I’ve written recently about the Network Operator Maturity Model and the importance of fighting against fiber record entropy to achieve network operational excellence. Network operators find value in the implied action steps and goals the maturity model presents. Today, I’d like to introduce a tool for Network Operators to understand their position in the maturity model called the Network Readiness Assessment.

At IQGeo, we continue to expand the capabilities of our OSPInsight software platform to help you improve the efficiency and productivity of your network operations. I’m excited to introduce you to the latest platform enhancement that we call the “Reports Add-On".

We are excited to announce a new user license type called the Basic User. For more than 25 years we’ve sold two primary user license types: the Viewer and the Editor. The Basic User becomes the third end-user license type.

Developing a fiber network is an expensive undertaking. Between purchasing materials and components, hiring labor, installing circuits, and marketing to potential customers, costs can add up quickly.

Not all fiber network System of Record (SoR) software is created equal. In fact, very few are designed to meet the unique challenges of managing fiber networks today. I’ve covered some of the major challenges our customers and the industry face in my recent blog posts, and it’s interesting to explore the strategic role an optimized SoR plays in turning these operational challenges into business opportunities.

At IQGeo, we understand how important it is for fiber network designers using OSPInsight to quickly plan new builds. With the demand for fiber connections and network expansion only increasing, designers are busier than ever when it comes to planning the most efficient way to deliver services to new subscribers.

The old way of managing fiber networks doesn’t work anymore. Spreadsheets, static drawings, and handwritten notes fall short when trying to capture details about fast-growing, ever-evolving fiber networks.

I dove into our Fiber Maturity Model several weeks ago in another blog, explaining why it’s so important for fiber network operators to reach Level 3 maturity. In particular, I described the positive business evolution that takes place when fiber operators invest in professional network documentation tools. In this post, I would like to build on that topic and share what happens when you don’t have a reliable system of record (SoR) that can scale with your network.

Investing in a System of Record (SoR) as a means of documenting and managing your fiber network will bring tremendous value to your business but is not to be taken lightly. The implementation of an effective SoR requires internal process changes, may need integration with other systems, and the adoption of new workflows for office and field teams. These changes raise the bar for operational best practices and provide significant opportunities for process improvement and efficiency gains. On top of the internal investments, modern fiber SoRs, like most commercial software these days, are increasingly subscription software applications, requiring a material financial investment when viewed over many years.

It has always been our mission to make OSPInsight the easiest-to-use fiber management platform on the market. We believe this is important not just because it makes individual tasks quicker and simpler for users, but we see it as very strategic to the success of our customers. Software that is easy to use is quickly and widely adopted, enabling rapid productivity gains across the organization and ultimately transforming the business. The release of our Visualization Tools Add-on is another excellent example of how our software is dramatically improving productivity and understanding in a way that has a positive direct impact on business operations.