About Cabling Installation & Maintenance

Our mission: Bringing practical business and technical intelligence to today's structured cabling professionals

For more than 30 years, Cabling Installation & Maintenance has provided useful, practical information to professionals responsible for the specification, design, installation and management of structured cabling systems serving enterprise, data center and other environments. These professionals are challenged to stay informed of constantly evolving standards, system-design and installation approaches, product and system capabilities, technologies, as well as applications that rely on high-performance structured cabling systems. Our editors synthesize these complex issues into multiple information products. This portfolio of information products provides concrete detail that improves the efficiency of day-to-day operations, and equips cabling professionals with the perspective that enables strategic planning for networks’ optimum long-term performance.

Throughout our annual magazine, weekly email newsletters and 24/7/365 website, Cabling Installation & Maintenance digs into the essential topics our audience focuses on.

  • Design, Installation and Testing: We explain the bottom-up design of cabling systems, from case histories of actual projects to solutions for specific problems or aspects of the design process. We also look at specific installations using a case-history approach to highlight challenging problems, solutions and unique features. Additionally, we examine evolving test-and-measurement technologies and techniques designed to address the standards-governed and practical-use performance requirements of cabling systems.
  • Technology: We evaluate product innovations and technology trends as they impact a particular product class through interviews with manufacturers, installers and users, as well as contributed articles from subject-matter experts.
  • Data Center: Cabling Installation & Maintenance takes an in-depth look at design and installation workmanship issues as well as the unique technology being deployed specifically for data centers.
  • Physical Security: Focusing on the areas in which security and IT—and the infrastructure for both—interlock and overlap, we pay specific attention to Internet Protocol’s influence over the development of security applications.
  • Standards: Tracking the activities of North American and international standards-making organizations, we provide updates on specifications that are in-progress, looking forward to how they will affect cabling-system design and installation. We also produce articles explaining the practical aspects of designing and installing cabling systems in accordance with the specifications of established standards.

Cabling Installation & Maintenance is published by Endeavor Business Media, a division of EndeavorB2B.

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RELEX Report: Economic Pressures Force Supply Chain Reality Check - 60% of Companies Investing in AI, But Nearly Half Face Talent Constraints

RELEX’s second annual State of the Supply Chain report reveals widening gap between AI ambitions and execution as inflation drives retailers to private label expansion

Companies are aggressively investing in AI across supply chains to counter inflation and trade volatility, but a growing execution gap threatens to derail these efforts, according to the second annual State of Supply Chain 2025: Balancing Inflation, Investment & Innovation report from RELEX Solutions.

While 60% of surveyed companies are prioritizing AI and automation investments, nearly half (44%) can't find the specialized talent needed to implement these technologies. Companies also struggle with budget constraints that limit their ability to scale AI initiatives (43%) as well as poor data quality (39%).

The comprehensive study surveyed 500+ retail, CPG manufacturing, and wholesale professionals across seven countries, revealing how economic headwinds are simultaneously driving technology investment and forcing strategic pivots:

  • Inflation is reshaping retail strategies – 31% of retailers are optimizing operations and 31% are adjusting pricing to stay competitive
  • Private label expansion has become mainstream – 59% of retailers are growing own-brand portfolios as consumers seek value
  • Food and beverage manufacturers face margin pressure – 70% have increased discounting aggressively, while 40% have introduced value-tier products

These findings expand on the early released findings of the report showing 60% of companies fundamentally restructuring their supply chains, with 52% citing demand volatility as their primary challenge and 47% concerned about tariff uncertainty and trade disruptions.

"Today's supply chain leaders face a dual challenge – they must innovate through technology while adapting to economic pressures," said Dr. Madhav Durbha, Group Vice President of Manufacturing Industry Strategy at RELEX Solutions. "The gap between AI's potential and its practical implementation represents both the greatest risk and opportunity in supply chain transformation today."

The report also identifies Generative AI (59%), Predictive AI (43%), and Cloud-native solutions (34%) as the top technology investment priorities, with most companies allocating between 5-20% of their technology budgets to AI-driven solutions despite market volatility.

“As businesses navigate economic volatility and evolving consumer behaviors, the report underscores the importance of flexible supply chain strategies that combine technology investment with operational agility,” said Durbha. “Organizations that can bridge the gap between AI’s potential and practical implementation will gain a competitive edge, while those that lag behind may struggle to keep pace.”

Methodology

The RELEX State of Supply Chain 2025: Balancing Inflation, Investment & Innovation report provides deeper insights into the challenges, investment priorities, and strategies shaping supply chains over the next 3-5 years. The report was conducted by Researchscape, surveying 519 retail, CPG manufacturing, and wholesale leaders globally in January 2025.

For more insights, download the complete report here.

About RELEX

RELEX Solutions provides a unified supply chain and retail planning platform that aligns and optimizes demand, merchandising, supply chain, operations and production planning across the end-to-end value chain. We help retailers, manufacturers, and consumer goods companies like ADUSA, AutoZone, Coles, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, M&S Food, PetSmart, and The Home Depot drive profitable growth across all sales and distribution channels, leading to higher product availability, increased sales, and improved sustainability. Learn more at: https://www.relexsolutions.com/customers/

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