Rooted in the heartland, WTC, a Kansas telecommunications company with a century-long legacy and a reputation for exceptional customer service embarked on an ambitious journey. They aimed to expand their fiber network and elevate operational efficiency. However, their path had major obstacles – outdated mapping technology and a dynamic market posed significant challenges.
Challenges: A Multi-Faceted Problem
Their legacy CAD tools were underperforming, struggling to support their fiber design, construction, and network needs. The existing system lacked the scalability and seamless integration with crucial business systems (BSS/OSS/CRM) that they needed to thrive.
- Industry studies suggest that companies using outdated systems can experience up to a 40% decrease in productivity.
Market pressures added another layer of complexity. The company had set its sights on aggressive growth, backed by a substantial $50 million investment in new markets. They faced stiff competition from entrenched providers and the unique challenge of serving a major university community with high rental churn.
- The telecommunications sector is known for its fierce competition, with customer churn rates averaging between 10-20% annually.
A Clearer Vision for the Future
The company envisioned a solution that could empower them to meet these challenges head-on. They sought a platform that was:
Cloud-based & Collaborative: An open architecture system that could foster seamless collaboration across teams and systems. Cloud adoption in the telecom industry is surging, with a projected CAGR of 22.3% from 2021 to 2028.
Mobile-Enabled: Equipping field teams with the ability to access and update crucial information in real-time. Field service management solutions can boost productivity by up to 30%.
“Our team has eagerly anticipated the development of a mobile app that can update our mapping records in real time. This capability is crucial for our operations, as it allows us to provide more timely and accurate service to our customers. The ability to directly submit drawings to editors for immediate review and placement significantly streamlines our provisioning process, ensuring a more efficient and effective field experience,” explains WTC’s Plant Operations Manager, Shawn Smith.
Real-Time & Accurate: Enabling real-time updates to their network asset inventory to enhance service availability and streamline order management. Real-time network visibility can reduce service outages by up to 50%.
Insightful: Providing comprehensive network visibility to identify and capitalize on new market opportunities. Companies leveraging data-driven insights see an average 8% increase in revenue.
User-Friendly: A system that was intuitive and accessible to all stakeholders, regardless of their technical expertise. User-friendly systems can reduce training time by up to 70%.
Strategic: Supporting connectivity management, capacity analysis, and data-driven decision-making. Data-driven decision-making can improve strategic planning effectiveness by 25%.
Field-Ready: Facilitating site surveys, engineering walk-outs, and as-built processes with accurate data collection.Automated data collection can reduce field errors by 40%
Our team has eagerly anticipated the development of a mobile app that updated our mapping records in real time. This capability is crucial for our operations, as it allows us to provide more timely and accurate service to our customers. The ability to directly submit drawings to editors for immediate review and placement significantly streamlines our provisioning process, ensuring a more efficient and effective field experience,"
Outcomes: A Transformative Impact
The company adopted VETRO, a cloud-based Fiber Management solution that aligned with their vision. They leveraged VETRO’s open architecture and mobile capabilities to overcome existing challenges. By streamlining collaboration and providing real-time network insights, VETRO FiberMap empowered the company to achieve new levels of efficiency and accuracy.
“We chose VETRO to support our growth plan. Vetro’s real-time demand aggregation will enable us to present customers with relevant service options. Its API will help us make informed decisions, from customer onboarding to service routing, ensuring a seamless experience,” said Olin Hamilton, System Administrator at WTC.
The impact of this digital transformation was profound:
Customer-Centricity: The company doubled down on its commitment to exceptional customer service, further solidifying its reputation as a customer-focused provider. Companies prioritizing customer experience see a 10-15% increase in revenue.
Devin Weis, WTC’s Chief Financial Officer explains, “Our focus on customer experience is paramount. With VETRO, we streamline the signup process by providing real-time availability information. This has been a game-changer for our growth.”
Operational Excellence: Network visibility extended across all stakeholders, fostering a culture of collaboration and streamlining operations. Collaborative environments can improve productivity by 20-30%.
Strategic Advantage: Network intelligence empowered the company to make informed, data-driven decisions, driving strategic growth. Data-driven companies are 6 times more likely to be profitable.
Financial Empowerment: Real-time data and accuracy significantly improved the company’s ability to secure grants and funding. Effective grant management can increase funding success rates by 20%.
Agility & Speed: Subscriber turn-up and self-service provisioning were accelerated, enhancing customer satisfaction. Faster service provisioning can reduce customer churn by 15%.
Revenue Growth: A deeper understanding of service availability enabled the company to better monetize its network across both residential and commercial segments. Network monetization strategies can lead to a 10-20% increase in revenue.
Conclusion: A Legacy Renewed
This Kansas telecom company’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of technology. By embracing VETRO, a modern, cloud-based Fiber Management solution, they not only overcame their challenges but also set a new standard for excellence in the industry. Their story serves as an inspiration to other telecommunications companies seeking to navigate a complex and competitive landscape. It underscores the importance of adaptability, innovation, and a customer-centric approach in achieving sustainable growth and success.
About VETRO
At VETRO, we believe visualizing data unlocks hidden potential, radically simplifying the way businesses operate and digitizing the future of connectivity. We focus on empowering network operators with unparalleled clarity and control over their fiber networks, enabling them to move faster, better, and more efficiently than ever before. Our revolutionary platform isn’t just software – it’s the physical network asset system of record, offering unprecedented visibility and control from strategic planning to daily operations. We empower our customers to bridge the digital divide at a rapid pace, unlock unforeseen opportunities, and squeeze the maximum value from their networks. Let’s illuminate the unseen, digitize the way we connect, and shape the future of connectivity, together.
