Through our PMO (Project Management Office), GCN provides world-class project design and management services for businesses of all sizes, including some of the world’s largest companies. We handle projects of various size and scope, from small regional installations to worldwide complex deployments.
Our PMO has established time-tested processes to ensure that your project is delivered on time and to your specifications. Our Project Managers are PMP (Project Management Professional) certified by PMI (Project Management Institute) and are required by GCN to maintain their membership and certification in good standing, ensuring they remain up-to-date on the latest PM techniques and methodologies.
In addition to the above, our Project Managers have a minimum of 10 years of experience in telecommunications, specializing in colocation implementations and migrations, as well as disaster recovery and business continuity planning. They also manage complex voice, video, and data projects anywhere in the world, utilizing GCN’s vast array of agreements and solid relationships with many colocation facilities around the world to be proactive in identifying issues and mitigating risks.
GCN engages our Project Managers early in the sales process, to ensure the scope of the future Project Plan is clearly understood. We follow a standardized approach to Project Management, applying the following phases to all of our projects:
- Initiation - The initiation phase typically begins in the pre-sales process, when we initiate kick-off call. During this call, the key team members from the carrier/vendor side, customer side, and GCN review the scope of work and milestones, so that expectations are set. We then draft the Project Plan for review.
- Design - During the design phase, we generally review the scope of work and design a network that meets the customer’s business requirements. We will illustrate this using a Visio or network diagram. This also allows a final review of the scope to ensure that all customer requirements are understood and met. Typically, contracts are finalized in this phase.
- Implementation – Orders are placed, with the assigned Project Manager continually monitoring and controlling project progress. At this point, we conduct a thorough Risk Analysis Review and communicate this to the customer, to ensure deliverable dates are not jeopardized.
- Acceptance Testing – In this phase, our PMO process serves to coordinate cutover / move-in dates and times with the carrier/vendor and customer to ensure a smooth transition. The customer is invited to inspect the Data Center space (if applicable).
- Go Live – The Project Manager requests final written approval from the customer that services have been delivered to specifications and services have been accepted, all as according to the Project Design and Plan. Upon receipt, billing begins in this phase.
- Project Closure Activities – The Project Manager sends the customer a Quick Reference Guide, which outlines account information, as well as circuit and contract information. Carrier/vendor troubleshooting and escalation contacts are included for reference. All project documents are saved via the PMO, lessons learned are documented, customer feedback is gathered, and the project is considered “closed” at the completion of this final phase.
In addition to a renowned ability to provide comprehensive project management, our PMO team also provides:
- Complete telecom lifecycle management
- Ongoing account management
- Industry-leading customer service