Information Technology

ICTTEN611 Produce an ICT network

architecture design

Learner Guide
Contents
Prepare to produce ICT architecture design..................................................................................10
Obtain the client’s organisation specifications and organisation requirements from
appropriate person.......................................................................................................................... 10
Review specifications and requirements to identify the type of ICT network and network
specifications required.................................................................................................................... 15
Consult with key stakeholders to identify their requirements................................................26
Assess organisation problems, opportunities and objectives, and confirm details with
appropriate person.......................................................................................................................... 28
Produce preliminary ICT network architecture design.................................................................31
Ascertain technical requirements, including hardware, software and network elements
according to specifications............................................................................................................ 31
Select software solutions to suit organisation platform..........................................................46
Develop preliminary physical network diagrams as a preface to architecture blueprint 48
Produce a document on the possible impact of the network design on the organisation
requirements..................................................................................................................................... 50
Evaluate preliminary design and likely performance using forecast demands......................55
Predict forecast traffic demands, and impact on network design, from current and
future demand requirements........................................................................................................ 55
Benchmark design using expected performance parameters...............................................59
Review design’s likely performance profile................................................................................66
Determine costs involved with a range of supplier products................................................69
Produce an evaluation report on predicted performance and costs of the network
architecture design, addressing organisation specifications and recommendations.......72
Finalise network design and obtain approval................................................................................76
Review benchmarks, requirements and final design proposed............................................76
Determine support and training requirements needed..........................................................79

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 Obtain latest technical specifications and pricing by contacting possible vendors..........82
Document network design and present documentation to appropriate person for
approval............................................................................................................................................. 84
Obtain sign off on final organisation solution...........................................................................87

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ICTTEN611 Produce an ICT network architecture design
Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to compile and evaluate
organisation specifications from a client and produce a set of architecture design solutions
to cater for present and future forecast demands.

It applies to individuals working in the field who carry out design and implementation of
technical solutions of information communications technology (ICT) networks, employed
by telecommunications and information technology networking provisioning companies
specialising in integrating converging and emerging technologies of ICT networks.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of

publication.

Unit Sector

Telecommunications – Telecommunications Networks Engineering

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 Elements Performance Criteria

Elements Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate

describe the achievement of the element.
essential
outcomes

1. Prepare to 1.1 Obtain the client’s organisation specifications and organisation

produce ICT requirements from appropriate person
architecture 1.2 Review specifications and requirements to identify the type of ICT
design network and network specifications required
1.3 Consult with key stakeholders to identify their requirements
1.4 Assess organisation problems, opportunities and objectives, and
confirm details with appropriate person

2. Produce 2.1 Ascertain technical requirements, including hardware, software

preliminary ICT and network elements according to specifications
network 2.2 Select software solutions to suit organisation platform
architecture 2.3 Develop preliminary physical network diagrams as a preface to
design architecture blueprint
2.4 Produce a document on the possible impact of the network
design on the organisation requirements

3. Evaluate 3.1 Predict forecast traffic demands, and impact on network design,
preliminary from current and future demand requirements
design and likely 3.2 Benchmark design using expected performance parameters
performance 3.3 Review design’s likely performance profile
using forecast 3.4 Determine costs involved with a range of supplier products
demands 3.5 Produce an evaluation report on predicted performance and
costs of the network architecture design, addressing organisation
specifications and recommendations

4. Finalise 4.1 Review benchmarks, requirements and final design proposed

network design 4.2 Determine support and training requirements needed
and obtain 4.3 Obtain latest technical specifications and pricing by contacting
approval possible vendors
4.4 Document network design and present documentation to
appropriate person for approval

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 4.5 Obtain sign off on final organisation solution

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 Foundation Skills
This section describes language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills incorporated in the
performance criteria that are required for competent performance.

