Project Management

At MSN, our PMP-certified project managers employ the Cisco PPDIOO (Prepare, Plan, Design, Implement, Operate and Optimize) methodology when managing projects for our customers. We believe the PPDIOO process is the critical path to launch and complete a successful customer deployment, from the request for information (RFI) proposal to successful training of operations personnel.

Prepare

In the Prepare phase, you evaluate Cisco technologies that address your business needs. Gather information about your business and technical environment that will feed into the high-level design. Then, create a business case for the IP telephony system that provides the best return on your investment.

Plan

In the Plan phase, you evaluate Cisco technologies that address your business needs and create a business case for the IP telephony system that provides the best return on your investment.

Design

Using the project plan that was developed in the Plan phase, your team should have enough information to develop a detailed design for each site and the entire network. The network design should contain, at a minimum:
- Routing and switching component connectivity
- Software applications and configurations for routers and switches
- Power and environment

For each site, in addition to the above, your design should include telephone circuitry, equipment racks with cabinet locations, and layouts. Each site should have a design that encompasses your network call processing, conferencing, and messaging requirements. The design should be scalable for future growth.

Implement

The goal of implementation is to introduce the new system into the network with the least amount of disruption and the highest level of interoperability with the existing network. To minimize downtime, an essential component of this process is the implementation plan.

Operate

To ensure that your network operates efficiently and reliably, your daily operations should consist of system and performance management practices. This practices include scheduled routine maintenance; keeping maintenance records; and maintaining up-to-date upgrade, troubleshooting, and recovery strategies.

Optimize

Optimization covers any changes to an existing system, including hardware and software upgrades, that enhance the functionality and performance of your network.

Collecting and analyzing data from your system's performance reports will provide crucial information for optimizing your system. By maintaining the routine system management procedures that you set up for your operations lifecycle, you will know when your traffic load increases, and when to increase your capacity.