Planning offices

Good planning is half the battle

In a real estate construction project, there are two people responsible for planning: the architect is responsible for the concept and design and ensures that building regulations are complied with. The civil engineer ensures that the construction project stays within budget and on schedule and can be carried out in accordance with structural engineering and construction guidelines.

In access networks, these two tasks are usually performed by a single person: the network planner. Often based locally, they are familiar with municipal processes and have contacts in various public administration departments. They reconcile this with their client’s ideas, whether they are established supraregional network operators or newly formed specialist associations in the district. On a common basis that is relevant, can be implemented quickly, and does not cost a fortune.

In short, this is a key position in every sense of the word. It goes without saying that you need a powerful tool for this. A tool that allows you to respond individually to different requirements scenarios, while being able to rely on a familiar and productive working environment.

Let’s take the example of planning a fiber optic network. It would be convenient to be able to drag and drop the components of your plan onto a map or diagram.

You would also like to be able to splice or cut wherever you want. And generate connection reports wherever and whenever you need them. It would also be useful to be able to determine and order the right materials to avoid surpluses and construction delays due to delivery times, wouldn’t it?

Next, you will naturally want to check and optimize the optical power budget across the entire network. And track signal paths at the touch of a button. And be able to reliably find alternative routes between two points for a given number of free fibers.

Finally, you will want to check the network planning before construction orders are issued. Then, you will need to check the work performed on the network before it is accepted and invoiced.

Does this sound like what you expect from access network planning software? It does for many. Over 7,000 users work with AND. That’s quite a significant number for a niche product.