Skill Performance Criteria Description

Reading 1.2, 2.1, 4.1  Organises, evaluates and interprets

technical documentation and relevant
enterprise policy and documentation

Writing 2.3, 2.4, 3.5, 4.4  Prepares clear and concise workplace
documentation, including
diagrammatic material, incorporating
technical language to communicate
complex information clearly and
effectively

Oral 1.1, 1.3, 1.4  Participates in verbal exchanges using

Communication clear language and active listening,
observational and questioning
techniques to confirm, clarify or revise
understanding

Numeracy 3.4, 3.5  Interprets numerical information

according to organisation
requirements and specifications to
evaluate possible technical design
scenarios within budgetary
constraints

Interact with 1.3, 4.3-4.5  Selects and uses appropriate

others conventions and protocols when
communicating with stakeholders in a
range of work contexts

Get the work 1.4, 2.2, 3.1-3.3, 4.2  Uses a combination of formal, logical
done planning processes and an
increasingly intuitive understanding of
context for complex, high-impact
activities with strategic implications
 Demonstrates a sophisticated
understanding of principles, concepts,
language and practices associated
with the digital world and uses this to

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 propose solutions
 Uses systematic, analytical processes
in complex, non-routine situations,
setting goals, gathering relevant
information, and identifying and
evaluating options against agreed
criteria
 Uses formal, analytical and lateral
thinking techniques for diagnosing
problems and generating and
evaluating possible solutions

Unit Mapping Information

Code and title   Code and title  Comments  Equivalence status 

current version  previous version 

ICTTEN611 ICTTEN6206A Updated to meet Equivalent unit
Produce an ICT Produce an ICT Standards for
network network architecture Training Packages.
architecture design design
Assessment requirements

Modification History

Release  Comments 
Release 1 This version first released with ICT Information and
Communications Technology Training Package Version
2.0.

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

 adapt technologies to specified technical solutions

 use site design software and hardware
 evaluate client specifications against accepted industry practices

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  produce technical designs from organisation specifications
 analyse feedback from client and make proposal adjustments
 apply design concepts to organisation solutions
 produce technical reports
 make recommendations and offer optimum design solutions.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided at
least once.

Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements safely and effectively, the individual must:

 summarise principles of the following technologies:

o access networks
o core networks
o information communications technologies (ICT) network topologies
o mobile cellular networks
o network protocols and operating systems
o optical networks and principles
o radio frequency (RF) technologies and principles
o radio frequency identification (RFID) hardware and software
 explain what is meant in the ICT sector by organisation processes
 explain compatibility issues and resolution procedures
 summarise configuration of internet protocol (IP) networks
 outline desktop applications and operating systems
 summarise security protocols, standards and data encryption.

Assessment Conditions

Gather evidence to demonstrate consistent performance in conditions that are safe and
replicate the workplace. Noise levels, production flow, interruptions and time variances
should be typical of those experienced in the telecommunications networks engineering
field of work and include access to:

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  a site for design work
 client functional requirements
 organisation specifications
 database software
 simulation software
 organisational guidelines
 a network or computer layout
 site design software and hardware
 information on a range of ICT organisation solutions.

Assessors of this unit must satisfy the requirements for assessors in applicable vocational
education and training legislation, frameworks and/or standards.

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Prepare to produce ICT architecture design
Obtain the client’s organisation specifications and organisation requirements
from appropriate person

Different organisations, organisation platforms, autonomous, semi-autonomous bodies

working for different purposes are all based on networking. Networking is the medium of
transfer of data or information comprising the interconnections of multiple end users and
devices. This exchange of data is carried out with the help of different hardware and
software, working in parallel with proper coordination and extreme reliability.

A network is a high-speed system that provides basic connectivity and offers resilient,
secure, easy-to-manage services needed to run organisation-critical applications. An
organisation’s network can span a single or multiple storey building or might spread over
different parts of the globe.

A simple network diagram showing interlinking

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Network Architecture is the complete framework of an organisation's computer network.
It comprises all hardware constituents used for communication, cabling and device types,
network design and topologies, physical and wireless connections, implemented areas
and future plans.

