We’ve come across some great advice from our partners at iDirect on how to improve the efficiency of your network operations centre. It’s a very useful guide explaining how to keep up with the demands of an increasingly large network, you can read the full details here but here’s our shorthand version…

1. Integrate as much as possible. Take an inventory of all your systems and their respective functions. Where possible, where there is redeundancy or repetition – integrate.
2. Monitor as much as possible. Effective tracking and reporting enables you to identify issuse before they become problems. Historic and real-time data should be packaged and presented in a digestible, actionable format.
3. Automate as much as possible. Handing off routine tasks brings efficiency and cost savings. It also helps to automate diagnostic and support functions, it reduces support times and increases network efficiency.
4. Simplify as much as possible. Customers respond better when their expectations are managed and information is presented to them in a clear and concise way. Supporting SLAs in a clear, transparent manner breeds trust.
5. Communicate as much as possible. Allowing customers access to key data in real-time gives them meaningful control and allows them to manage their own traffic.