Selecting any contractor can be complex; finding the right balance between price and proficiency is challenging, but when it comes to data cabling, choosing the wrong provider could be very costly to your organisation.
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At Bluepoint Technologies, we want our industry to be driven by excellence, so we have compiled a list of what we believe are the most important questions to ask a potential data cabling contractor before you commission any work (and certainly before you start talking about project costs!):
What qualifications are held by your data cabling engineers and installers?
Before embarking on a project critical to the operations of your business, it is important to be certain that your chosen provider has the appropriate expertise to successfully deliver, and the accreditations to prove it. Data cabling is a service still offered by electricians, who while they technically have the capability, often don’t have the specific qualifications and industry training to match. We’ve been working with the ECS to campaign for minimum industry standards; you can read the article here.
Every aspect of IT, including data cabling installation, is dynamic so ensure your provider’s engineers hold relevant qualifications, and that these are up to date. In our industry renewing a qualification is more than just ticking a box, with each ‘refresher course’ presenting vital updates to knowledge or best practice. Be sure to go beyond the industry-specific when asking about qualifications – holding certifications in generic subjects such as health and safety, first aid, manual handling and working at heights evidences a conscientious and responsible contractor.
At Bluepoint Technologies it’s important to us that every member of our team is qualified and enabled. By investing in our people, we have a team that thinks beyond the usual boundaries, with the ability to mitigate real-time challenges, ever mindful of the impact of downtime to your organisation. Thanks to regular, compulsory refresher training we can confidently state that whichever Bluepoint engineer attends your site you are in safe, knowledgeable and experienced hands, and work carried out will be compliant with the latest ISO, CENELEC, and TIA standards. Click here for our full list of qualifications.
How much experience does the company have in network cabling installations?
Ask about similar projects the contractor has undertaken, and about any direct experience they have working in your industry sector. Ask about the challenges they faced on these projects – and the solutions they found! Ask to see case studies including such challenges, as well as those projects which went off without a hitch. Examples such as a project overrunning, and the provider’s efforts to prevent or reduce this, can give you an insight to whether the prospective contractor considers the impact on your business and stakeholders.
We are always happy to talk about previous projects and have a large portfolio of case studies available on our website. For further details or to ask us any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Who are your suppliers?
We could design the ideal data cabling solution for your requirements and use accredited, highly qualified engineers for your installation, but these services would be much less valuable if we didn’t use the optimum products to complete the project. Our values don’t support compromise when it comes to our workmanship or the quality of the components we use. Ask your prospective client to justify their choice of supplier and do some research yourself as to their calibre.
Bluepoint Technologies has carefully chosen its preferred suppliers, teaming up with likeminded companies who focus on their supply chain and quality management systems. We have partnered with the industry’s leading providers who we trust to deliver the most appropriate solution for capability, sustainability and cost. Click here for the full list of industry manufacturers with which we are accredited.
What guarantees do you give for your quality of work?
Data cabling is a critical business asset, so you need to know that it is going to meet your expectations in terms of performance and longevity. One way to check your contractor is on the same page as you on this subject is to ask about guarantees. If they have confidence in their delivery and products, they shouldn’t hesitate in guaranteeing their work.
At Bluepoint Technologies we guarantee a standards compliant solution to your requirements. Our Quality Processes detail every stage of a project, from your first contact to project handover. We will only use quality products and fully trained, qualified engineers to deliver the quality assurance our customers expect and deserve. This enables us to offer industry-leading manufacturer warranties of up to 25 years.
What safety precautions do you take?
Every installation is different and Health & Safety implications vary significantly, so we recommend asking for some consultation to gauge knowledge and understanding. It may be a simple case of a potential risk being highlighted during a risk assessment and an appropriate Safe System of Work being applied, but it is important to ascertain that the contractor is knowledgeable and conscientious when it comes to Health & Safety. Ask for safety records, relevant qualifications and, depending on your industry sector, check the security clearance of onsite contractors.
Bluepoint Technologies is SafeContractor approved and every project we undertake is planned, monitored, and controlled. We invest in the highest levels of compliance, safety, and security for the peace of mind of every stakeholder.
If you have any specific concerns regarding your project, please get in touch and one of our project management team will be happy to talk to you.
Can I trust you to work on a sensitive project?
If your site is sensitive, it’s important to know that your installer has the relevant clearances and to trust that every employee to work on your site completely understands everything the clearance entails. This should include offsite conduct regarding security measures such as non-disclosure agreements.
The Bluepoint team has a wealth of experience working on clients’ secure and high security sites, as well as within the most secure UK MOD and Government facilities, and hold clearances to work under UK OFFICIAL, UK SECRET, UK TOP SECRET and NATO SECRET classifications.
Are your company values aligned with ours?
A clash in company culture or principles can cause issues during the lifespan of a project. Your values don’t necessarily need to be perfectly aligned, we each bring different experiences and opinions to our work, but a serious lack of synergy should send up a red flag. Talk to any prospective contractor about the values you share, and those on which you differ, to help you determine if you will agree on fundamental decisions down the line.
At Bluepoint, we believe (and our customers tell us) that our continued success lies in our commitment to delivering our core values in everything we do. Click here to find out more about the core values that drive Bluepoint technologies.
What level of ongoing support do you give?
To make sure you’re never left high and dry, ensure that you plan for support you need following any install.
It’s not uncommon to have questions following your installation, so check out the aftercare on offer, and double check what is included and if could inadvertently incur additional costs.
At Bluepoint, it is important to us that your operations run smoothly, and we pride ourselves on our end-to-end customer support. We offer 24/7 on-call support and we’re transparent on any costings that fall outside of any manufacturer warranties or project costings.
How much consideration do you give to the environmental impact of your work?
We believe that sustainability should play a key role in every industry. In network infrastructure, making a serious reduction in plastic packaging is just one of the important steps the industry is taking, with several major manufacturers leading the way on recycled or plastic-free packaging for their products. Ask your provider if their buying decisions are weighted purely on price or functionality? Or whether the sustainability of product on offer is affecting their final choices.
At Bluepoint, our mission is to consider the environment in everything we do, from our people to our service delivery. We work with every stakeholder to consider and manage our impact on the environment at every stage of our business processes and, in 2018, we completed a carbon neutral cradle to grave project!
What do other people say about you?
Check that the response you get from this question is backed up by client testimonials and online reviews. We encourage prospective clients to read our reviews on Trustpilot, as well as the many testimonials and case studies on our website, because we are proud of the work that we do and are confident that our delivery meets our clients’ expectations.
If you would like to know anything else about Bluepoint Technologies, the team or the way we work, or would like to discuss a project please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
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