FTTH network builders can significantly reduce the amount of expensive optical fibre they throw away thanks to a new initiative from French cabling experts, ACOME Group .
Every day, broadband companies waste on average 10% of the full fibre cable they deploy owing to a lack of knowledge of how much cable they have available in stock or on the field. ACOME’s QR-Drum assigns a QR code to each cable drum which works as its digital twin, keeping a record of cable lengths, locations and deployment history. This allows much more efficient fibre management, cutting fibre cable waste by half or more, and saving up to 5% on cable costs.
QR-Drum not only facilitates precise cable inventory management, providing information down to the last metre, it also streamlines and enhances the efficiency of the logistical process.
“Faced with higher interest rates, a need to cut costs and improve deployment efficiency, QR-Drum has been launched by ACOME Group to address a common industry issue of a lack of visibility on available cable lengths leading to overstocking issues”, said ACOME’s QR Drum Product Manager, Delphine Dépont. “Reducing all forms of waste is a key element in any sustainability strategy. By limiting waste and landfill, the QR-Drum solution will help improve the environmental profile of the broadband sector.”
QR-Drum, which is compatible with any manufacturers’ cable-drum, has been designed as close to the field as possible, with the help of operational teams, digitalising a work monitoring tool to streamline operations for on-site users and logistics teams alike.
The platform caters to two types of users. Users ‘in the field’ have a mobile app to deploy and record data, and those managing stock use the desktop dashboard to monitor availability and waste in real time. This dual-access approach helps contractors see exactly which installers still have stock, eliminating the guesswork on whether to reorder more materials.
“The inability to track exact remaining cable lengths and the inordinate amount of time spent on inventories and logistics tracking, has long been a hindering factor in operational and cost efficiency in our industry,” Delphine added.
“The QR Drum offers significant benefits by reducing both costs and cable waste,” said Thomas Cantin, Director of Digital Development at the Department Council of Ariège in Southwestern France, which used the solution. “With precise stock management, we’ve been able to avoid surplus fibre reels at project completion, achieving a 5% cost savings while minimising waste—a critical expense in cable management.“
QR-Drum offers cloud-based GPS tracking, providing real-time access to data for each drum used by teams spread across the country, working for various subcontractors. Dashboards are effective tools for monitoring and controlling equipment consumption.
It also helps dispatch the right drum for the job, whether for larger projects requiring fuller drums or smaller tasks that can use partially used drums. It supports proactive stock planning by helping to avoid dead stocks and offers performance indicators as part of the platform.
For more information about QR-Drum, you can watch the video case study or visit: https://www.acome.com/en/publications/446-expert-opinions/3278-cut-fibre-cable-wastage-50-qr-drum-digital-platform
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About ACOME Group
ACOME Group is an international industrial and cooperative company that designs and manufactures high-performing cables for the data and telecom infrastructure, building, and transport and automotive sectors.
ACOME has established itself in the UK to supply the market with FTTH telecom products based on its Nanomodule technology, which is specifically designed for UK operators and builders to help reduce costs, time and environmental impact.
With 13 factories in 7 countries, 9 logistic centres, and 2 R&D centres, ACOME employs more than 1700 people worldwide. The company turned over €558million in 2023. Find out more at https://www.acome.com/en or on LinkedIn or Twitter.
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