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)

Managing Telecom Department

Factors contributing to the need of managing
telecomm department:
1. the use of telecomm as strategic asset, such as ebusiness
2. deregulation renders the change of opportunity cost
for hardware, software and services from common
carriers
3. the integration of analog and digital transmissions
2

(to p3)

Managing Telecom Department

4. the change of focus on how network is constructed,
such moving from host to LANs, and (to
to p19)
wireless)
such as system composition of Figures 15-1 to 15-2

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5. improvement services to customers (or end users)

6. cost effectiveness of capital investment

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Question

To whom should the telecomm department be

reported to in an organization?

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Organizations Chart
First, lets 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
5

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Organizations Chart
Consider:
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Figure 15-3, voice and data are considered a

different units, and under Finance Department
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Figure 15-4, merging of voice and data into a
single unit, and under Finance Department
Is the new grouping a better one? (Why?)
6

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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.

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Organizations Chart
Consider
Figure 15-5

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CIO is introduced, for those organizations whose

emphases IT as corporate function

Figure 15-6

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Telecomm is separate from IS, the reason is for

strategic planning for multinational organizations

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Organizations Chart
Questions:
How does our ITO positioning in HKBU?
Is it effective one?

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Managing Telecom Department

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

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Functions
The basic functions are:
1. Design and implementation of new facilities
and services
2. Network operations and technical support
3. Administrative support

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(to p10)

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

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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) (to p25)

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?

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(to p12)

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

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(to p12)

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) (to p26)

plan that looks into 6 to 18 months of departmental affair

3. Project plan (see Figure 15.9)

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relates to specific task-oriented plan for each project

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(to p12)

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) (to p28)
one way to enforcing the mission could be
accomplished by IT personnel are to request for
1) a monthly report
2) hold regular meetings

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(to p12)

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

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

such as auditing services provided to users

(see Figure 15-14)
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FIGURE 15-1

Computer with a network of terminals attached.

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FIGURE 15-2

Communications network with terminals and computers attached.

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FIGURE 15-3

Traditional placement of communications and word processing departments within the organization.

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FIGURE 15-4

Organization after merger of data and voice communications.

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FIGURE 15-5

The IS department as a separate function with the CIO at the vice presidential level.

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FIGURE 15-6 Alternative organization when telecommunications is of strategic importance to the companys success.

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FIGURE 15-7

Typical telecommunications department organization.

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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.

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FIGURE 15-9 A telecommunications project plan.

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FIGURE 15-10

Telecommunications principles.

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FIGURE 15-11 The telecommunications department expense budget.

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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.

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FIGURE 15-13 A monthly telecommunications department expense report.

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FIGURE 15-14

Checklist for a telecommunications audit.

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