Networks Europe Sept-Oct 2017 | Page 23

TEST & MEASURMENT For many, investment in equipment seems to deliver poor ROI. This is particularly true in businesses with a lower level of certifier usage where the fixed purchase cost of a certifier can be an almost crippling capital expense. Where different test equipment is being purchased for copper and fibre, it’s not only the kit bag or van that bears the burden. This also increases expenditure, while further reducing ROI. Sharing certifiers To try and reduce the quantity of certifiers that need to be purchased, some businesses are attempting to share them between members of their workforce. So, rather than equipping each van with a certifier, when a certifier is needed it’s couriered out to a particular installer at the job site, usually from a central office location. While on the surface this may seem to offer a commercial benefit, in fact, the costs and administration involved in shipping certifiers to different locations can be considerable. This is especially true where installers are working across a large geographical area. This approach can also cause delays in carrying out and completing jobs – jobs that require a cable manufacturer warranty simply can’t be completed without a certifier. However, sometimes all available certifiers are in use elsewhere, or the unit takes time to reach the installer on site. This can prevent installers from being able to carry out billable work and cause jobs to run for longer than planned. 23 Lost and delayed data Even if an installer conducts the necessary tests for certification, they sometimes have to send the certifier back to the office for the data to be transferred. Similarly, data cable installers going from job to job on the road may wait days before reaching a location where the Internet connection is sufficient for uploading the test data. It’s only once this has been done that a customer can be given a warranty and the job completed and billed. However, as the time to complete this process, from testing with a certifier to invoicing the customer, can be up to two weeks, these delays are negatively impacting cash flow in many businesses. In addition, both of these data sharing scenarios risk the loss of test data. In the event that test data is lost the site will need to be visited again for re-testing, resulting in reduced margins for the job and delaying invoicing further still. Likewise, neither process enables Technical Managers to check the job has been done correctly until after the technician has left the site, which may mean an installer has to take the time revisiting the site. Managing unforeseen costs Some data cable installers are frustrated that support can be discontinued for certifiers that they’ve only recently purchased. And with certifiers being such a significant capital outlay, many businesses are not in a position to www.networkseuropemagazine.com