Change Management

Problem

The client owns and operates a very large portfolio of wireless sites. Many of these include infrastructure which supports cellular (2G/3G/4G....5G) service transmissions on behalf of all UK Mobile Network Operators (MNO's). This includes mast and tower structure sharing, equipment accommodation facilities and inter-site network connectivity provision. These sites are subject to continuous activity associated with mobile base station technology roll out, installation, modification/upgrades and operational maintenance obligations. These activities are franchised across workstreams representing the client, MNO's, equipment vendors, suppliers and contractor personnel. Thousands of locations are in scope, and this presents a very complex daily organisational and logistical challenge from a management perspective.

The client took a decision to out-source the large volume of project activities to nominated specialist supplier companies, whilst retaining co-ordination and overall management responsibility for the operations. A key consequence of this would be the subsequent challenge of delivering effective change management considering the sheer volume of sites, systems, organisations involved and level of interactivity experienced on a daily basis.

The legacy change management methodology involved use of a number of complex spreadsheets-based tools, which were resource heavy to maintain and which regularly crashed with associated data loss outcomes. When considering the complexities of the out-sourced operation, it was very evident that these tools would not be fit for purpose.

Service level agreements with customers and suppliers include multi-milestone change sign off needs. SLA commitments also invoked time constraints on the client representatives, who were required to respond to change requests within an agreed time frame to avoid accruement of service credit penalties. All parties required access to a common governance environment, and this would be best facilitated via a secure cloud-based solution.

Solution

GD worked with the client to design and develop a comprehensive Change system tasked with managing the multi-organisational challenges outlined above.

The Change system was added to the clients existing RESOLVE framework and integrated with the existing portfolio of RESOLVE modules.

This provided the client with full visibility of all network development change activities, whilst individual customers, suppliers, contractor companies are granted security controlled and partitioned based access to those areas which are relevant to them.

Changes are raised at programme and multi-project tier levels. Integrated API's draw daily auto-updates from relevant support asset database registers.

Change system workflow governance facilitates multi-step sign off, which includes recursive loop complexities. All Change activities, approvals, notifications and interactive dialogues (Comments and attachments etc.) are recorded in a single environment, and all communication is time stamped and auditable accordingly.

Activity chronology features such as automated time track facilities, measure and prompt responses throughout the Change lifecycles.

This client also purchased these RESOLVE Modules to work alongside this module:

• Risks Management
• Lessons Learned
• Issues Management
• Working at Risk (Custom)
• Early Warning Notices (Custom)
• Supplier Incidents (Custom)

Benefits

• Dedicated, comprehensive governance environment connecting all parties invoking and managing large volumes of change at thousands of locations.
• Clarity in Multi-step change progression timelines available via system dashboards.
• Automated notification and approval re-minders ensure change is managed in a timely fashion, avoiding penalties and late project delivery collateral.
• Standard RESOLVE system data extraction and reporting facilities on board.
• Seamless system operation adoption, with client continuous improvement initiatives registered by all parties engaging.
• Fully automated and auditable trail of cost incursion, appropriation and potential dispute resolution record management.