Electrical Connection Summer 2016

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64 E L EC TR I C AL CONNEC T I ON SUMME R 20 1 6
CABLING BY THE NUMBERS
I t is often quite difficult to quanitfy
an industry, and the cabling sector is
no different.
What makes the industry tick? What
do cablers consider to be the biggest
challenges and opportunities facing
their businesses today?
These are important industry
questions but there really are no
metrics available to let the industry
know the issues that the folks on the
tools care about most.
Until now.
Earlier this year, the Australian
Digital and Telecommunications
Industry Association (ADTIA) and cabler
registry service TITAB surveyed their
membership base, to identify just how
they saw the current state of the union.
These are the findings.
WHOARE YOU?
When participants were asked to
describe the activities they performed
in their job, the responses included:
> Installation of telecommunications
and data cabling;
> Installation of customer premises
systems; and equipment; and,
> Integration of new systems
and equipment into the
telecommunications network.
ROOMFOR IMPROVEMENT
When asked to list three areas they
would like to see improved within the
industry, the majority of suggestions
for improving the industry related to
the need for:
> More training opportunities and
improved access to training at
all levels;
> Strategies to improve standards and
methods of disseminating information
about changes to standards;
> Increased inspections by the
Regulator to ensure licensing
requirements and regulations are
complied with; and,
> Improved access to employment
opportunities and ongoing work.
ASTREAMLINEDAPPROACH
Respondents were asked to describe
any ideas or technologies that could be
adopted by the industry to streamline
work practices. Responses included:
> More research and adoption of new
technologies;
> Creation of a standardised Standards
app that will help engineers design
better networks and make it easier to
build and fault find;
> TCA1 and 2 forms to be collected
and stored on the web so that
subsequent cablers can access them
to see what previous work has been
done, especially if TCAs onsite can’t
be found;
> Production of an app for smart
devices using the iOS and Android OS
to assist with cabling rules, i.e. search
facility on wiring rules, cabling
rules etc.;
> A bidding site for members to bid on
customers work needed;
> Easy access for customers to report
on work done by installer (Web or
App) to get feedback on good (or not
so good) installation practices;
> Availability of a helpdesk for
contractors;
> A cloud based resource for installation
techniques and ideas, something that
installers can collaborate with and
access to find what other cablers have
done to complete jobs.
FINANCIALMATTERS
When asked what financial
assistance or tax incentives would
help in their businesses, the majority
of respondents felt that they would
benefit from subsidies for tools,
training incentives as well as tax
breaks such as:
> Tools/Vehicle/Registration/Work
clothing subsidies, fuel usage and
travel (long distances);
> Tax breaks or training compensation
for wages of employees;
> Not having to be a company when you
are an individual;
> Corporate tax incentives for
standards training; and,
> Streamlined Tax system, too
much time spent collecting the
Governments GST.
On the following page, we have
highlighted further key findings from
the report for cablers to use with
the hope of further defining their
businesses and the industry.
> ADTIA
> TITAB
TWO INDUSTRY GROUPS HAVE
TAKEN STOCK OF HOW THE
AUSTRALIAN CABLING INDUSTRY
IS TRACKING. BELOWARE
THEIR FINDINGS.
The industry is seeking increased inspections by
the Regulator to ensure licensing requirements and
regulations are complied with.
FACTS AND FIGURES