It's basically the physical and logical design which refers to the software, hardware,
protocols and the media of transmission of data.

Networks show how hardware is coordinated to transfer, collect and share information
within an organisation, which may comprise a handful of employees or hundreds working
together under multiple departments.

Good network architecture has to make sure that effective networking is always possible
irrespective of number of employees/departments and the size of the organisation profile.
This architecture is put together by professional, trained and experienced network
managers/administrators, with the assistance of network and design engineers.

A simplified network showing the basic components of networking

The question arises why network architecture is required in order to operate an

organisation properly? The answer lies with the definition of networking. For any
organisation to run properly, multiple users need to interact with each other (within and

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outside the organisation). This highlights that the communication medium must be very
strong and reliable. Dependable telephonic, e-mail or any other communication systems
are needed carry out these operations. Both physical and virtual elements should be
properly coordinated, managed and coherently work to transfer information from one
client to another. That is why network architecture holds a key position in an
organisation’s working efficiency and progress.

The initial ICT design step is about outlining the Network Architecture requirements for a
specific organisation profile. Therefore, the most imperative requirement is to obtain the
right specifications about a client’s organisation and then to develop the most appropriate
solution to cater for the requirements. But for this to happen, proper communication
channels need to be in place.

Architecture practice is a developing field and an active constituent of the AEC

(Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry and highly dependent on effective
communication. The design process is the initial phase of a project’s execution, based on
a client's requirements. Communication management is that part of project management
that deals with the process information exchange between project parties, which is
essential to identify goals, requirements and intents, and to coordinate the project
contributors effectively. All affected stakeholders should be consulted, and appropriate
information obtained from them.

A mutual understanding must be reached about clients’ organisation, its scale, number of
employees involved, tasks to be performed, medium of communication to be used for
information exchange, departments of the client’s organisation, exposure, expandability,
software and hardware involved, vendors involved, financial details etc. A proper briefing
is required from the client or elected person (from client’s organisation) for this task.
Briefing is the process where clients formally or informally outline their needs, whereas the
brief is an official document that defines the requirement and purposes of the clients. It
builds the dialogue regarding the design proposal’s value and quality.

Organisation requirements and specifications must be properly understood in order to

propose an ICT design. For example, a client can be a small organisation comprising
employees under 100, setup in a small building, working with specific vendors. Or, the
client may be a multinational, producing several products and offering a variety of
services, physically located in buildings all around the world. The design solution will
obviously vary as one is a small-scale organisation and the other is large-scale.

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Requirements, purposes, interactions, data, information exchange, communication modes
will vary for both clients. It needs to be understood that, from a networking point of view,
everything from accessing the internet, or printing/scanning/copying a document, to
downloading or uploading files, accessing servers, emailing to telephone conversations,
everything falls under networking. That is why it is referred to as the backbone of a
modern organisation. The digital evolution has encouraged the use of latest technology in
many organisation situations.

Organisation policies and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) also play a key function
in formulating network architecture.

SOP is defined as a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organisation to help

workers carry out complex routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality
output and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to
comply with industry regulations.

The information provided in policies and SOPs are important, coherent and often touch
sensitive areas of an organisation. ICT designers need to pay attention to policies and
SOP when moving towards a client-oriented solution. Following the guidelines of SOPs
leaves less space for rejection, reworking and mismanagement. Since policies are made
by authoritative bodies, these must be prioritised and the designer (network engineer)
must comply with them. Any potential conflict should be highlighted to management and
appropriate actions must be taken under their guidance.

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Design developers must get to know their Points of Contact (POC). Generally, it means a
group or an individual who should be contacted in the event of a problem, or for
assistance for a specific task. A POC is not like a help desk that caters for every problem
or issue but is task specific which means an organisation can have multiple POCs.

