It is the operations playbook for the Apple account: processes, ownership, swimlanes, how‑to‑execute, install & commissioning steps, tools, and expectations.

It is not a pricing, contract, or commercial repository. Anything sensitive — pricing, discount codes, labor rates, Apple‑confidential device configs, credentials — lives in the gated SDCS store; this guide only links to it.

Access: view is gated by a shared password. Apple and AVI‑SPL stakeholders open it with the link + password — no accounts to provision.

Apple fiscal year runs 10/01–09/30 and anchors scheduling/reporting — Q1 10/01–12/31, Q2 01/01–03/31, Q3 04/01–06/30, Q4 07/01–09/30.

1. Click ✎ Edit (top right). The page becomes editable like a Word document.
2. Click into any text and type. Use the toolbar for bold, headings, and bullet/numbered lists.
3. Click 💾 Save — your change is saved and goes live for everyone instantly. No files, no re-uploading.

No code, no symbols, no build step. The full step‑by‑step runbook (and how editor access is managed) ships with the finished guide.

Mirrors the Program Leadership block in the Apple Knowledge Hub; the full Program Org Chart lives in the hub.

Three pillars run as a single loop: Team (the right people) → Meetings (the right cadence) → Reports (the right data) → back to the team. When the loop runs you get a single source of truth, faster decisions, repeatability at scale, and predictable delivery.

Apple’s AV work is run by several customer-side groups — know which one owns what:

• AMR — Collaboration & Productivity PMO: the primary AV project-management group (Canada, Latin America, US), assigning AV PMs by region.
• IS&T — Information Security & Technology: AV PMs covering Silicon Valley.
• RE&D — Real Estate & Development: AV PMs covering Austin, TX.
• AV Design & Engineering Group (the AV-standards arm of the VVS — Voice Video Services — group): owns Apple’s AV standards and, since mid-2023, designs new deployments.

Named contacts by region live in the Resource Matrix (Smartsheet).

• All account email routes through the single internal core-team distro — appleamr@avispl.com (VP, AM, PgM, DE, PEs, lead PM); any direct email to Apple must copy it.
• Verbal/Webex conversations are followed by an email summary to the customer + distro.
• 24‑hour response SLA on customer concerns.
• Cisco Webex is the platform for client‑facing meetings.
• Subject‑line convention: Apple - Project Name - Project ID --- Subject; team changes noted with +Distro / +Name / -Name.

NorCal routes routine requests to prescribed shared mailboxes with a strict subject-line format, so nothing gets lost. (NorCal-only convention, as of 10/2022.)

• Global VP (CEO-equivalent): primary client contact; leads strategic initiatives, customer success, cross-org communication, business efficiency.
• Global Program Manager (COO-equivalent): establishes processes & tools for account management; primary escalation contact; hosts program status meetings; maintains the Knowledge Hub.
• Customer Success Director (COO-equivalent): manages service delivery; escalation contact for post-install issues; tracks service-ticket status per SLAs.
• Global Account Manager (CSO-equivalent): primary contact for new demand; leads RFP responses; generates quotes/proposals; manages opportunities through the sales process.
• Global Design Engineer (pre-PO): maintains account standards; plans proposal responses; develops technical proposals with cost estimates; coordinates procurement.
• Project Manager(s): primary contact for project-level stakeholders; owns planning, delivery, teams, risks, financials, milestones, deliverables.
• Project Engineer (post-PO): leads design & technical collaboration; verifies infrastructure; develops design documentation; supports onsite build & commissioning.

The PM is the single mandatory channel to Apple and owns delivery from kickoff to close-out.

• Run the IKO and EKO; allocate budgeted hours across disciplines (good practice: up to ~80%).
• Own budget, profitability and the Cost-to-Complete; build and maintain the AV project schedule.
• Manage risk and the Change Order Log; run/attend weekly OAC calls.
• Coordinate procurement; handle sign-off, billing and close-out; manage residual inventory.
• Drive customer satisfaction toward NPS goals.

The PE (and sometimes an APM) is assigned by Apple’s Core Team, not by AVI-SPL.

• Equipment specification & ordering; BOM-scrub accuracy; consistency across SOW / BOM / BRD.
• CAD drawing review against Apple Standards; change-request (CR) generation + BOM/drawing updates.
• Weekly engineering updates; commissioning / as-built support; pre-loads control code via Crestron Toolbox.

• Functional descriptions, block diagrams, RCP / floor-plan drawings, calculations & acoustical modeling.
• Cabling / material identification; pre-sale labor & material estimates for Sales; builds Scope + BOM from Plangrid.
• Apple expects the DE on all planning calls. (Role doc still in draft.)

