Local Network Management System an experience in AM/FM project implementation in Telekom Malaysia

Abstract
The paper will highlight the applications, the justifications for a complete roll-out of the AM/FM system in Telekom Malaysia, a telecommunication operator in Malaysia with four millions subscribers base, as part of the corporate IT plan to meet competitions now and the years ahead. In addition, it will highlight implementation strategy for the fast country-wide deployment, the benefits now realized with the AM/FM application. The justification for an in-house data conversion program will also be discussed.

Introduction
Telekom Malaysia is the main telecommunicationcompany in Malaysia. The company provides all types of telecommunication services to its growing customer base of about four million. The network facilities has been expanding at a very fast pace since the introduction of competition in the telecommunication industry in Malaysia. As a result of this expansion, it is becoming more difficult to cope with planning and managing the growing customer access network through the conventional method of manual drafting and paper records. Over the years, with movement of personnel and offices, the quality and completeness of paper record has deteriorated significantly. It is increasingly difficult for engineer to obtain quality paper record for planning as well as maintenance of the network, thus delaying Telekom Malaysia capability to response to market demand.

Realizing the importance of response time to market demand in the competitive environment, both in new network requirement as well as maintenance of existing, Telekom Malaysia embarked on an ambitious program of computerization to overhaul the method of planning and management of customer access network. The project LNMS was thus initiated in 1990, for a field trial of using AM/FM technology to replace manual planning and management of customer access network.

After a long pilot project, lasting from 1990 to 1995, a decision was made to implement the system nation wide in May 1995. An intemationaltender was called in October 1995. Since then, the project has progress at a very fast pace, completing stage 1 of implementation in 7 regional offices, and it is now at the second stage of nation wide roll-out to 7 more regional offices with 5 remote sites.

LNMS Objectives
The overall mission of LNMS project is to plan, develop an implement an interactive computer graphic mapping and facility management for the Customer Access Network. The following are the major objectives of LNMS:

Increase Productivity
- planners are assure of immediate access to the database for detailed maps/network drawings and associated data regardless where it is located;
- the availability of applications for planning/design and network analysis
Improve grade of service to customers
- allows planners to evaluate various design models with cost implication in a shortest time
- the availability of accurate information speed up decision making process
- enable automated transfer of information to Project Management System for fast implementation of project
- enable automated transfer of data for completed project to service provisioning system for fast provisioning
Better utilization of resources
- facilitate the automation of network analysis functions to analyze and monitor network growth
- interfaces to other departmental database will ensure co-ordinated approach in planning resources
Efficient management of information
- accurate and current information are easily accessed