A POC can be designated to an individual or team of individuals who help, guide, and
solve any issue whenever they are called upon. POCs are mainly required for time
sensitive work. Since networking is all about timely operations, every organisation entity
should have a POC for networking operations. POCs may be, but not limited to, network
design engineers, network administrators, hardware specialists, network supervisors,
network managers. They are all key positions in a Network architecture system. Their
roles, duties, limitations, responsibilities are well-defined and properly assigned in a
functioning network system.

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Review specifications and requirements to identify the type of ICT network
and network specifications required

The first step towards network architecture is to obtain detailed information from the
client about organisational requirements, so that a viable ICT solution can be proposed.

A network analysis will incorporate descriptions of current traffic flows, records of how
various software and hardware are inter-connected, and the risks involved. Once the
current system has been analysed, goals and potential problems regarding the new
network will be identified. This will help to narrow down issues that may evolve later and
will also support putting together the right architecture and design.

Detailed questioning and discussions should be held about which type of network is right
for a client’s organisation in order to recommend network solutions that improve uptime,
uphold security issues, and help improve user access. The needs and resources of each
organisation present a diverse set of networking solutions. Optimal solutions for each
client will vary according the requirements, purpose and the capabilities of the client
organisation.

Designers can consider networking solutions like transmission medium, link configuration,
user’s mobility, coverage area and types of users. Here discussions about types of users
may take place, but before that a complete and detailed overview must be made in order
to understand the difference between the multiple networking options available. This is
imperative because, when a clear understanding about available possibilities is known,
only then can an optimised solution be proposed.

There are many types of networking possibilities which should be discussed with the POC
before a designer chooses the right option for a client organisation. Some of these types
are:

Personal Area Network (PAN)

The most basic type of network, a PAN is made up of a wireless modem, a computer or
two, phones, printers, tablets, etc., and revolve around one person in one building. These

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types of networks are usually found in small offices or residences and are supervised by
one person or organisation from a solo device.

Local Area Network (LAN)

LANs are the most common and simplest types of networks available. LANs joins groups
of computers and low-voltage devices together across short distances (within proximity to
each other) to share information and resources. Enterprises typically manage and
maintain LANs. Using routers, LANs can connect to wide area networks (WANs) to swiftly
and safely transfer information.

Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)

Operating like a LAN, WLANs make use of wireless network technology, such as Wi-Fi.
WLANs don’t require devices to be physically connected to the network by cables.

Campus Area Network (CAN)

CANs are larger than LANs, but smaller than metropolitan area networks (explained
below). These types of networks are typically seen in universities, large schools or small
organisations. They can be extended across several buildings that are close to one
another other so users can share resources.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)

These types of networks are bigger than LANs but smaller than WANs – and incorporate
elements from both these networks. MANs spread over an entire geographic area
(typically a town or city, but sometimes a campus). Proprietorship and maintenance are
maintained by a single person or a whole organisation (a local council, a large
organisation, etc.).

Wide Area Network (WAN)

More complex than a LAN, a WAN typically links computers together which are located a
distance from each other. This allows computers and low-voltage devices to be remotely
associated to each other over one large network to communicate even when they are far
apart.

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Today’s “Internet” is the most basic example of a WAN, linking computers together
worldwide. Because of a WAN’s vast range, it is characteristically owned and maintained
by multiple supervisors.

Storage-Area Network (SAN)

It is a dedicated high-speed network that connects common pools of storage devices to

several servers, these types of networks don’t depend upon a LAN or WAN. Instead, they
move storage resources away from the network and place them into their own high-
performance network. SANs can be accessed in the same fashion as a drive attached to a
server. Types of storage-area networks include converged, virtual and unified SANs.

Pictorial Representation of PAN, LAN, MAN & WAN

System-Area Network (also known as SAN)

It is a new entity introduced in the last two decades. It is used to explain a relatively local
network that is planned to provide high-speed connection in server-to-server applications
(cluster environments), storage area networks (called “SANs” as well) and processor-to-
processor applications. The computers connected on a SAN operate as a single system at
very high speeds.

