1

Managing Telecom Department

• Here, we should be clear that the concept of managing telecom department is difference than the concept of managing comm. Network

– telecomm management deals with issues such as planning, budgeting, controlling cost, and staffing

– comm network deals with technical planning of comm facilities, which is only a part of the above functions

(to p2)

2

Managing Telecom Department

• Factors contributing to the need of managing telecomm department:

– 1. the use of telecomm as strategic asset, such as e-business

– 2. deregulation renders the change of opportunity cost for hardware, software and services from common carriers

– 3. the integration of analog and digital transmissions

(to p3)

3

Managing Telecom Department

– 4. the change of focus on how network is constructed, such moving from host to LANs, and to wireless)

• such as system composition of Figures 15-1 to 15-2

– 5. improvement services to customers (or end users)

– 6. cost effectiveness of capital investment

(to p4)

(to p19) (to p20)

4

Question

– To whom should the telecomm department be reported to in an organization?

(to p5)

5

Organizations Chart

– First, let’s us look into on how organizations chart can play an important role in managing telecomm department

– The allocation of telecomm department (or function) into different department unit would play a significant role on how Telecomm is to serve the company and end users

(to p6)

6

Organizations Chart

• Consider:

– Figure 15-3, voice and data are considered a different units, and under Finance Department

– Figure 15-4, merging of voice and data into a single unit, and under Finance Department

– Is the new grouping a better one? (Why?)

(to p21)

(to p22)

(to p7)

7

Organizations Chart

– The effectiveness of telecomm department allocation is very much depended on

– 1. The nature of businesses

– 2. The emphasize of using it as competitive adv.

(to p8)

8

Organizations Chart

• Consider – Figure 15-5

• CIO is introduced, for those organizations whose emphases IT as corporate function

– Figure 15-6• Telecomm is separate from IS, the reason is for

strategic planning for multinational organizations

(to p23)

(to p24)

(to p9)

9

Organizations Chart

• Questions:

– How does our ITO positioning in HKBU?– Is it effective one?

(to p10)

10

Managing Telecom Department

• We further look into the following two aspects of telecom department:

– functions – responsibilities

(to p11)

(to p12)

11

Functions

• The basic functions are:

• 1. Design and implementation of new facilities and services

• 2. Network operations and technical support• 3. Administrative support

(to p10)

12

Responsibilities

• Five basic responsibilities:– 1. Staff – 2. Organizing– 3. Planning– 4. Directing– 5. Controlling

(to p13)

(to p14)

(to p15)

(to p16)

(to p17)

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13

1. Staff

– Require staff who experienced in telecomm field, and with knowledge in planning, operations, technical, conceptualizing, and administrative skills

– Positions: (see Figure 15.7)• 1) Telecomm Manager (should not be a technical background)

• 2) Design and implementing (engineering related)

• 3) Network operations staff (up to university degree)

• 4) Technical support staff (up to university degree)

• 5) Administrative staff (general clerical staff)

– How do we hire these people?

(to p25)

(to p12)

14

2. Organizing

– A group of people to:

– 1) oversee the functions and overlapping of job responsibilities of different functional units

– 2) prioritize and job allocation of telcomm projects in the department

(to p12)

15

3. Planning

– Three types of time frame

– 1. Long-term plan• plan that looks into up to 3-5 yrs of departmental services, but

revise every two years or so

– 2. Medium plan (See Figure 15.8)• plan that looks into 6 to 18 months of departmental affair

– 3. Project plan (see Figure 15.9)• relates to specific task-oriented plan for each project

(to p26)

(to p27)

(to p12)

16

4. Directing

– Duties are to ensure the mission and plan of the department are executed on a timely and accurate basis

– developing clear mission and make everyone knows about it becoming a critical issue (See Figure 15-10)

– one way to enforcing the mission could be accomplished by IT personnel are to request for

• 1) a monthly report

• 2) hold regular meetings

(to p28)

(to p12)

17

5. Controlling

– Its objective is to ensure of the quality performance of their plans, which include:

– 1) Financial control• such as capital budget and charge-back policy

– (see Figures 15-11, 15-12 and 15-13)

– 2) Quality control• such as auditing services provided to users

– (see Figure 15-14)(to p32)

(to p29) (to p30) (to p31)

(to p12)

18

19

FIGURE 15-1 Computer with a network of terminals attached. (to p3)

20

FIGURE 15-2 Communications network with terminals and computers attached. (to p3)

21

FIGURE 15-3 Traditional placement of communications and word processing departments within the organization. (to p6)

22

FIGURE 15-4 Organization after merger of data and voice communications. (to p6)

23

FIGURE 15-5 The IS department as a separate function with the CIO at the vice presidential level. (to p8)

24

FIGURE 15-6 Alternative organization when telecommunications is of strategic importance to the company’s success. (to p8)

25

FIGURE 15-7 Typical telecommunications department organization. (to p13)

26

FIGURE 15-8 A high-level Gantt chart of a medium-term telecommunications plan showing project start and end dates. A more detailed Gantt chart would show a finer breakdown of the tasks.

(to p15)

27

FIGURE 15-9 A telecommunications project plan. (to p15)

28

FIGURE 15-10 Telecommunications principles. (to p16)

29

FIGURE 15-11 The telecommunications department expense budget. (to p17)

30

FIGURE 15-12 Detailed budget for the rent/lease expenses category. Notice that some items are planned to be installed during the year; their budgeted amounts are 0 in the first few months.

(to p17)

31

FIGURE 15-13 A monthly telecommunications department expense report. (to p17)

32

FIGURE 15-14 Checklist for a telecommunications audit. (to p17)