Getting from A to B

The fact that so many tenders are won or lost on a cost basis is a harsh reality of business. Sometimes, however, the ostensibly cheaper option may not necessarily be the most cost-effective, and it’s up to consultants and contractors to demonstrate a value-led angle.

When it comes to specifying the electrical fit-out of a building, the like-for-like costs of a traditional hard-wired system should easily win over a modular busbar system.

Until you look beyond the cost of the system itself, that is, and consider labour costs, time saved on site, faster occupancy and the marketing advantage of a more flexible building.

Consider all these factors and it’s clear that specifying a traditional hard-wired system on the basis that it’s cheaper is very short-sighted and not in the best interests of the client.

While you can bet that the developer doesn’t want to waste money on a Cat A fit-out that’s only going to be changed by tenants anyway, a more holistic approach than just comparing the cost of traditional and modular materials will certainly pay dividends.

After all, time really is money, not only for the developer but for the contractors and the tenant too, so reducing the time spent on the Cat A installation and the conversion to Cat B by using a modular power distribution network will far outweigh the cost advantages of hard-wired systems.

Take labour costs, for example. While installation of traditional hard-wired systems requires a high level of skills on site, modular busbar systems are prewired off site, and installation is a mechanical task rather than a job for a skilled electrician.

As a result, the job needs less skilled labour for a shorter amount of time, so the labour costs are dramatically lower than those for a traditional hard-wired system.

Labour availability is another issue here. The significant shortage of qualified electricians can sometimes lead to delays on sites where skilled tradesmen are required, so just by reducing the number of electricians needed to complete the installation, modular busbar systems can offer a major advantage.

Let’s not forget that a big factor in the cost of any scheme for a developer is the time it takes for a building to start paying its way, so any methods for reducing the build schedule without compromising on quality are extremely attractive.

When it comes to saving time on site, busbar’s colour-coded lengths make the installation quick and easy. What’s more, with outlets every 300 mm, the system also offers maximum flexibility.

There’s no time-consuming hard-wiring to do on site. It’s just like building a giant Meccano set.

At Electrak, we provide a full set of installation diagrams for each job, and there’s no time-consuming hard-wiring to do on site. It’s just like building a giant Meccano set. All the installation team needs to do is fix everything together according to the plan.

It’s not just the developer that benefits from busbar’s speed of installation and flexibility. The tenant who has to wait for the Cat B fit-out before moving in also benefits from the plug-and-play approach.

Converting a traditional hard-wired system from Cat A to Cat B fit-out often means starting again from scratch, with the newly installed power distribution network being ripped out and delays while the tenant waits for new wiring to be installed. By contrast, modular busbar systems offer much greater flexibility, and completing the Cat B fit-out can be as simple as reconfiguring what’s already been put in place with the Cat A installation.

There is simply no need for the Cat B fit-out to become yet another hurdle that the tenant must overcome before they can move in.

With modular busbar systems, Cat B is an opportunity to exploit the functionality that busbar offers.

Tenants may want to add A/V interfacing or additional building controls, and all of that can be achieved by plugging in systems or sensors according to their requirements and reprogramming the installation.

On the face of it, the ease of conversion from Cat A to Cat B that modular busbar systems offer may appear to be an advantage to the tenant rather than the developer.

In reality, it’s both parties that benefit. Not only is the convenience of adapting the building’s electrical installation to their needs quickly and easily a significant selling point for the tenant, it also benefits the landlord by allowing tenants to take up occupancy quicker.

The bottom line is that developers don’t simply want to get the building finished, they want to have tenants occupying space and paying rent.

Surely the advantages of a system that helps achieve all of this must recommend busbar as the most cost-effective route from A to B?