OB HD and budget constraints

In a perfect world every OB would be built on a brand new chassis and filled with the latest state-of-the art equipment, all funded from a limitless budget. But, in the real world, where budgets and timescales are limited, often far tighter than might seem practical, more realistic solutions have to be found.
One approach, for which E2E has already developed a considerable reputation is to refurbish existing OBs. Unlike most other vehicles which only earn there keep when they are on the road, an OB is at its most profitable when parked up. So while the equipment it carries might become outmoded through simple passage of time, or through changes in operational practices, the vehicle itself is more than likely to have retained considerable proportion of its useful life. Thanks to the open-minded approach, and the skill with which they can work in restricted spaces of existing coachwork, E2E has earned a name for being able to get the best out of existing facilities it has been able to provide clients with as-new OB facilities which they might otherwise not have been able to afford, or has released valuable funds for other purposes.
Chris Warden, Managing Director provides an overview of E2Es philosophy. 'We have to make our systems work on three levels; at the operator level - it has to work the way the operators want it to work; at a system-level-it has to integrate with the rest of the broadcast systems and to leave the door open for future changes- which we might well be involved with; and it has to work at a business level – it has to provide a specified performance at a specified price on a specified timescale. This is where we like to think that we have our special skill. It has worked well so far, we usually manage to save our clients money and we have always come up with the goods on time.
‘We have found the right people and developed the right business relationships which enable us to match the heavyweights for the ability to carry any project, however large, while avoiding overheads they have to carry. We can punch with the biggest and best of them while still remaining as light on our feet as the specialist.’