Operational support

When it works, it works

Knowledge of the network is essential for monitoring its availability and identifying potential problems at an early stage. To this end, network documentation must always be up-to-date, easy to access, and, of course, useful.

The manpower required for maintenance and troubleshooting is always a costly aspect of network operation. And end customers always expect a quick response. After all, the importance of smooth Internet availability is roughly equivalent to that of running water.

This makes it all the more important for maintenance technicians to know what to expect on site, and what tools and materials they need to take with them. After all, nobody wants to make a second trip. So it helps if the dispatcher knows which components are installed where, and can deduce where the problem lies. This avoids situations where, for example, access to the crucial technical room is not possible on site.

Network information must also be available on site to support ongoing operations. Ideally, maintenance technicians should be able to quickly access network documentation via GPS, barcodes and QR codes on their mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones – exactly for the location or facility where they are currently working.

It is then useful to be able to compare a target value taken from the documentation with the actual value measured on the component. Necessary replacements are documented after they have been made, for example with a photo of the type plate in a document management system (DMS).

If the replacement is not identical, for example because the component is no longer available, the deviation is noted as a red correction. And via a server connection, it is sent directly to the office documentation team for further processing.

It is in this team’s interest – in our example of the failed component no longer available – to proactively plan a series of corresponding replacements as part of inspection or maintenance rounds. This prevents maintenance from turning into repair.

AND provides the perfect tools to optimally support network operations.