Network Communications News (NCN) NCN-Sept2017 | Page 22

TEST EQUIPMENT & TOOLS Cable certifiers cripple cash flow for installers A new White Paper published by IDEAL Networks has revealed that the cost of cable certifiers is posing serious cash flow challenges for businesses installing and testing data cable, says Tim Widdershoven, the company’s global marketing manager. T he results of extensive research interviews conducted within the cable installation and testing industry by IDEAL Networks over the past 18 months are revealed in the publication, entitled ‘Five frustrations and challenges for data cable installers in 2017’. One of the key issues identified is that the cost of cable certifiers causes cash flow difficulties in many businesses. Cable certifiers are undoubtedly one of the more expensive pieces of equipment for installing or 22 | September 2017 testing data cables, however, most believe they are an unavoidable capital expense and continue to buy numerous certifiers up-front, despite the impact this may have on cash flow in their business. As well as making cash flow challenging, the research found that purchasing numerous certifiers can occupy budget that may be better spent on other projects, or on different equipment. These cash flow difficulties can also have a knock-on effect, reducing flexibility to spend within the business as and when other needs arise. The research also revealed that investment in equipment such as certifiers often delivers seemingly poor ROI. This was particularly true in businesses with a lower level of certifier usage where the fixed purchase cost of a certifier can prove to be an almost crippling capital expense. Furthermore, the research discovered that different certifiers are sometimes unnecessarily purchased for working with copper and fibre cable.