• APM / PC: project-workbook setup, PM-assignment, procurement/coordination, and the close-out → service-onboarding machine.
• Commissioning Specialist: field commissioning & point-to-point testing, control/DSP load & fine-tuning, punch list, and final documentation.
• CAD Engineer / Tech: produces the drawing package (speaker layout, elevations, line diagrams) under PE/DE direction.

Every project follows Initiate → Generate → Plan → Execute & Close. The detailed Apple stages below sit inside these four phases.

• 01 Initiate: design qualification; Quote Request Form (Smartsheet) → Opportunity in CRM; proposal-engagement kick-off; site survey if required.
• 02 Generate: proposal delivery (BOM, Technical SOW, assumptions, risks); proposal qualification & acceptance; Purchase Order.
• 03 Plan: project created in CRM + PM/team assigned; internal then external kick-off; installation plan (MS Project Operations; room-refresh tracker/dashboard in Smartsheet); design drawings; technical kick-off approval.
• 04 Execute & Close: procurement; shop staging (QCC) & build; daily/weekly status; client UAT after AVI-SPL VAT; closing docs (as-builts, asset inventory, config files, user guides); hyper care & lessons learned.

AM & DE GSAP phase: Initiate. Qualify the request, then turn it into a priced proposal.

• Apple gathers requirements and qualifies design intent & scope; submits the Quote Request Form in Smartsheet with requirements attached.
• AVI-SPL creates the Opportunity in CRM; the DE builds the Scope + BOM from Plangrid plans.
• If needed, the AM runs a proposal-engagement kick-off with the Apple sponsor and determines whether a site survey is required (Site Survey Form; local resources).
• AM submits the quote and copies the distro.

Opportunity naming convention (by site type):

• Retail: Apple – CITY ST – LIVE/UNITE/CLR – RETAIL
• Corporate: Apple – CITY ST – ROOM NAME(s) – CORP
• Showroom: Apple – CITY ST – ROOM NAME(s) – SHOWROOM
• Distribution Center: Apple – CITY ST – SITE NAME – DC (primary DCs: NALC, Adapt, Shelby, Centerpointe, ECC, Connect, Relay, Dash)

PgM & APM GSAP phase: Generate → Plan. Convert the accepted proposal + PO into a live project.

• Apple initiates the PO on proposal acceptance; it arrives at the distro.
• The PgM enters the PO-receipt date, moving the SIG stage (Pre-Sales → Planning); the submittal goes to Tampa for a job number.
• A new Project is created in CRM with the PM and extended team assigned; the APM builds the Project Workbook + BOM and requests PM assignment.

PM GSAP phase: Plan. Transfer knowledge from Initiate to the delivery team.

• Convene the core team within 3 business days of assignment.
• Review scope, design, schedule, BOM, deployment process, reporting cadence, phase checklists, and closeout requirements — gated by the IKO checklist (contract, pre-sales, engineering, programming, procurement, integration, subcontractors, logistics).
• Deep technical items spin into a separate PE/DE Technical Kick-Off (TKO).

PM GSAP phase: Plan. Align with Apple and lock the plan before execution.

• Schedule the external kick-off within 5 business days of assignment; on-site walk per the construction schedule.
• Submit the Site Survey (Airtable; always for retail).
• Build the installation plan (MS Project Operations; room-refresh tracker + dashboard in Smartsheet); the PE/CAD produce design drawings.
• Obtain Apple acceptance of the Project Plan + Design Drawings (and drawing / rack-elevation / ceiling-color approvals) before the Execute phase.

PE & Field GSAP phase: Execute. Procure, fabricate, and install.

• Engineering review: verify proposal/BOM against current Apple construction drawings; attend the virtual pre-wire walk and review the collision report (findings to Apple AMR); confirm ceiling types/colors during pre-wire, wire-pull & install so speaker colors match; update drawings for AMR final approval.
• Procurement initiated on plan acceptance (via Core+ PC); lead times monitored.
• Shop staging (QCC) off-site by rack-fabrication specialists where applicable; site readiness, safety planning, and security compliance managed on-site.
• Scheduling on construction milestones; daily or weekly status updates per project requirements; change orders managed through the CR process.

Commissioning GSAP phase: Execute & Close. Prove the room works and capture the evidence.

• Prerequisite: room, furniture, and AV 100% complete.
• The Commissioning Specialist runs the Vendor Acceptance Test (VAT) — the formal pass/fail checklist (see Field & Technical Standards) — plus the 9-photo as-built standard and network/IP onboarding.
• Apple then executes User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

PM GSAP phase: Close. Get formal acceptance and trigger billing.

• Send the sign-off request; Apple replies “Approved” (rather than signing PDFs).
• The customer acceptance letter notifies beneficial use and triggers Service Onboarding + final billing.

