In the preparation of any report for system design, there are several factors that must be considered, amongst the most important of these is the requirement for each and every stage of the process to identify and include the operational needs of the client, at both management and operational levels. All outcomes must be based on the user requirements and not specifically on recommendations for vendor products or technologies. We will work with the client to identify the important requirements and then design a radio system with documentation to encourage vendors to offer the best possible solution. These can then be evaluated with the clients actual needs as the primary consideration thus ensuring the most satisfactory outcome.

Amongst the steps involved in system design considerations are the following:

• An audit of existing equipment and operational formats
• Exploration of future trends and requirements with regard to the radio needs
• Workshopping of requirements and other options with actual user groups if possible
• Development of an outline of the actual needs for any system upgrade or expansion
• Identification of network topology that may be necessary
• Evaluation of technology options available
• Preparation of documentation for issue to potential vendors, with all specifications identified in ‘user requirement’ format rather than hardware specifications.
• Assistance with technical evaluation of vendor bids and preparation of clarification questions as and if required
• Technical support for preparation of any contractual documentation
• Advice and assistance with licencing of radio systems
• Supervision of Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT), System Acceptance Testing (SAT) and system commissioning
• Ensure that system documentation being provided by the vendor is at an acceptable standard
• Assistance as required for user training, both initially and as may be required for ongoing training of new employees or user refresh capabilities.

These are not in any degree of importance and may or may not be required, dependent on client and system capacity, however, they are an indication of the depth of planning that may be required in varying amounts in any serious consultancy arrangement.