Network service provider quality assurance audit

The client, a provider of telecom services such as mobile communications, business solutions, media and entertainment to a residential and commercial customer base across the Caribbean, had decided to bring a Fibre-To-The-Home (FTTH) solution to the market. Eight territories were initially identified with the construction to be carried out on a phased basis.

Delivering FTTH in terrains such as those found in the Caribbean can be difficult. A number of factors need to be considered:

• Networks are typically overhead deployments as underground ducting is not widely available. The pole infrastructure supports other services such as the electricity network and can be quite congested.
• The client needed to develop processes, procedures, SOP’s and SLA’s from scratch specific to a fibre roll out project. They did not have the expertise inhouse to do this. Novegen where tasked with developing these documents and then to oversee the implementation of the network in line with these standards.
• Weather is an issue as the poles on which the cables are supported are wooden and can take several hours to dry out during the rainy season.
• Health & Safety is of critical importance to ensure the network is rolled out in a controlled manner with the well being of the staff and the public to the fore.
• The client wanted to build a Quality network and not a Quantity network. This means that when the network was handed over by construction the Client wanted to be confident that there would be no issues with connecting customers.

The client decided to engage Novegen to provide Quality Check services on each island and a remote Quality Assurance service.

These services contained the following elements:

• Quality Check
  • A QC team was assigned to each territory.
  • The QC team performed an audit of the network in accordance with SOPs agreed with the client.
  • Training and coaching provided to construction build partners.
  • Real time report creation and analysis.
• Quality Assurance
  • This service was performed by a team of technicians in Novegen HQ and involved daily interaction and reporting to the client in accordance with agreed processes.
  • SLAs defined in relation to the process.

• Major impacts were recognised in the quality of splicing and cable dressing.
•  Improvements from a 30% failure rate to nearly 0% for hard fails (i.e. service affecting)
• Improvements from a 35% failure rate to less than 5% for soft fails (i.e. non-service affecting)
• A significant reduction from performing audits as construction quality improved.