PM GSAP phase: Close. Tidy the books and deliver the documentation.

• Confirm no warehouse equipment and no open SOs/POs; request as-builts + code upload; set SIG Stage 10.
• Deliver the close-out package — sign-off, AV as-builts, equipment list, software/code, user guides, part releases — to Apple via Box.

APM GSAP phase: Close. Move the room into ongoing service.

• Upload all closeout docs within 10 days — O&Ms, licenses, code package (Retail only), as-builts, warranty info, customer sign-off — then submit the job to Service.
• Advance SIG Stage 11 (Service Onboarding) → 12 (Project Complete).

All GSAP phase: Close. Capture what to do better next time.

• A Hyper Care period handles immediate post-go-live issue resolution.
• A Lessons Learned call with all stakeholders captures install, cabling, commissioning, and escalation improvements — which feed back into the account standards.

Scope changes run through a controlled CR workflow so nothing is built or credited without a paper trail. (Internally-driven CRs are reviewed with the AM, PgM & PE before going to Apple.)

1. A CR is submitted via the CR Request form; it auto-logs in the CR Log and alerts the PE & PM.
2. The PE drafts the CR — equipment adds/deletes (with restock fees where needed), the SOW narrative, and labor estimates reviewed with the PM.
3. The PM sends it to Apple (referencing PO + CR amount) and marks the log Submitted.
4. On approval, the PM sends it to the SA with the PO; the PE imports the CR into the BOM, creates the release, and submits to procurement (plus RSOs for any RMAs).
5. Once processed, the PM marks the CR Closed in the Change Order Log.

Prerequisite: room construction, furniture, and AV 100% complete. Then sectioned pass/fail tests — General (safety, install, 24/7 power, latest firmware, LAN), Video, Audio, Control, Apple TV, Codec, Display — each capturing pass/fail, remediation, initials, and time. It’s both an execution guide and an auditable record.

Ceiling speakers; display + camera; equipment behind display; equipment under table; multiple room‑corner views with a full‑screen test image on the display.

The device‑level Apple TV setup standard and the OWP/Steelcase conference‑table AV integration guide are Apple‑Confidential (“Do Not Distribute”) — they live in SDCS; this guide links to them.

FAT32 thumb‑drive procedure to push EDID (.cedid) and HDCP (.txt) into DM‑Lite transmitters, globally or per‑input, baselined on a “DM Default 4k 30Hz 2ch” EDID.

Some control/DSP programming is delivered by a specialist programming contractor with a strict, dashboard-tracked process. To keep it on budget and schedule:

• They run a site-readiness checklist before mobilizing — have the site genuinely ready.
• Schedule commissioning to start ~3 business days after install completion; it may be physical, software, or joint, and is often done remotely (screen-share + access to the control system).
• Our PE pre-loads control code (Crestron Toolbox) before commissioning; CC the contractor when drawings are issued on programmed jobs.
• Watch the risks: ill-defined scope causes rework, they bill hourly (so delays cost), and any scope-impacting change needs a change order and their agreement first.

1. AMR issues the IP sheet (room, device, asset ID, host/FQDN, static IP, subnet, gateway, switch port, MAC).
2. AVI‑SPL completes it during shop kit‑out; PM returns it to AMR.
3. On site, confirm each port pulls a 17.x address (Mac, Wi‑Fi off); failures escalate to the Apple network engineer.
4. Pre‑provision the codec (DHCP confirm, Voice VLAN off, static IP/subnet/gateway/DNS); AMR confirms ping.
5. Send the AVCN “ready to start” test email to trigger remote provisioning; configure Apple TV per room type.
6. Complete the Acceptance Test Plan (live registration call with AVCN; AirPlay/physical tests, Mac only) and send results to PM/PE before leaving site.

Standards: 17.x addressing, Voice-VLAN-off on AV ports, Mac-only testing (Windows not authorized). Before provisioning, the codec must be fully powered, on the correct data port, and pulling DHCP; confirm the Apple-TV data port is active at the end. The detailed runbook + IP sheet (FQDNs/IPs/MACs) and the Apple-confidential ATV configs live in SDCS.

Artifacts are stamped YY.Rnn (e.g., 24.R01; drafts read 24.R02 DRAFT until approved). All room types bump to the latest version together — versions are never mixed. Each release is assembled into a numbered Standards Package (10C-EquipmentLists … 99C-RoomTypePackages). Equipment lists point to standard BoMs in the CRM; programming points to GitLab.

• What gets a version: SOWs, account-standard drawings, deployment guides / SOPs / QA-QC guides, programming & DSP, room lists, and the CRM Opportunity description.
• Roll a new revision on a major change — a periodic (annual / bi-annual) standards review, a new system type, or a UC-platform change. Minor swaps (a mount, speaker, or cable manufacturer) don’t.
• Keep a change log (in SDCS) listing each version and only the room types that changed.

