Ideal Industries discusses the role of smart building technology in enabling flexible working and the need for installation technologies that will enable faster and more consistent installation of the data networks needed for smarter workplace environments

IDEAL INDUSTRIES

SMART BUILDINGS CALL FOR A SMARTER APPROACH TO DATA INSTALLATIONS

Brett Smyth, General Manager EMEA of Ideal Industries, discusses the role of smart building technology in enabling flexible working and the need for installation technologies that will enable faster and more consistent installation of the data networks needed for smarter workplace environments.

Last year was a year like no other. With many of those who usually work in an office still working from home – or reverting to homeworking again – office occupiers, owners and FMs are grappling with the challenges of implementing longer-term solutions for a safe transition back to the office.

Reconfiguring for new workplace cultures

The hot-desking and agile-working practices championed by forward-focused businesses in the past are now problematic in terms of cleaning regimes and track and trace, so we are likely to see a return to designated workstations where space allows, combined with a degree of homeworking for many.

This may not be possible for companies where agile working is embedded in the company culture, however, because there will not be sufficient space within the existing office to accommodate all members of the team at the same time. Social distancing requirements will put further pressure on space and any hybrid approach to combining home and office working means that allocated desks could be unoccupied for part of the week, which is operationally and financially inefficient.

There are two viable solutions to this conundrum: employers may choose to retain a hot-desking/agile office model based on a booking system for non-allocated desks, or they could opt for an allocated desk-share model to enable a mix of home and office working on an established rota.

In either of these scenarios, a booking system will be required and the most robust way to achieve this is by creating a smart-enabled office layout that tracks who is operating from which desk in real time. Effective booking systems will also be needed for meeting rooms and break-out areas. There may also be a need to alter office floor plans to implement effective social distancing at workstations, in common areas such as tea/coffee points and toilets, in meeting rooms and in circulation areas. It makes sense to implement these revised layouts and introduce smart enabled technology in a single M&E upgrade.

Efficient, effective retrofitting

It’s likely that all these considerations will be built into new office developments, but retrofit will be needed to convert conventional properties to smart offices. In this way, the pandemic will provide a catalyst to upgrade, futureproof and maximise the benefits of smart technologies in ways that go beyond the immediate priorities of track and trace for staff and visitors.

The challenge is in delivering those upgrades quickly and effectively with minimum impact for businesses that are now trying to make up for a period of unprecedented disruption, which requires upgrades to data networks.

Installation of these complex data networks will involve a large number of terminations and each termination requires attention to detail to ensure a robust and compliant connection, with consistent installation regardless of the number of installers working on the project or the time pressures on site.

Data networks traditionally require field-termination of CAT5e, CAT6 of CAT6A cables using RJ45 modular plugs. The more complex the network, the greater the number of RJ45 assemblies and terminations required. Conventional installation methods for RJ45s require conductors to be trimmed to an exact length before the plug is placed onto the cable. If the conductors are too short, circuits will remain open, if they are too long, there is a risk that the pairs could be left exposed outside of the plug body or cable jacket, which could hinder performance on the network and generally results in a 60% failure rate. The time-consuming attention to detail required for conventional RJ45 data terminations and the pressing need to upgrade offices to smart technology to enable track and trace as soon as possible may be another catalyst for change. Single-piece feed-through connectors and application tools are now available, which eliminate the need for installers to assemble a three-piece connector, even when working with CAT6 cable. This makes terminations faster, simpler and more consistent, whether using CAT5e, CAT6 or CAT6A cables. Conductor wires do not need to be accurately trimmed to a specific length; instead, installers simply need to remove an appropriate section of jacket, remove the centre spline if there is one, untwist the pairs into the right order, feed through the connector, then terminate and shave the excess with the feed-through tool.

A chance to create lasting change

The pandemic has driven a juggernaut through the status quo, providing a compelling reason to expedite the office sector’s transition to smart buildings. The next step is to think smarter about how that can be achieved with as much speed and consistency as possible by adopting the latest approaches to installing data networks.