BRIEF

The Networks Services team within MJ Quinn was created to support the Openreach Network Services Agreement (ONSA) following a successful award of the Wales region. These works include provision, maintenance, repair, proactive works and emergency response activities to support Openreach in ensuring it’s network running at its optimum and keeping customers connected.

The activities involved in these works are extremely varied and include poling installation and replacement, cabling and jointing on both copper and fibre, civils groundworks including renewing manhole and chamber frames, underground cut installation, network re-arrangement, cabinet installation and relocation.

The Wales region provides a mixture of urban areas, such as Cardiff, Newport and Swansea in South Wales as well as some of the most remote and rural parts of the UK, particularly in Mid & North Wales.

Following an intensive tender programme in 2019, MJ Quinn we successfully awarded a 5 year contract for the Wales Region commencing April 2020.

SOLUTION

Following the successful award, MJ Quinn entered a 3 month readiness period ahead of a 6 week transition period after ‘go live’.

During the readiness period a dedicated ‘Transition Team’ was set up to mobilise all required aspects in preparation of starting the contract works. This included:-

• Engagement and agreements with regional subcontractor suppliers.
• Identifying and setting up two large stores locations in Newport and Deeside to manage stock and materials.
• Implementation of a bespoke IT solution to manage all works in an advanced and controlled manner.
• Recruiting and training a large team of Back Office staff (30+) to be able to manage the works effectively and to Openreach standards.
• Engaging in a TUPE process with the incumbent Openreach Partner with 18 field managers and supervisors transferring over to MJ Quinn following the contract award.
• Meeting with Local Authorities to establish strong working relationships.

Like every business around the country we were subject to the difficulties of COVID-19. Our go live date was scheduled for the end of April and as such, our transition period was during the height of the UK lockdown. This made our readiness period extremely challenging as we were limited to virtual communications only. In particular training staff virtually as opposed to in person provided us with a challenge we had never encountered before.

RESULTS

Due to a successful 3 month readiness period, we achieved all of the required milestones to exit the 6 week transition period and enter normal operations as an ONSA supplier to Openreach.

To date we have completed over 3,400 estimates in Wales and continue to support Openreach to maintain the network.

Performance to date has been extremely strong and we continue to show month on month improvements across our KPI’s. Feedback from Openreach has been extremely positive and we have quickly established a strong collaborative relationship within the partnership.