While they depend on each other, construction and engineering can often be two different worlds. More often than not, a field technician is confused between the design plans they’ve been given and the task in front of them — the design plan doesn’t match the terrain; the blueprint doesn’t reflect the reality.
The design plan may look perfect in the eyes of an engineer, but for the field tech who has to actually run the fiber into the home, the plan can be riddled with snags — from an unforeseen fire hydrant to a contentious homeowner.
While it may seem like a trivial issue, it's actually a common disconnect for field tradesfolk and engineers, according to Bob Bartz, an industry veteran and engineering lead at CHR Solutions. That misalignment causes a ripple effect — slowing installs, increasing rework and putting pressure on crews to improvise solutions that reduce quality and longevity.
“Through my construction career, I had to pay for plenty of rework because my team misinterpreted prints and built something wrong that wouldn't light in the end," he told Broadband Nation. "Then the debate is: well, is the engineering firm responsible, is the construction team, who's responsible for the rework? Well, let's just split the bill, all that ugly stuff.”
Bartz has had a vast career, both in the field and at the drawing board. He believes that while the common blame game between engineering and construction isn’t malicious, it can “avalanche” into costly issues, reduce the quality of the work, and come back to hurt workers who may be excellent in their trade, but simply weren’t communicating.
Because often, Bartz said, “What really drives the potential network build issues are environmentals that the engineer didn't anticipate,” and a field worker doing the best they can with makeshift solutions rather than consulting someone who understands the design plans.
A support line for crews in the field
From Bartz's view, two things need to happen: engineers need to stop designing for engineers — assuming ideal conditions — and start designing for the field. At the same time, field workers need an avenue for support when designs aren't going to work. That’s why he created a help line — to put engineers and field techs on the same page in real-time. The 24/7 construction help line keeps communication running from the first sketch to the final in-home signal.
When a field worker isn’t able to do what an engineer intended, a simple text connects the two — all within a matter of minutes, according to Bartz.
The engineering team can then assess the best course of action, including bringing in fiber assignment engineers or route engineers, to ensure the issue is resolved correctly the first time.
As simple as it seems, field workers need to be comfortable with the mentality: “I don't know, I need to call,” said Bartz. Leaning into a learning and collaborative mindset is often encouraged in the industry. Bartz feels the help line epitomizes this approach.
Every call "should be a learning experience for both the engineer, who might not have ever built anything on the right-of-way [land set aside for utility lines and public access], and the construction person that doesn’t understand the engineering,” he explained.
“Those two people have the opportunity to advance their knowledge of the industry, advance what’s going on... and become better broadband engineers and better broadband construction folks,” he continued.
Creating a collaborative space helps the workers just as much as it does the business and the neighborhoods receiving the infrastructure, concluded Bartz, it just comes down to getting planners and builders on the same page.
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