How to Save Money on Cabling Infrastructure

Are you a procurement officer, construction company, or electrical contractor? This article will guide you through the common pitfalls in cabling infrastructure projects—and show you how to avoid costly mistakes while ensuring long-term success

Budget

Cabling infrastructure often costs more than anticipated—clients frequently underestimate budgets by 20–50%. Here’s why costs have risen in recent years:

• Rising material and labour costs.
  
• Stricter local regulations and standards.
• More complex signal types requiring precise cable pulling and termination, increasing installation and commissioning time.
• Lack of consideration for future-proofing during planning.

What is success?

Defining success is essential in any project, and cabling infrastructure is no exception. Clear goals, test standards, and pass/fail criteria will help you evaluate project outcomes effectively. 

Future-proofing

With technology and usage patterns evolving rapidly, planning your cabling infrastructure with overhead will save you from costly expansions later.

If you need four fibres between two rooms, why not pull a cable with 12 or 24 fibres instead? Pulling extra fibers upfront costs little compared to the expense of retrofitting later. If your cabling infrastructure includes copper network cabling, we strongly recommend you to operate with an overhead of 30-50% to future-proof your installation. 

The most important thing you do with regards to future-proofing is to ensure there is enough space on cable ladders, in conduits, racks and wall boxes to easily expand.

On the other hand, we have seen many over-specified projects based mainly on a nice-to-have basis, rather than a realistic analysis of the requirements, which leads me to the next point.

Knowing your needs

It may seem obvious, but this is where many projects go wrong. Staying connected to user needs is crucial to avoid under- or over-specification.

Start by identifying who the users are and what they require today—and what they may need in 10 to 20 years. User involvement is key here; evaluate existing infrastructure for pain points, and involve stakeholders to ensure no critical needs are overlooked. Similarly, look to similar venues or businesses to learn from their successes and challenges.

Good knowledge of current and emerging technologies will help you assess long-term needs more accurately. While you can’t predict the future, understanding industry trends and consulting with experts can provide invaluable guidance.

Finally, view the acquired information through the lens of your organization’s vision and the project's definition of success. With a clear understanding of your needs, you'll be well-positioned to make informed decisions and future-proof your investment.

While identifying needs is crucial, it’s equally important to make practical choices about components like connection panels.

Custom connection panels?

While custom, laser-engraved connection panels may look appealing, we recommend off-the-shelf products for several reasons:

1. If you make one mistake in your numbering system, the whole panel must be remade.
2. If you want to expand in the future, you need a new panel
3. The price of a custom panel is approximately 40% higher than an off-the-shelf panel

There's a lot to be saved by choosing standard products. 

Don't split the project unless you have to

Splitting the project across multiple contractors for pulling, termination, and testing often leads to delays, unclear responsibilities, and incomplete infrastructure.

You should carefully consider whether it is necessary to split tasks like cable pulling, termination and commissioning across multiple contractors. It will most certainly be more expensive. If you for some reason have to hire different contractors to do pulling and termination/testing, make sure that the responsibilities of the contractors are also clearly defined.

Start Early to Avoid Delays and Extra Costs

Infrastructure projects are complex, and successful execution relies on proper planning, coordination, and early involvement of experts. Components often have longer lead times than expected, and delays can arise when physical infrastructure—such as cable ladders or wall openings—isn’t ready on time.

Poor coordination between contractors can also lead to overlapping tasks or unfinished work, preventing cabling teams from working efficiently. For example, electrical or building contractors might still be completing installations in the same area, causing bottlenecks and project overruns.

Engaging specialized cabling contractors early in the process ensures accurate planning and avoids costly missteps. Experts can help you align timelines, define responsibilities, and identify potential risks before work begins, ultimately saving time and reducing costs.

In Conclusion

Cabling infrastructure projects can easily go over budget, face delays, or fail to meet future needs. Avoid pitfalls by:

• Budgeting realistically: Plan for rising costs and consider future-proofing.
• Defining success: Set clear goals, standards, and testing criteria upfront.
• Future-proofing: Build with overhead capacity to save on future expansions.
• Knowing your needs: Involve users, assess current infrastructure, and consult experts.
• Choosing wisely: Opt for standard connection panels to save time and money.
• Planning early: Coordinate contractors and plan timelines carefully to avoid delays.
• Keeping it streamlined: Minimize splitting tasks among contractors to reduce confusion and costs.

Engage experts early for better planning, cost efficiency, and long-term success.

Being one of the few companies in Norway that specialises on multimedia infrastructure and cabling, System has helped a number of clients with their infrastructure projects. The most successful projects have been the projects where we have been involved from the start. 

We’re here to help you succeed. Contact us today to learn how we can guide your project to success - on time and within budget.