Install your equipment with ease

The guidelines that you will see in a moment work for me almost in all scenarios and circumstances. They also work for those deploying any type of equipment, not just voice or data. That is the reason why I named this Post “Install your equipment with ease.”

Sometime last year, I got stuck working 16 hours on a rushed job. None of the steps mentioned here were taken, resulting in miscommunication with the Service Provider. This caused a delay in delivering their service. It was a Police Department facility to make matters even worse. Finally we battled through, and got the implementation completed.

To get started I developed these three steps=

• 1.- Get your documentation
• 2.- Stage it and test it before cut-date
• 3.- Cut to service

1.- Get your documentation

This might seem very basic and straight forward stuff, but for some reason when dealing with medium and small deployments, it’s like pulling teeth!! Customers don’t know half of the questions you need answers to for a successful cut, leaving you wondering and fixing stuff along the way,  post install.

Things to do when gathering your documentation=

• Ask questions

The more information and communication you have with your customer, the better.

Start by looking at their existing setup. Remember that some salespersons just want to make the sale, and don’t gather the information needed. It is your responsibility to find out all the details necessary to do this right.

• Where should I start?

Well, for starters you should grab a piece of paper and draw a map of the place. If you have a floor plan, even better.

• Network maps

Request information on their network setup. Draw or trace existing connections from the ISP to the Router to their distribution. See if you can get IP Addresses and Firewalls details (if there are any remote users most likely you need to configure ports in the Firewall).

• Domain Controllers

When connecting any type of servers to your customer’s LAN, I would suggest you have these as part of their existing Domain Controller (Note – Make sure they don’t run any domain policies to your servers, as they might cause disruption or prevent your equipment to run smoothly). Some of the benefits are SNMP and Scheduled Backups, as well as Anti-virus and required automatic updates.

• Daily operations

This is the most important of all mentioned. Take time to review each desktop/phone labels and features that they might use. Some people execute different rolls. Have them show you how they operate their existing equipment. This will give you a better understanding when training and configuring the new one.

2.- Stage it and test it before cut-date

Now that you have all your installation forms filled out with locations, names, ip addresses, etc., you are ready to bring your equipment to the job site.

Now follow these actions=

• Environment

Check your wiring infrastructure by looking at existing labeling, patch panels, and IDF closets.

Make sure you have a secured room to stage your equipment.

• Rack layout

Check for grounding, power, battery backups and surge protectors.

• Staging the Equipment

Now that you are ready to install the equipment. First, stage it, then unbox the phones or other equipment. Lastly update the firmware on your phones and servers. Doing this will help you test each device such as network configurations, DHCP scopes, wiring connectivity, and battery backups.

If you have new trunks such as SIP, or ISDN, have these extended, installed, and tested, prior to the install date. Finally, record any Announcements, Automated Attendants, Call Center Queue Messages, and General Mailboxes.

3.- Cut to service

Have your Service Provider’s Turn Up Department’s number handy and ready to move the numbers over. With the phones already placed right next to the old ones, it will be easier to make any final connections, if necessary.

Finally, collect the old equipment, box it up, and place it in a corner somewhere in the building (remember that some parts need to be recycled).

Okay, now it’s your turn to share your strategies when installing new equipment, leave any comments in the comment section below..