Chapter 26:
Developing a Telecommunications Operations Plan

Overview

This chapter highlights some of the administrative responsibilities of a telecommunications manager’s job and the importance of organizing and controlling operations planning and execution within an organization. An operations plan supports the daily operations of an organization and includes the following elements: service ordering, record keeping, service evaluation, maintenance, moves, adds, and changes, disaster planning, budgeting and controlling expenses, paying vendor bill and technical planning.

Service-Ordering Process

A process used in determining what services the company needs. It uses a telecommunications’ work order form to order these services for the company.

There are four primary purposes:
·        Summary of work and wire assignment usage
·        Communication of work performance from technician to record center
·        Verification of accuracy of vendor’s bills
·        Charging the cost of work to the party

Maintaining Records

Moves, adds, and changes (MACs) or reported trouble necessitate good records. Poor record- keeping can increase expenses and delays service provisions of many telecommunications departments. These companies should have certain documentation, location records, wiring and assignment records, station type and feature assignment records, distributing frame drawings, inventory of major component, and record integrity checks.

Documentation

·        PBX, LAN or other data equipment port assignments
·        Wiring plant cable and pair assignments for both voice and data
·        User identification, including department names and number if you charge back costs
·        Station location (floor, room, cubicle, etc.)
·        Equipment location records
·        Voice and data station type and feature assignment records
·        Major components inventory

Location Records

To document where equipment is physically located.

Wiring and Assignment Records

·        Purpose to maintain, install and rearrange equipment
·        Lists all equipment, cabling, address records and features connected with each user’s service
·        Consists of inventory and assignment records

Station Type and Feature Assignment Records

Details type of equipment located at each station (example: type of telephone set)

Distributing Frame Drawings

Records of distributing frame layout should be kept to ensure consistency and record integrity

Inventory of Major Components

Inventory of major components has two purposes:
·        Serves as continuing property record for tax and management audits
·        Serves as a record for administering manufacturer’s upgrades 

Record Integrity Checks

To avoid record discrepancies, enforce calling for assignment changes, require the changes to be shown on work order and periodically verify records

Telemanagement Systems

Telemanagement systems are a telecommunications facility management package. This applications software system consists of a combination of modules. Select an effective telemanagement system that meets your needs. All of the modules are not basic requirements. A telecommunications facility management package consists of a combination of the following modules:
·        Call accounting
·        User database
·        Work order system
·        Cable management system
·        Trouble ticketing system
·        Directory support system
·        Billing system (if your company charges back to departments or clients)
·        Vendor management system

Service Evaluation Plan

A service evaluation plan is a plan used by a telecommunication manager to evaluate service from the user’s standpoint, both internal and external. Processes should be included in the evaluation plan and there are service level categories of measurements.

Receiving and Analyzing Trouble Reports

A company should have a central help desk set up for receiving and analyzing trouble reports.

The trouble report is recorded on a trouble ticket and forwarded to the appropriate personnel.

Trouble ticket sections are the following:
·        1^st section-date/time of receipt, name/phone number of reporting party, identification of equipment, nature of trouble, diagnosis
·        2^nd section-preliminary diagnosis by the help desk to determine assignment of vendor or technician
·        3^rd section-date and time service restored, nature of trouble, work done to clear trouble, number of hours spent, material used, cause of trouble, and trouble ticket codes list

The Telecommunications Operation Review

The telecommunications operation review is a technique used as a guide for evaluating the existing telecommunications management process. The purpose of the review is to evaluate whether corrective action results in improved performance.

Procedures exists, reviewer obtains copies of relevant documents for further analysis. No procedures, notation made of need for further action. Purpose of review not to cast blame but to gain quick look at whether corrective action will result in improved performance.

Material collected and analyzed to answer following questions:
·        Are the proper procedures in place to enable management to reach a reasonable balance between cost and service?
·        Are the procedures documented?
·        Are the procedures being used?
·        Is there a single point of contact for all service requests?
·        Are purchased services regularly evaluated to be certain the company is getting its money’s worth?
·        Are the various telecommunications elements organized for maximum effectiveness?  

Telemanagement System Selection Considerations

A telecommunication system is a collection of modules performing functions the developer decides to include.

The telecommunications system selection process begins with questions such as:
·       What existing systems do we have in place?  Do we expect to replace them or integrate then into the telemanagement system?
·        What objectives do we have for telemanagement?  Do we expect to control costs, reduce service intervals, manage vendors more effectively, and obtain better cost and service data?
·        What modules are essential, which are nice to have, and which are completely unwanted?
·        What are the primary criteria the vendor and the product must meet – local support staff, support for a particular hardware or software platform, web integration, etc?