Page 596 - Handbook of Modern Telecommunications

Network Organization and Governance 4-127

Highlighting gaps in network
management processes,
tools, standards and human
resources

Comparing targeted company
Generic directions to industry average and/or to
of benchmarking
best practice

Preparing outsourcing
decision with diligenug

FIGu RE 4.7.1 Benchmarking directions.
benchmarking etiquette that says you should never ask a benchmarking partner a question that
you should have been able to answer for yourself through researching the literature in the public
domain.
• Mistake 10: Not having a code of ethics and contract agreed to with partners. Your partners should
be clear about what you are seeking to learn from them, how that information will be treated, who
will have access to it, and for what purposes it will be used. Ideally, this should be formally agreed.
The benchmarking code of practice offered by the American Productivity and Quality Center
provides a useful model.
4.7.1.5 Network Management Benchmarks
Budget pressures force network managers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the use of their
communication networks. The key to improvements lies in processes, instruments, standards, and in
human resources of network management. In most cases, however, network managers are not fully
aware of the value of their operation: are they stronger or weaker than the industry average. Network
management audits and benchmarks help to answer this question.
Network management means deploying and coordinating resources in order to plan, operate, admin-
ister, analyze, evaluate, design, and expand networks to meet service level objectives at all times at a
reasonable cost, and with reasonable capacity.
Basically, network management benchmarks can be utilized for the following three purposes
(Figure 4.7.1):
• Highlighting gaps in network management processes, tools, standards, and human resources
• Comparison with industry average or with best practice
• Preparation of additional outsourcing decisions to service providers
In the first two cases, indicators are needed to quantify performance. Benchmarking requires the use
of various data collection techniques, such as forms, to evaluate what network management processes
are supported, what instruments are used, what management protocols have been implemented, how
human resources are assigned to processes and instruments, and what are the skill levels of the manage-
ment team. In order to get feedback about the networking environment, investments made, and process
details, three different questionnaires are used. They can be filled in prior to or during the benchmarking
process. In order to quantify and compare the quality of network management, a number of benchmark-
ing metrics are used, grouped around generic, organizational, process specific, and costs indicators. The
results may be used by the overseer to identify areas of improvements or to compare performance with
the industry average or with the best practice. Usually, benchmarking clients are interested to do both.