Monday, March 1, 2021

Virtual Cabling Survey

 

Virtual Cabling Surveys for Structured Cabling, Electrical, and Associated Services

Lockdown 3.0, is now a month in and our support bubbles have burst and we are working as best we can from home again. While engineering and installation must of course necessarily be undertaken on-premises we are always looking at ways to minimize project management on site. Therefore reducing travel, exposure, and meetings for both our team and our range of clients teams. Thus we have processed a growing number of data cabling Watford survey quotations both on-site and virtually. Thus in some cases planning in advance of installation works without either party being in the building beforehand


What type of surveys are we currently undertaking?

No project is the same so the survey requirements are also unique. Therefore where can we try to undertake virtual surveys to minimize contact for all but we also have the team to still travel and undertake on-site surveys when required. In addition, some quotations are for buildings not yet occupied and they are handled in a slightly different way also 

Therefore survey and quotation options are

  1. On-site standard surveys
  2. Virtual walkaround surveys
  3. Off-site discussions and quotations
  4. Budget proposals
  5. Tender proposals

What is a Standard Cabling Survey?

As I’m sure you are aware, to get the best picture of a project we like to get to the site and have a good look around. Thus to ensure we have quoted correctly and allowed for all of your requirements. It's great looking at drawings but there is nothing like coming to look at the building and completing a site survey to get the best view of a project. Furthermore, by completing a site survey, we ensure that you are not going to meet any additional costs towards the end of a project for things that were unseen. I’m sure many of you have had projects where costs have popped up out of nowhere. Furthermore, this ensures our engineering team is 100% prepared for the upcoming works and has all the information they need to get their job done. 

An on-site survey free of charge is always available after a virtual survey sign o to confirm details. In some cases this is desirable and in others not required

What is a Virtual Cabling Survey?

During the pandemic, reducing our visits to the site from our projects team has been critical for us to remain as safe as possible. Thus to protect our clients and sta. Hence the beginning of ‘Virtual Surveys’. Therefore by using technology we can be situated in our office or working from home and complete our surveys without increasing anyone’s risk. This is within the clients building and avoiding public transport for all

To do this, we use a video call to complete the survey and you (the client) are on your site and are able to complete a walkthrough of the project remotely. In addition, we ask the questions we would usually ask on-site and complete our survey notes. Generally, this takes on average around 20 minutes, saving time for you and your team 

This allows queries and questions between parties as the virtual cabling survey is undertaken. In general, clarifications can be made in real-time as per a standard IT cabling Canary Wharf survey 

So far we have used the following to complete this;

Microsoft Teams

Cisco Webex

Facetime

Whatsapp

Zoom 

There are many options to complete these calls. Therefore we can be just as accurate without having to attend the site. 

What are my other options for an O sire cabling survey?

In the event that your company is also based from home and working remotely, we are still able to provide o site quotations. Therefore in this instance, we discuss over video conference or phone call the relevant requirements. This is usually supported by additional documentation on the description of the works required. 

The more of the following documentation available the more accurate the quotation 

Floor Layouts and Drawings

Internal and External Building Photos

Specific Area Photos – i.e communication rooms and cabinets

Fuse Boards

Elevations 

Our team have a lot of experience in quoting by all three methods so whatever your situation and requirement we will be able to assist in putting together your budgets 

What services are available as a virtual survey?

Our full range of services is available to be undertaken as a virtual or o site survey. However, some services require more information to provide an accurate estimate than others. In all cases, it is dependent on the requirements, building, and availability of supporting documentation.

We have in the past 12 months undertaken o site surveys and quotations for the following 

Cat5e, cat6, Cat6a, Cat7, and Cat8 cabling

Fibre Optic Cabling links, internally and externally

Access Control Systems

CCTV Camera Systems

Electrical Installations 

Electrical Testing and PAT Testing

Audio Visual solutions including televisions and video conferencing

Video Wall Installations

Data Centre Cabling Installations

Can you provide a Budget Quotation for a New Building 

We have had numerous inquiries where companies have asked for outline costs for buildings that haven’t yet moved to. In a similar way as above we discuss remotely the requirements and provide an outline budget based on a set number of assumptions 

Virtual Cabling Survey Summary 

We have described a few different options for how we can provide a budget for your requirements. Our project team can discuss the best type of survey for your situation and arrange a suitable time for this to be carried out So if you need a project completing and are not allowing visitors to your building, we can complete a ‘Virtual Survey’. This will ensure accuracy in your quotation, save time and keep us all safe. In addition to doing this we are also helping reduce our emissions by not traveling all over the country, saving the environment which is always a positive

Original Source: Virtual Cabling Survey