The Process Structure of Multi-Site Technology Rollouts

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The Process Structure of Multi-Site Technology Rollouts

Article by Concert Technologies

The Process Structure is the first part of the Technology Rollout System. It provides the “bird’s eye view” of the relationship and communication flow from beginning (customer) to the end (local field technicians). It also:

- Defines the facilitation of the management of multi-site nationwide and international projects

- Determines interaction between customer and technology rollout company as well as between technology rollout company and field resources

- Is used to gage the technology rollout company for delivering the agreed to process structure for each site and to maintain consistency and quality in execution

Not All Process Structures are Created Equal!To fully understand how the Process Structure works, you must know what the various options are. Our White Paper explains the primary structures used for nationwide & international, multi-site technology rollouts. These include the:

1. Centralized Single-Tier The customer uses a technology rollout company that directly manages field technicians through a direct partnership.

2. Centralized Multi-Tier The customer uses a technology rollout company that hires subcontractors in a tiered hierarchy to manage field technicians.

3. Rent-a-Tech The customer or technology rollout company uses a Rent-a-Tech company in a shared management effort of field technicians.

4. Internal Employee The customer or technology rollout company uses internal employees for project management and field technicians. In Internal Employee Process Structures, additional external local field technicians are likely to be required due to the number of sites and costs associated with employing sufficient internal field technicians to handle nationwide or global rollouts.

5. Additional Structures: Hybrid A number of variations of the four basic structures may exist as a hybrid structure. They will have associated advantages and disadvantages on an individual structure basis.

Evaluating the Process Structure

It’s important to look at the key differences between these Process Structures and the Rollout Category of the project you are deploying. How important is communication speed and accuracy? What about defined areas or responsibility or project tracking capabilities? What is the impact if a site does not deliver as expected? How do you mitigate your risk? In order to truly understand what you want, you have to know what you need and communicate it in a defined process structure for your rollout at any time.


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The iPad. The Kindle. Twitter. When the Best Technology Writing series was inaugurated in 2005, these technologies did not exist. Now they define our 21st-century lives. As Julian Dibbell writes in his introduction to The Best Technology Writing 2010, “The digital is us. Yet for that reason, it is also something more, a lightning rod for our feelings about technology in general.”  Whether it is Sam Anderson’s giddy but troubled defense of online distractions, David Carr’s full-throated


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Technology question by Manthan B: What would be the best technology for producing electricity from cattle dung?
I am planning to start up a power plant of 1 MW. I have availability of Dung of 80 Tons per day. What would be the best technology to recover energy from such dung out of following technologies:
1.Anaerobic Digestion/Biomethanation
2.Pyrolysis/Gasification
3.Combustion/Incineration
The technology should result in maximum energy in form of heat/electricity and overall operational and economic efficiency. Thanks and regards, Manthan.

Technology best answer:

Answer by dtwarwick
Well, you’ll have to do an analysis of each method and compare. Depending on your assumptions, any of these might work. For example, option 1 above doesn’t mention how the methane would be used. It might cost a lot more to set up a fuel cell network, but it will be more efficient over the long haul than say driving an internal combustion engine with the methane.

Hope that helps.

The Facts about Multi-site Technology Rollouts

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Reception Area, Technology Centre, SETsquared, University of Surrey

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The Facts about Multi-site Technology Rollouts

Article by Concert Technologies

Circuits play an extremely important role in business networks. With industry trends continuing to migrate more and more towards IP-based networks, the importance of the outside connection to the world is greater than ever. And the circuit is the gatekeeper of that connection!

Think of it this way. If there is a problem with the circuit, then the entire site’s connection to everything outside of the location is gone in a flash! That means the loss of money, time and business production until that circuit is working again.

When that happens, how important is the circuit then? And more importantly how important is the technology rollout company’s expertise and ability to test and service the issue at the site level?

