ISE Magazine, August 2019

ISE ICT SOLUTIONS EDUCATION 54 NETWORK OPTIMIZATION complex because the network is very complex Dedicated resources ensure that the complex problems get solved and not ignored Learning 2 MANAGE THE VOLUME When we started digging into the list of network sites there were thousands We knew that a deep dive into each site wasnt feasible to get started We needed a way to compare the effort vs reward for each site so we developed our score carding technique based upon critical data points about the site Things like Is there a voice switch How many OSP fiber cables How many circuits How much are we paying When can we terminate the lease etc We assigned values to each data point and created our own scoring This effort gave us an ability to find the lowest hanging fruit Learning 3 REQUIRE A BUSINESS CASE We had to educate ourselves on what we pay for and how we pay for it Does freeing up rack space matter How are we billed for power When you have more good things to do than you could ever get done you must set rules for yourself Executing due diligence to understand our billing allowed us to tie our efforts more directly to the savings and helped us to avoid doing work that wasnt ultimately going to generate anything It also helped us to avoid just pushing expenses around If 90 of my expense in a site is cross connects to customers spending the capital to consolidate racks may not actually save me anything We might spend more doing the work than well save Learning 4 USE TODAYS TOOLS TO SOLVE YESTERDAYS PROBLEMS We developed our own research tools using the power of big data platforms The horsepower we obtained allowed us to ask bigger questions of the network than ever before It allowed us to more rapidly understand the network we were trying to address and thus arrive at a solution faster It also helped us remove the swivel chair of information from one team to the next These tools give us a common place to access the information We also worked with partners to develop tools and automation that would take configurations out of one device translate them into a different format and load them into a new device This saved hours of manual conversion Learning 5 DEVELOP GOOD RELATIONSHIPS AND PROCESSES WITH CORPORATE REAL ESTATE TEAMS Consolidating spaces within a building is often as much a technical discussion as it is a contractual one Understanding what space is attractive to your landlord vs what you might have to move is critical in identifying space reduction opportunities The Number One detractor from a predictable site exit plan is an unplanned forced exit Ensure that you are monitoring your lease renewal options and notification schedules You dont want your network space being shopped out from under you The Results Thus Far In our previous attempts at site consolidation work we were only able to handle maybe 5 6 sites in a year In our first year we exited 24 sites In 2019 we are on pace to exit another 30 sites Doing the hard work of cutting bottom line network expense out of the business through network optimization not only gave us an opportunity to modernize our network it generated a self sustaining program that was easy to justify In addition it is helping to solve the earlier problem of making budgetary space for new skill sets required to transition the business n Rodney Heil is the Senior Director of Network Optimization at Windstream overseeing the optimization and consolidation of Windstreams legacy networks Rodney began his journey in the telecom industry in 1999 when he began working as a dial up Internet technician for a subsidiary of Kentucky Data Link now part of Windstream Throughout his career Rodney gained experience leading teams in the areas of Circuit Network Design Transport Network Planning Strategic Network Planning Network Development and Access Planning For more information please visit https www windstream com