James W. Sewall

Telecom

The Challenge

In a highly competitive marketplace with rapidly evolving technology, telecommunications companies must deliver more efficient, economical, and innovative services to customers. With the rapid advancement of broadband and cellular technologies, more telecoms are bundling services (telephone, high-speed Internet, and video) to provide a single point of delivery to ever-broadening customer segments. At the same time, resource shortages and budget constraints combined with fast-paced asset maintenance cycles make managing work order backlogs and maintaining infrastructure data a challenge. In the event of service interruption, quick access to the network data they need to locate, diagnose, and respond to the failure can be difficult at best.

The Solutions

To improve customer service, build competitive advantage, and maintain revenues, telecoms are implementing a range of geospatial solutions, integrating multiple information systems with GIS. Sewall assists companies in achieving their specific objectives with the following services:

• Conversion of outside plant (OSP) paper maps, drawings, schematics
• Landbase development and updating; GPS asset location
• Integration of critical data sets (parcels, zoning, street centerlines and addresses, ROWs, demographics, topography for cellular line of sight)
• Work order processing and backlog posting
• Systems integration
• Asset maintenance management applications
• Central office mapping
• Web-based GIS development

The Benefits

Integrating network and operational information with a consistent, accurate landbase and other GIS functions creates an authoritative system that gives telecoms the power to:

• Access records and respond quickly to service interruptions
• Monitor and manage assets over the long term
• Visualize service territories and competitor encroachments
• Evaluate network performance
• Plan capital improvements and analyze returns on investments
• Streamline workflow processes, including outage and work order management