The slippery slope of network implementations
The CLEC and IXC world is an ever-changing environment. Navigating InterConnect Agreements, NIS-Network Information Sheets, project planning, meetings, Layer 1 network, ASRs, FCC reform, are just a few of the items that need to be managed. It takes a skilled and dedicated person to provision and turn up a CLEC or IXC network; one who knows his way around the massive, entangled hierarchy of the big “LECs.”
I recently had a conversation with a VP of network, telling me it took them over 7 months to order and provision their CLEC trunks. I listened intently as he roiled at the COLO vendor, the switch vendor, the Layer 1 network provider, ASRs that never seemed to be correct, Obtaining POIs and 1000 blocks, then testing the network, reordering this piece and that. Whew, that was a mouthful and an earful also. Well, welcome to my world.
But while I was listening to him throw every available vendor and person under the bus, one thing stood out as a common thread in his whole network debacle. No one person seemed to be in charge or responsible for the entire network turn-up, and those that were involved had their regular full-time jobs to perform as well. One of the advantages of hiring an outside Consultant to manage this process is that the Consultant focuses his entire time managing all of the intertwined and linked parts of the project. The consultant sees the impact of a COLO cross-connect delay, or of a circuit not turned up on time, or a switch translation not provisioned correctly. If you look closely at a typical project plan, almost every task in the plan will have a “predecessor” task and time line. If these predecessors aren’t followed closely, then additional serial delays occur thus delaying the eventual and final turn-up of the network. A Consultant is there to not only manage the time line and implementation of tasks but also to foresee problems that may be on the horizon. With years of experience, (and some gray hair to go with it), a Consultant can use their crystal ball and see possible delays if this task or that task is not completed on time. Delays in many cases can be avoided, just because of the gut-instinct of a seasoned Consultant.
In a nutshell, the money and time saved by utilizing a professional Consultant to plan and implement your network is well worth the money spent.
Ron Grob is a 30+ year veteran of the Telecom industry, specializing in Complex Telecom Project Management, network design, provisioning, and testing. He can be contacted through his Linkedin inmail.
