Why You Need a Provisioning and Project Management Service
If you operate in the telecom and IT industry, you realize how critical provisioning and project management can be. These activities can mean the difference between your business's success or failure. However, provisioning and project management are complex tasks with several moving parts that require specific expertise.
Between coordinating assignments among multiple vendors and employees, there are a lot of activities and milestones to monitor. Whether you're embarking on a technology migration or routine MACD telecom project, it helps to have a provisioning and project management service like Vactic on your side. Let's examine why a service's capabilities can benefit your company and its projects.
Vendor Consulting is a Must for Successful Projects
It's not a secret that telecom projects involve and depend on more than one vendor. You've got equipment for central offices, cell towers, and buried infrastructure. On top of all the supplies, you may work with software and installation vendors. To make a build-out run smoothly, leaders must write requests for proposals or RFPs. With telecom outsourcing, there may be more than one RFP to assemble and distribute to potential bidders. In addition, you have to determine what your minimum requirements are for the project, including technical specifications and deadlines.
After bids and proposal responses start rolling in, the next step is to evaluate each bid. Some organizations have evaluation criteria and methods to work with. Yet, many don't and aren't sure how to objectively determine which proposal best fits the project's needs. A provisioning and project management service has decades of experience with telecom outsourcing projects and vetting vendors. The team can design and prepare RFPs while streamlining the evaluation process.
The benefits include saving time and resources. Instead of trying to learn the ins and outs of RFPs and vendor selection, a service determines the suitable suppliers and contractors for each project. For every telecom procurement initiative, the service will select suppliers and vendors that can either meet or exceed project requirements. Say you've got a fiber build-out project in a remote area. Selecting fiber optic suppliers that will take longer to deliver the materials could delay the project and impact any secured grants or funding to cover the costs.
Examining and comparing criteria, such as customer service track records, client reviews, and average fulfillment times, will help telecom companies select the best vendor. However, using a weighted average to determine the importance of delivery times versus other criteria is a more comprehensive evaluation method. A third party with vendor consulting experience can bring these invaluable insights to the table, ensuring projects get off the ground without a hitch.
An external third party can bring a holistic view to resource management. A service will point out places where there are opportunities to strengthen resource coordination or internal collaboration. Take, for example, a technology migration project that involves users' email accounts. Migration initiatives like these are usually "all hands on deck" projects where the handoff and syncing of tasks between divisions are necessary. Sometimes putting all responsibilities for resource management in a third party's hands reduces the chances of mishaps or mistakes.
That's because third-party services can focus solely on the procurement process and coordinate the resources it will take to complete a project. Internal staff members have a myriad of competing responsibilities. They may not have enough time to devote enough attention to resource management. For a service, telecom consulting is the sole task. They can spend the time it takes to complete every sub-assignment that's required to implement successful projects.
Project Management Headaches Are Alleviated
The reality is that projects fail, and it's usually because of poor management. In fact, common reasons projects fall flat are tied to insufficient management practices. Those reasons are:
- Unclear goals or objectives
- Too high or unrealistic expectations
- A lack of proper testing or measurement methods
- Subpar resource planning or coordination
- Cultures that clash and conflict
- A lack of accountability
- Little transparency and unclear communication
- Adding more items to a project's scope as it progresses
Although these symptoms of poor project management can be traced to a lack of tools like software applications, they're usually caused by a lack of know-how. The leaders who are attempting to manage a project's activities believe they know how to do it. However, they may not be trained or certified in project management. This can lead to poor execution and the application of incorrect tactics or measures. For instance, rookie project managers might fail to outline a strategic roadmap for everyone and then wonder why milestones aren't getting completed.
A service shortens the learning curve for companies that don't have the time to learn or master project management procedures and processes. These organizations are usually certified in project management and have software apps and other tools to oversee all of a project's moving parts. This includes the handoff of tasks, moving deliverables through the review and approval process, and overcoming potential cultural clashes. These conflicts are more likely to happen when separate groups or employees don't understand how their work fits into the project's scope.
Misunderstandings of interdependent assignments and responsibilities produce several mismanagement symptoms. A lack of transparency, no accountability, and unclear goalposts come to mind. But with a technology migration or telecom procurement project, there is little room for these types of errors. You've got clients and subscribers who depend on the company's ability to deliver superior service. And if your firm isn't going to do it and meet customers' needs, they'll find a competitor that will.
Process Improvement Consulting Takes Project Management to the Next Level
Managers who achieve or exceed their business objectives know that it is processes that fail and not people. Failure or less than desirable results usually originate from the absence of strategies or ones that are weak and contain gaps. A failure to plan often produces procedures and processes that aren't well thought out and leave holes and confusion. Say you launch a new program and start advertising it. But your sales team doesn't know how it works, and customers are unclear about how to sign up. You'll likely see lower-than-expected enrollment numbers and a lot of confusion that leads sales reps to ignore and denounce the program.
