundations, we naturally expanded into audio coverage design. This progressive evolution in design support has perfectly positioned us for our entry into the professional market, where comprehensive design services aren’t just appreciated — they’re expected.”
According to Dempsey, Sonance dealers can submit Design Services requests through the company’s dedicated dealer portal and receive support ranging from quick consultations to comprehensive proposal packages including detailed drawings, layouts, and installation specifications.
The service is particularly valuable for projects involving multiple zones, challenging architectural elements, or strict aesthetic requirements, he adds. Plus, Sonance’s expertise spans indoor and outdoor applications, ensuring consistent performance across entire properties.
Dealers can also leverage visualization tool that helps move technical discussions into compelling design conversations with clients.
What the Suppliers are Saying
“Designing and specifying linear lighting systems has always been a challenging process, prone to errors, and requiring intricate calculations. The market overwhelms designers with numerous products, each featuring different attributes, such as varying maximum run lengths, diverse watts per foot, and unique control requirements like DMX,” Blackwire’s Cody Crossland explains.
“By handling key technical tasks — such as programming, configuration, or pre-assembly — we allow dealers to focus their efforts on higher-value activities like client relationship-building, project design, and customization.”
He says one integrator recently shared that Blackwire’s programming services helped them reduce installation time significantly on a large-scale project.
“Additionally, the confidence our services bring often results in faster sales cycles. Dealers can reassure their customers that their systems will be reliable and high performing, which can be a decisive factor in closing a deal. That kind of time and cost savings adds up, directly contributing to higher margins and an improved bottom line.”
Dempsey, meanwhile, noted the impact of Design Services on Sonance dealers’ business performance by revealing the company’s 2023 analysis revealed a 70% close rate on Design Services-supported proposals.
“When standard solutions aren’t enough to meet specific design challenges, our Design Services team transparently integrates with our built-to-order and custom engineering teams at our Minden, Nevada facility,” Dempsey says. “This allows us to engineer and build solutions that precisely match the exacting performance, dimensional, and aesthetic requirements of any project.”
“More importantly, dealers report that Design Services helps shift client focus from price to design integration, enabling them to maintain higher margins while delivering superior results,” he remarks. “This combination of higher close rates and stronger margins directly impacts dealers’ bottom lines.”
This article is part of our coverage for the Top 5 Home Technology Trends of 2025. To see a list of all the trends we see affecting integrators in the new year, follow the link to the article above.
If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Arlen Schweiger is Editor-in-Chief of CE Pro and former managing editor of sister publications Commercial Integrator and Security Sales & Integration. Arlen contributes installation features, business profiles, manufacturer news and product reviews.
View Arlen Schweiger‘s complete profi