Workstation Design And Cable Management

By Author: Larry Tang
Total Articles: 512
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Modular open office panel systems are offered by a variety of manufacturers. Office managers and planners are confronted with a bewildering array of designs and price options. Purchasing decisions have grown more complex with the need to accommodate the massive increase in intelligence being accessed by employees. The term computer-intensive workspace describes a totally different environment from that of 30 years ago when a telephone, electric typewriter or shared word processing systems comprised office technology.

Managing technology in the workspace is a science of its own, says Mark Bassil, vice president and co-founder of modular office systems furniture manufacturer MAiSPACE, based in Mt. Olive, NJ. Standards govern the design and placement of voice, data and video cabling upon which employees depend for high-speed Internet access, for file sharing on their firms' Local Area Networks (LANs) and to communicate with other company locations, customers and suppliers via intranets and extranets.

These standards provide stringent guidelines to protect the integrity of the cable system and to eliminate the ...
... need for constant re-cabling when new applications are added. Facilities managers should be aware of these standards and how they are accommodated by prospective vendors' designs.

There is good reason to pay attention to cabling topologies offered by systems furniture vendors, Bassil says. They must support the moves, adds and changes (MACs) that occur when floor plans are reconfigured. MACs are common in a dynamic and constantly changing workplace in order to better support the type of work being done. They traditionally meant disruptions to LANs as cabling systems were taken down, rerouted and reconnected to serve the revised floor plan. This can be a costly undertaking as network downtime has been pegged at ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 per hour.

A Practical Example

Cable management was a major criterion set by a credit counseling organization for its new call center fitted with nearly 250 workstations, Bassil says. These workstations and supporting equipment are interconnected with some 450 miles of Category 5 cabling and are equipped with four data ports.

This organization had its own in-house experience to apply to the specification stage, having outgrown two other facilities. Together with its interior designer and architect consultant the company looked for a system that provided the ability to route, manage and store voice, data and power cables in compliance with industry standards, Bassil says. It looked for easily accessible cable pathways to support cable management without disrupting the entire office and for separate pathways for power cabling.

Other important criteria were included in the purchasing decision. The organization's professionals are highly trained and among the highest paid in the its industry, Bassil recounts. It wanted an attractive environment, or in the words of its CEO, ‘a fun place to work' to help attract and retain personnel. Ergonomic issues had to be addressed and as a not-for-profit organization it was finely tuned to pricing.

Doing the Homework

All in all, 14 systems from six manufacturers were investigated. During the process it became evident that few manufacturers made a serious effort to accommodate technology in the workplace. Routing for cabling is often cramped, making it extremely difficult to complete runs to workstation outlets. In many cases, accessing cable runs is difficult, which increases the cost of making changes to the system. Cable management issues aside, accommodating other important criteria drove pricing from most vendors beyond reach.

MAiSPACE was selected by this company because we were able to meet all of their criteria including cable management issues in full compliance with industry standards, Bassil states. As part of the package we provided this client with six computer intensive workstations to facilitate hiring of the handicapped. These stations accommodate the full ergonomic triangle of motion, seating through standing, according to the ANSI anthropometric standards.

A Cable Management Check List

Bassil offers advice for companies planning new or updated workplaces based on modular office furniture systems. Cable management for power and voice/data/video is a major challenge to be addressed in technology-intensive workplaces. Make sure the installers are trained and certified for power and data installations, and that all wiring and cabling conform to local codes.

He cautions that Power systems should not share channel space with voice and data systems and should be available for positioning either above or below the work surfaces. The power distribution system should be easily installed and removed. In instances where office floor plans are expected to change over the life of the installation, designs should support plug and play moves, adds and changes (MACs) by trained office technology personnel.

The horizontal voice, data and video cabling system serving the office should conform to applicable industry standards such as TIA/EIA 568-B-1, which specifically addresses cable management for office layouts characterized by frequent MACs.
MAiSPACE.com will help business owners and operators make smart choices in Systems Furniture and Office Cubicles for their offices and selecting the right Workstation Design and Cable Management.