We recently spoke to Neil Dix, Senior Manager, Mobile Network Infrastructure Transformation at EE. Neil works at the Aztec West park offices in Bristol, overlooking the busy M5. He has been heavily engaged, over the last few years, in the TED (Technical Environment Decommissioning) programme and more recently the LND (Legacy Network Decommissioning) programme.
With the creation of EE, through the joining of the T Mobile and Orange UK infrastructures, a great opportunity existed for optimising EE’s networks – removing legacy equipment and improving customer experience. Self-evidently, a programme like this is fraught with challenges, if the network traffic, like the M5, is to continue flowing without interruption! Let’s hear about Neil’s experience working with Flint.
“Over a two year programme, we wished to halve the number of switch sites – which in itself is a challenge. Added to that, we were fortunate enough to have lots of blue light services as customers. So managing this programme of consolidation with care was crucial, as you can imagine.
“With the LND programme, we set ourselves the challenge of optimising our service to some 70+ major customers, and in doing so, releasing those users from older legacy equipment. These are key customers and there are many internal stakeholders to manage in such a conversation. After Flint’s great engagement in the TED programme, I felt they had expertise and capability to help with this programme.
“As a first stage, we identified customers and their user base – no mean feat in itself – and got to understand what services they were really using. The first phase was delivered on time and gave us real legitimacy when talking to the wider organisation, as we all now understood the customers’ usage patterns, and had that information at our fingertips.
“It’s perfectly natural but there’s always resistance to change. Flint contributed tremendously. Their detailed understanding helped us prove to internal stakeholders the common sense of our approach. Flint have even been part of the customer conversations, where useful, and helped explain our logic for changing.
“I’m very satisfied by the work we’ve managed together. All the work has been achieved without a major outage or loss of a major customer. I don’t think we could have envisioned such a good outcome and it’s in great part, a testament to Flint’s competence and effectiveness.
“The management of legacy systems, to elegantly decommission creating cost savings and, in parallel, improving the customer experience is complicated, detailed, time-consuming work – but performed well, as we have with the Flint partnership, it brings great corporate benefits.”
Find out more about Flint and the work we do on ICT service management, bespoke commissioning, evolution and transition of legacy services by calling 01923 677733.