3 Key Aspects of Circuit Services

1. Speaking the Language

2. Circuit Testing

3. Monitored Onsite Technicians

1. Speaking the language

FOC date. MPOE. Hard loop. Soft loop. DSX. These are just a few of the terms used when communicating with Carriers, LECs and ISPs. Without this knowledge, it would be like an American in Paris ordering dinner from a waiter who only understands minimal English. It takes you longer to order, you run a high risk of not getting what you asked for and you still have to communicate with them to get your check. Plus don’t forget the tip!

My point is this: if your technology rollout company cannot speak the “circuit language” and effectively communicate to their circuit counterpart, it will ultimately affect the speed of your rollout.

A simple test is to ask your technology rollout company if they know what the following terms mean: B8ZS, ESF or PVCs. Be sure to time them and make sure they aren’t simply Googling it!

2. Circuit Testing Services

Circuits are delivered daily by the gazillions (okay, maybe not quite that many, but there are a lot!). Because of this, occasionally the circuit is “blind accepted” which means that verification of the circuit at the time of install was not completed, but rather was still accepted as not to disrupt the circuit rollout schedule. Thus, when something goes wrong at the time of equipment installation at the site, it can affect your rollout schedule. Not to mention all the finger pointing that occurs to determine whose problem it is. Think of the wasted time that could be used to actually fix the problem!

An experienced technology rollout company has a full suite of circuit testing services and proper equipment readily available. This allows the deployment company to work with the Carriers and LECs to ensure that once their services for the site are complete (whether it be equipment installation, a demarc extension, or other related work), the technology rollout company can then test the circuit all the way through to ensure that everything is working properly.

You’d also be surprised at how often technicians spend time trying to resolve a circuit issue at the end of a demarc extension rather than at the building’s Demarc (demarcation point). Thus, a key to testing a circuit when issues arise is to always go directly to the circuit’s Demarc and test at this point which eliminates all other onsite cabling and equipment issue possibilities. This procedure should be instituted for each site deployment on your rollout schedule.

3. Monitored Onsite Technicians

In order to test the circuit and provide immediate issue rectification, you have to have experienced onsite technicians available to do it. But what is experience? A doctor may be an experienced surgeon, but has not performed a particular procedure. In those cases, what does she do? The answer is simple: she consults with an expert in the procedure and/or has a knowledgeable assistant to help with the operation.

It is the same with onsite rollout technicians. It is simply unrealistic when performing hundreds or thousands of site jobs to expect all technicians employed to know every aspect of the requirements – whether they include installing a specific piece of equipment or performing circuit testing. Each site is a world unto itself and comes with its own unique requirements for project success. Thus, the expertise of the technology rollout company comes into play and accounts for any unexpected issues (think Murphy’s Law!) that may occur during a multi-site nationwide technology rollout.

I have mentioned this in the past and will continue to emphasize it until every man, woman, and child can recite it from heart: the technology rollout company must directly monitor each technician at every site in order to provide sufficient support and guarantee quality assurance. This is called the Direct Tech Communication Channel and it is the most efficient way for the deployment company to ensure the success of your technology rollout.

ConclusionAs it becomes easier to install IP technology in the field, the ability for multiple services to be deployed in a single or minimized number of truck rolls increases as it relates to less than one day deployments (Category 1). And as I’ve stated in the past, fewer truck rolls means lower project costs for you!

Thus, having onsite technicians that are available to not only install equipment, but provide testing and provisioning services for circuits on the site level becomes of even greater importance.

So the next time you’re looking to employ a technology rollout company for your multi-site technology rollout, be sure to check that they have:

1. Experience with Carriers, LECs and ISPs and can speak the “circuit language”

2. A full suite of circuit testing services

3. Direct monitoring capabilities of all onsite field technicians


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Technology question by Emily N: How is technology used in trials and the legal system in general?
As we enter the information age, technology has seeped into the legal system. What are specific ways that technology is used in trials and by lawyers? Specifically, how have these technological improvements changed the way that trials are conducted? Serious answers only please, preferably from someone with a legal job…….

Technology best answer:

Answer by Billy Bob
Able to provide live feeds..