Yet, when managers recognize a process or procedure isn't working, they're not always sure how to fix it. They may also experience difficulty determining what processes need improvement. In telecom, these moments of hesitation and uncertainty can cost a service provider money. Subscribers won't put up with inefficiency, confusion, or terms and conditions that ignore their wishes. Poor installation and build-out processes could produce unexpected outages and service disruptions that are almost certain to lead to churn and financial insolvency.
Working with a partner that knows how to target processes for improvement mitigates the risks that come from subpar or insufficient planning. Organizations specializing in telecom outsourcing and telecom consulting will dive deep into a carrier's procedures, including those that may not yet be fully formed. For example, this may be the first time a service provider deals with a 5G rollout. At the same time, the carrier has to replace radio transmission equipment on all towers due to new government regulations.
Current processes may not exist for such a large or complex rollout. If the carrier relies on existing procedures, employees will grow frustrated and make costly mistakes. Experienced partners that have designed related processes can help design procedures that facilitate a 5G rollout and simultaneous network-wide equipment replacement. They can pinpoint ways to make existing processes more robust and which procedures should be replaced. By implementing a consultant's recommendations, efficiency and productivity will increase.
Managing MACD Telecom Activities Frees Up Resources
MACD telecom requests are internal move, add, change, and disconnect orders for employees. When someone new joins the company, they need equipment to do their job, including a company-issued phone and service. As soon as that person leaves, that equipment needs to come back to HR, and the administration should cut off the service. In-between onboarding and separation, a staff member may need to swap out equipment or add telecom services. All these requests can take away time and resources from other employees who normally provision client services.
Therefore, it shouldn't be surprising that an external consultant can handle MACD telecom activities for organizations. Handing over these responsibilities can make the process more efficient for employees. Because staff members aren't overburdened with too many tasks, employees who need a new phone and activated service can obtain it more quickly. Plus, a vendor will coordinate the move, add, change, and disconnect orders from HR. This gives HR staff breathing room to handle other onboarding, exit interview, and payroll-related tasks.
Some companies work with telecom carriers to provide complimentary service to employees. Others are wireless carriers, phone companies, or ISPs that allow employees to use services for professional and personal purposes for free. A few items, such as phone or equipment upgrades, may come at a reduced cost. Regardless of the situation, a consulting firm can still handle all MACD requests to increase efficiency or keep expenses as low as possible.
MACD requests may also cover needs in the field or within retail networks. Say a facility must install a new internet circuit or has to undergo repairs to the building's telecom infrastructure. Consulting services will determine everything that should be replaced or repaired. They can also negotiate with equipment suppliers and contractors to perform the upgrades, replacements, and repairs.
Have a Single Point of Contact for Complex Deployments
Telecommunications projects are complex from the start. A few clients may need voice and data lines, with so many channels devoted to voice and another set of channels to carry data transmissions. Complex deployments typically require the cooperation of multiple service providers and suppliers. A consulting service becomes a single point of contact that ensures all the right moving parts are in place. They can negotiate start and end dates between providers while keeping the client's deadline in mind.
Working with a partner means that they'll be the ones escalating problems if and when they arise. For example, there could be delays with a local exchange carrier or LEC. That LEC may have been scheduled to install infrastructure by a specific date. However, supply chain disruptions have caused the completion of the infrastructure build to be put on the back burner. An escalation may move the completion up on the provider's schedule and closer to the original timetable, provided the root cause is fixed.
A vendor consulting partner can also serve as a single point of contact for customers. This will streamline communications, eliminate client confusion, and reduce wait times. Nothing is more frustrating for clients than not getting a timely answer or one that doesn't fully address the question or concern. Since partners are in contact with all service providers contributing to a project, they can deliver accurate and speedy answers to customers. This will increase satisfaction and loyalty levels, ensuring future build-out projects come your way.
Additional types of complex projects consulting partners might handle include one-offs and special deployments. These initiatives could encompass requirements your firm hasn't handled before or early-stage technologies. With these projects, some delays and hiccups are to be expected. A partner experienced with crisis communications and brand reputation management can be invaluable in these situations.
Reasons to Work With a Provisioning and Project Management Service
Hopefully, the benefits of working with a telecom consultant are clear and motivating enough to find a suitable firm. Telecommunications is a highly competitive industry, with razor-thin profit margins and increased churn risks. From a consumer's point of view, services are more or less a commodity. While many service providers try to compete on price, this strategy is not enough.
Telecom carriers and providers need to develop a compelling reason for clients to choose to do business with them. Other than price, a company's values and service delivery practices help carriers stand out. A management service that streamlines costs, improves internal and customer-facing processes and handles the accuracy and timeliness of communications will help elevate providers above the rest.
Ready for More? Check out these articles:
Telecom Expense Management (TEM) Outsourcing: How Can It Help My Business?
Guide to Choosing the Right Managed Mobility Service Provider
About the Author: James Pencek
James has been with Vatic since 2011 and currently manages both the Optimization and Business Intelligence units, as well as operations for the Telecom Expense Management (TEM) team. His teams utilize data and analytics to improve efficiency, reduce spending, and enhance overall customer experience.
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