Standards are captured as a matrix per room type (Type 1, 2–4P … Type 6, 20–24P Flex), with display sizing per AVIXA BDM. The Parametric Room Estimating Tool bridges standards to priced room BoMs in the CRM/BKR system. (The live estimating workbook carries pricing → lives in SDCS.)

Line drawings are produced as part of the standard package, typically within 4–6 weeks of receiving construction drawings. A standard drawing set includes the speaker layout on the floor plan, elevations, and a line diagram.

Account design assets are organized in the standards package: 10C-EquipmentLists, 20C-SOWTemplates, 35C-Drawing-CAD, 40C-ProgrammingInfo, 60C-Execution-SOP/QC Guides.

Days/times are set per account — edit this table to your live cadence.

A quarterly client-facing business review. AVI-SPL pre-shares a question set across four themes: what’s going well, what needs improvement, the forward vision, and design/engineering engagement. A companion quarterly Project Internal Review covers positive/negative projects.

Recurring themes & asks raised at FORUM:

• Engage design earlier; always specify the standards version to follow; flag when significant design effort should be a change order.
• Tighten the BRD (types & quantities) and cut TBD line items; avoid “design by email.”
• Proposed timelines (for alignment, not yet ratified): CAD ~10 business days (small/medium); procurement ~5 days standard / ~20 days non-standard after Apple approves drawings; a fast-track for special projects.
• Share the latest Apple standards early; reduce region-to-region inconsistency; use a Drawing Change Narrative intake form in Smartsheet.

The Global Strategic Accounts monthly Internal Exec Business Review features Apple roughly once a quarter (~7 min + Q&A, standardized KPI scorecard). The Strategic Account Plan is produced half‑yearly via backcasting/SWOT. (Both decks carry named execs/financials → SDCS.)

Issues are raised via the Escalation Intake Form and tracked to resolution; the Escalation How-To Guide defines the steps and owners. Risks are logged via the Risk Intake Form and the project Risk Register.

External escalation path: Apple PMs / Portfolio Managers → AVI-SPL Project Manager → Program Manager → Account Manager → Account VP → EVP.

Internal escalation path (Action group): Project Engineers / Installers & Commissioners / Rack Fabricators → Project Manager → Program Manager → Local Operations Manager → Local General Manager → Regional SVP → COO. (Informed group: SVP, Account VP, Global Sales Manager.)

Service engagement: Global Helpdesk (866) 588-6857, Option 2 · open a ticket at AVISPL-Support@avispl.com · 24×7×365 availability.

Service escalation order: Dan Conley, Director, Customer Success → Ron Morschauser, VP, Customer Success → Adam Howkins, SVP, Global Services. (Direct lines & emails in the Resource Matrix.)

Improvements are captured in the Continuous Improvement Tracker and fed back through the FORUM / Project Internal Review cadence and the lessons-learned logs — closing the loop from delivery to standards.

• Smartsheet — live trackers, dashboards, the Knowledge Hub, quote/change‑order forms. 🔗 Knowledge Hub
• SDCS — gated store for pricing, contracts, labor rates, Apple‑confidential configs, credentials.
• CRM / BKR — opportunities, quotes, standard BoMs, committed costs. GitLab — control/DSP code.
• Coupa (Apple PO portal) · Plangrid (jobsite plans) · Box (close‑out docs) · Airtable (site survey) · Webex (client meetings).

Program shortcuts: Account SDCS · How-To Guide (this playbook) · Account Power BI · Program Org Chart · Program Meeting Map · Smartsheet Workspace.

• Dashboards & Sheets: Global Dashboard, Resource Matrix, Site Survey Log, Change Order Log, Continuous Improvement Tracker, Account Database.
• Forms: Quote Request, Change Request, Site Survey, Risk Intake, Escalation Intake.
• Reports: Pre-Sales (AM/DE), Active Projects (PM/PE), Program Report (external), Opportunities Lost, Completed Projects.
• Reference: Account Master IPA, Smartsheet Essentials Guide, Roles & Responsibilities, Document Repository Map, Escalation How-To Guide.

Knowing exactly who is responsible for what — and how to reach them — is the difference between a fast answer and a stalled project. A current, well-maintained Resource Matrix is one of the most valuable assets on the account: it gives every stakeholder a single, trusted place to find the right person by role and region, keeps escalations moving, and removes the drift and duplication that comes from scattered contact lists.

To stay useful it must be actively maintained — kept up to date whenever people, roles, or assignments change. The Resource Matrix is held live in Smartsheet so it is always current for everyone.