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 minimise 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 cabling survey quotations both on-site and virtually. Thus, in some cases planning 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, we try to undertake virtual surveys to minimise 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
- On-site standard surveys
- Virtual walk around surveys
- Off-site discussions and quotations
- Budget proposals
- 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 unseen things. 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-off 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 staff. 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 any one 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 can complete a walk-through of the project remotely. Also, 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 cabling survey
So far we have used the following to complete this;
- Microsoft Teams
- Cisco Webex
- Facetime
- 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 Off-Site cabling survey?
If your company is also based from home and working remotely, we are still able to provide off-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 that is available, the more accurate the quotation will be
- 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 off-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 off-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. Similarly, as above we discuss remotely the requirements and provide an outline budget based on a set number of assumptions
For example, we have a couple of articles regarding how much to budget for Cat5e and Cat6 cabling. Please click below the read these articles
Article - How Much is Cat5e Cabling?
Article - How Much is Cat6 Cabling?
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. Also, we are helping reduce our emissions by not traveling all over the country, saving the environment which is always a positive
Besides those who still require a traditional on-site we have that covered also
For further articles in addition to Virtual Cabling Surveys please visit our Knowledge Center HERE
