As network complexity increases, make program management simple (sponsored)

Strong communication and clear objectives save time and money while speeding wireless infrastructure deployments

LAS VEGAS–The creation of 5G and its many elements will require coordination and communication across the telecom ecosystem of carriers, vendors, integrators and managed service firms. But it is often the case that as the network increases in complexity ahead of 5G, sometimes the objective of a wireless infrastructure project can become muddy. That’s where Vertex Innovations, a telecommunications vendor management company, steps in. Vertex’s suite of services- from staffing to software to training- keep complex programs on track, within budget and in compliance with standards.

“The vendor ecosystem is so important,” Wayne Smith, president of Vertex Innovations told RCR Wireless News on the sidelines of the CTIA Super Mobility exhibition. “Carriers deploy amazing technology, but the vendor ecosystem has to grow with the carrier’s objectives. You are not going to roll out 4G or 5G without educating your vendors and keeping a robust vendor network. Vendors are out there at night climbing towers, doing light poles, working with AHJs to make sure the leases get done, delivering fiber, and so on. We need to make sure the vendor ecosystem is as robust as what the carrier’s goals are.”

During CTIA, Vertex used a range of automobiles– some more basic and others very high-end– to demonstrate what the interaction between a vendor and a carrier is like without proper management; 10 cars represented the 10 aspects of the process:

1. What the client really wants– If the carrier is going to design an infrastructure project, what do they really want? Perhaps a Honda Accord, something reliable that lasts a long time.
2. How the project was explained– The carrier knows what they want, but they need to get the vision out there. It then gets explained like a Porsche 908 Spyder, a supercar with high goals and high expectations.
3. How it was understood by program managers— The client wanted an Accord, but he or she understood it as a Raptor.
4. How the architect visualized it— As goals became distorted, the design produced a McLaren P1.
5. How did engineer design it— The engineer designs in concepts, so he or she designed a Lamborghini Diamante Concept I. It looks great and may work, but it isn’t proven.
6. How the contractor built it— A reliable, albeit dated Dodge Aries, also known as the “K Car.” Contractors build what they know, although it may not always serve the needs of the client for whom they are working.
7. When it was delivered— The Hyperloop Train, which we all know is not here yet.
8. What the clients paid—They paid top dollar for a Bugatti Chiron, for instance.
9. What they actually received—A functional Chrysler minivan that serves its purpose, but it isn’t what the client paid for, and it won’t achieve their objectives.
10. What they need—The client needs a1967 Shelby GT500; it is raw, meant for speed, allows them to go, and is symbolic of a high-quality network.

Smith said Vertex Innovations’ goal is to get their client a Shelby GT500 by delivering turn-key projects, and avoiding the grade-school telephone game that sees an idea become something entirely different. Although their work usually happens behind-the-scenes, the company has a proven track record of ensuring the client gets the value they need, the contractor makes the target profit and the architect and engineer work in coordination.

“What we are seeing with the carriers is that they are investing in the infrastructure side of it, a lot of fiber to the cell site,” Smith said. “We still are continuing to do a lot of C-RAN deployment; we also are working a lot of IBS and DAS-type, large-venue projects. Dark fiber deployment has also been a big project for us in the past few years. It is ramping up, and we are excited for the next phase.”

With its broad-range of technical specialties, coupled with rapid growth in the telecom ecosystem, Vertex recently made it on to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing private companies. To learn more about Vertex Innovations and its services, click here.

“In order to migrate from 4G to 5G, companies like ours take part in the background. The Inc. 5000 really highlights the innovation that you’ve got to bring to the table for that to happen,” Smith said. “At Vertex, one of the things we have been working on are the tools and software to support the program management side of the business, and to better manage the different facets of it.”