A clever solution to a complex telecommunications challenge, with long-term financial impact and major benefits for Telstra and its stakeholders.

 

THE CHALLENGE

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Just over 10 years ago, Telstra Limited faced a challenge with slow and cumbersome manual processes around setting up, modifying, and refurbishing its many Australia-wide mobile base towers.

 

Each time it needed to reconfigure, upgrade, or commission a mobile tower, the radio frequencies (RF) and the configuration of mobile antennas needed to be mapped manually using AutoCAD software, before any changes could be made. It was a costly process and could take up to 6 weeks for accurate schematic diagrams for each site to be completed. This before any technicians and suppliers could proceed with their work.

 

Argenti (then called ICM Consulting) was engaged by Telstra to help solve this problem, part of a company-wide Business Process Management (BPM) project called Whisper-II which was set up to automate its workflow management.

THE SOLUTION

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Initially, Argenti worked on the Whisper-II BPM project, writing software and designing systems to automate project management for tower upgrades and modifications. Whisper-II is a fully automated scheduling system that allows manual intervention only by exception.

 

Argenti then tackled the costly RF schematics challenge.

 

Using asset management data, Argenti created a software solution for the Radio Frequency Schematic Reporting (RFSR). It’s a solution that allows a detailed engineering schematic of the RF components and connections to be created in just a matter of minutes, rather than weeks it took creating CAD drawings.

 

THE OUTCOME

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The RFSR solution is a highly sophisticated piece of software, created from scratch by Argenti engineers using web-based technology and proprietary algorithms. It can be used remotely to quickly create the most up-to-date RF information and is easily accessed by project managers and technicians.

 

It was a crucial piece in the Whisper-II project and cut waiting times for work to proceed from several weeks to less than an hour.

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LONG-TERM IMPACT AND BENEFITS

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Argenti’s RFSR software solution is believed to have saved Telstra tens of millions of dollars over the years the solution has been in use.

 

Workflow and project management has been optimised, processes fully automated, and suppliers have been able to schedule and complete tasks on time and to budget – with hundreds of work hours saved on each project.

 

The outcomes and benefits for Telstra (and its many suppliers and stakeholders) have been enormous. Not only direct cost savings, but also because the RFSR software was a core solution to an overall business efficiency and automation project, one that ultimately transformed the Telstra business.

 

Argenti’s ability to analyse the original problem, then think, design, and develop a software solution should not be underestimated. The software design and development required for the algorithm and the RFSR schematic solution required a very high level of analysis and capability.

 

“It’s one of my favourite projects and one I’m still very, very proud of…”

 

It’s something Argenti’s chairman, Dr. Bernhard Hürzeler is still justifiably proud of: “It’s one of my favourite projects and one I’m still very, very proud of,” he says, “it revolutionised the process, cut delivery times and saved the client millions of dollars.”

 

Looking back, Dr Hürzeler remembers at the time, the solution didn’t cost a huge amount of money. But the benefits have been enormous.

 

“Everybody benefitted,’ he says. “It was clever engineering, with a strong can-do attitude and some very capable people. And we still have that ethos and capability in Argenti today.”

 

Find out more, or to discuss a project please contact Simon Cheadle, Argenti CEO – simon.cheadle@argenti.com.au

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