A key impact of the pandemic was that some devices were in short supply because of worldwide shortages and disrupted supply chains. To ensure this would not impact the deployment schedule, this global components distributor and Orange agreed to order all project equipment upfront. This meant that orders were delivered when available rather than when needed. Both companies needed to be flexible and agile in storing equipment and deploying solutions.
Every activity has resources assigned, and careful resource planning was central to the project. Resource availability tracking enabled the project managers to make a flexible schedule work in highly disruptive times. To ensure a 360-degree view, Orange worked as an extension of the company’s networking team.
Working together
Collaborative project management allowed the company and Orange to plan, coordinate and control this complex project. The company’s project manager had a technical background, which gave him a complete understanding of the transformational steps necessary. He kept the company’s senior management up-to-date on progress, and this transparency made deployment much smoother.
As a result, Orange was able to anticipate better and respond quickly to rapidly changing business requirements. A good example was the support given to the company’s mobile workforce. Orange was initially contracted to support the company’s standard mobile workforce of 2,000 users; however, lockdowns made it critical to business operations that capacity was quickly doubled to 4,000 users. Orange achieved this on schedule, ensuring the company could continue its business remotely, thanks to good governance around project changes.
Delivering within expectations
Collaborative project management and a rigorously managed delivery schedule have built a trusted relationship between the distributor and Orange. By taking a flexible approach, the project managers have been able to mitigate the risk of unforeseeable challenges. This approach has enabled Orange to deliver an optimized solution on schedule, despite the difficulties of the pandemic.