NOC Challenge Over-Utilized Technology Staff

The Problem

Failing to organize NOC activities and subsequent workflows by technology and skill level is one of the biggest hurdles in running a successful NOC.

When a NOC can’t manage its workflow, it often finds itself overwhelmed by the “wall of red,” leading to overutilized technology staff and exploding support costs.

How We Solve It

Our approach to 24x7 NOC support solves these problems through structure—enabling your team to stop putting out fires and start working on the projects that move you forward. Our NOC support framework typically reduces high-tier support activities by 60% or more, often as much as 90%.

A tiered operational support structure enables managers to leverage the lower-cost first-level or Tier 1 team to perform routine activities and free up higher-level or Tier 2 and 3 technical teams to focus on more advanced support issues.

The figure below lays out the basics of tiered NOC support structure. Central to this structure is the Tier 1 team that uses monitoring tools and interacts with end-user help desks, Tier 2 and 3 engineers, and third parties. Information flows between the various entities within a well-defined process framework.

Issues coming into the NOC should also be prioritized and organized into a set of queues, each of which can be handled by the appropriate group. These can be organized by important variables such as service level agreements (SLAs), technologies, and technician skill levels.

The figure below shows how a set of issues can be broken up into queues and assigned to groups based on skillset.

These figures are intended to be instructive in building a framework, but also in realizing the distance between what a NOC should have, and what it actually might have.

Especially in NOCs supporting enterprises or communication service providers, the further operations are from a structure like this, the more value it can expect to gain from implementing one.

Our approach to 24x7 NOC support solves these problems through structure—enabling your team to stop putting out fires and start working on the projects that move you forward. Our NOC support framework typically reduces high-tier support activities by 60% or more, often as much as 90%.

Need us to take on all levels of support? Dedicate your full time and attention to growing and strengthening your service. We’ll deliver world-class NOC support conveyed through a common language for fast, effective communication with you, your customers, and all impacted third parties.