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Wireways: Wrangle Office Cables for Safety and Aesthetics

April 27, 2018

Implementing electrical cord organizers known as wireways has a number of benefits, including safety for people, a cleaner look of the space, cord durability and space flexibility.

Each new piece of technology in your space adds at least one cable or cord. Even wireless options often need to plug in to recharge. Electrical cord organizers can help alleviate many issues associated with cables. Wireways result in a safer and more design-pleasing workspace.

Every building has issues with cable management, from conference rooms to auditoriums, classrooms and courtrooms, notes Steve Batchelder, Director of Sales at Connectrac. For older buildings built before the amount of technology used today was a factor, the need for wireways can be even greater.

Batchelder has seen temporary solutions to the problem ranging from carpet tiles laid on top of wires so people don’t trip or cables held in place with shredded tape. “The cables need to be fixed, replaced, managed and protected,” he says.

Electrical cord organizers have a number of benefits:

  • Safety. Cables are out of sight and covered. “Exposed wires are a liability,” Batchelder points out.
  • Cable durability. They’re protected, rather than exposed, which can save on expensive repair costs.
  • Aesthetic design of the space for clients and users. “People might be bringing in clients to a space where the building looks great, but the conference room has cables all over,” Batchelder says. “You want them to focus on your business, not that they see extension cords, tape or a rubber bump.”
  • Flexibility. Wireways can meet changing needs through expansion or reconfiguring the space.

Cable Management Ideas

People often don’t know what types of cable management options are available. Batchelder says that people often first notice a need during a remodel or some trigger when cables are being added to an area.

When assessing if a wireway solution would benefit the space, Batchelder suggests people ask themselves a few things before beginning:

  • Walk from room to room asking, “What do we see?” If there are cables on the floor, a cable management solution can fix the problem.
  • What updates or changes are you planning? Are you going to leave the carpet or are you remodeling?
  • What’s the traffic like in the area?
  • What’s the room used for, and will it continue to be used like that?

“The cost of cable management is inexpensive compared to figuring out where a damaged Cat cable is,” Batchelder explains.

About the Author

Valerie Dennis Craven | Director of Accounts, Stamats & Contributing Writer

Valerie is an experienced journalist with an emphasis in the B2B market. As the former director of editorial services for i+s, she led the editorial staff in producing the multiple assets we offer: articles, podcasts, webinars, social media, CEUs and more. Valerie enjoys writing about technology and the way people work.

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