Page 599 - Handbook of Modern Telecommunications

4-130 CRC Handbook of Modern Telecommunications, Second Edition

• Errors in measurements due to not using the right tools or not using the right settings of param-
eters of the tool.
• Dishonest or biased interview partners can skew practically all answers in the questionnaire and
in interviews making filtering out the true answers on behalf of the benchmarking team almost
impossible. All interviews to be conducted in the Network Operating Centers (NOC) could prove
just the opposite. Each person is willing to help and is motivated for improvements.
• Lack of documentation on processes, functions, tools, and protocols delays the data collection
phase significantly. It may substantially delay the execution of the benchmarking process.
• Obsolete documentation may lead the benchmarking work in a false direction. Usually, the team
is warned too late about the out-of-date status of the documentation.
• False interpretation of certain metrics may be caused by the specific use of certain metrics within
the company. If the team is informed about it, ad-hoc redefinitions may solve this problem
easily.
• The nonapplicability or nonavailability of monitors delay the data collection phase considerably.
Manually collected data are no replacement for accurate monitored data.
• The overseer and his/her organization may not permit observations of operations in end-to-end
mode; in particular, results may be significantly impacted when shifts takeovers, performance of
the client-contact point, and remote diagnostics cannot be analyzed end to end.
Most likely, all of these negative impacts will not happen during the same benchmark, but some of
them might. In order to avoid them, each should be addressed during the very first meeting between the
company and the benchmarking team.

4.7.1.6 Benchmarking Phases
The principal phases of network management audits and benchmarks are the following:

4.7.1.6.1 Data Collection
• Documentation (analysis of topologies, managed objects, performance reports, network manage-
ment instruments, closed trouble tickets)
• Interviews with various persons in the operations, administration, and maintenance organization
(what are the major problems, what are feasible solutions, job assignments, education, skill levels)
• Observation of operational efficiency (reaction to trouble calls, how are support, documentation and
management tools used, support quality in various shifts, shifts takeover process and documentation)

4.7.1.6.2 Comparison with Best Practice and Industry Average
This phase includes just the specific branch or cross-branch evaluation. Usually, cross branch indicators
are used, first. Results are usually visualized and may indicate considerable differences in certain areas
between industry and client results.
4.7.1.6.3 Gap Analysis
This phase provides real details and addresses the functions of all business processes of service providers
for customer care, billing, order processing, provisioning, and network operations management. Also
tools, such as support, management and documentation systems, monitors, analyzers, element manage-
ment systems, integrators, and modeling tools are addressed in depth. Also the assignment of human
resources to processes and tools are investigated in depth. Recommendations to avoid redundancies are
also included.
4.7.1.6.4 Elaborating the Recommendations
The gaps identified in the previous phase are the basis for improvements or for supporting the decision
for outsourcing certain business processes. If insourcing, the tasks are: setting priorities and timeframes,