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Passive Optical Local Area Network (POLAN)

As a substitute to traditional switch-based Ethernet LANs, POLAN technology can be

integrated into structured cabling to overcome concerns about supporting traditional
Ethernet protocols and network applications such as PoE (Power over Ethernet). A point-
to-multipoint LAN architecture, POLAN uses optical splitters to split an optical signal from
one strand of single mode optical fibre into multiple signals to serve users and devices.

Enterprise Private Network (EPN)

These networks are developed by organisations that want to securely connect its various
locations to share computer resources. They are highly private and reliable.

Virtual Private Network (VPN)

By extending a private network across the Internet, a VPN lets its users send and receive
data as if their devices were connected to the private network – even if they’re not.
Through a virtual point-to-point connection, users can access a private network remotely.

ICT designers should evaluate the client's network in terms of organisational needs and
choose the best option related to meet these needs. For example, there are different
types of clients. One may be running a financial organisation for whom security and
reliability are priorities. Another other client might be an entrepreneur who wants to
expand the organisation world-wide using social media platforms, while running the
organisation from a single location. Another client might be a school or a college
institution who wants their resources to be utilised within its campus, helping staff and
students. Clients vary in their basic structure and requirements; so, designers should make
sure that they propose a valid and rich solution so that requirements are fully met.

Another way to describe or categorise networking is as Access or Core Networks.

An Access network is a type of telecommunications network which connects subscribers

to their immediate service provider. Examples of Access network may include internet
service providers (ISP), home networks, ADSL and mobile networks. Contract an Access
network with a Core network, such as the Network Switching Subsystem in GSM which

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connects local providers such as telephone companies to one another. Other network
service provider examples may include Telstra, Optus, Vodaphone and others

Access networks gives access to individual users e.g. the telephone systems operating
within every city. The access network may comprise multiple hardware and software
whereas the connection of these access networks with each other, within defined rules
and standards, via core networks to backbone networks. It is a complex structure which is
administered by whole groups of professional engineers and administrators.

Graphical view of Access and Core Networks

The evolution of technology and computers over time has impacted every walk of life. At
the early stage of using computers they were only meant for mathematical operations
and storing data. In the current age a computer has vast capabilities and the Internet has
speeded up this process exponentially. Organisations have made use of the powerful
features of computers, combined with internet, to enhance their efficiency, security, data
sharing, storage and communication. This technological revolution has allowed the
organisation to share its resources (hardware and software) through networking. It has
allowed computers to connect to each other and to peripherals. These same networks
have also allowed personal computers to hook up to legacy mainframe computers.

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 Scope Of organisation network

Servers

Organisations have built servers. Standalone computing isn’t the requirement of age.
Server are platforms which contain organizational data. They are secure, highly
dependable medium through which users can access required applications and
information. Geographic difference does not matter when accessing servers which is why
they are so useful to multinational companies. Development of servers has led to fetch
and use information and data from anywhere within an organisation. Higher-end
computers are installed as servers, and users on the local network can run applications
and share information among departments and other organisations. This is called client-
server computing.

Intranet

These are in-house web pages designed to provide information about the organisation to
its employees. Web pages on the intranet are not usually accessible to those outside the
organisation.

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Extranet

Sometimes an organisation wants to collaborate with its consumers, vendors or dealers,

without risking any security issues inside its own communication network. This is an
imperative need these days as organisations are always working toward proper and timely
delivery of their operations and deliverables. In such cases, an organisation may want to
develop an extranet, which is basically a part of the organisation’s networking grid that
can be made securely accessible to outside organisations. The advantage of an extranet is
highlighted whenever any customer wants to check the status of their orders, or for
suppliers to check inventory levels.

Also, an organisation may need to permit someone who is not physically within its internal
network to acquire access. This access can be provided by a virtual private network (VPN).

Cloud Computing

The worldwide accessibility of the

internet pooled with increases in
processing power and data-storage
capacity has made cloud computing a
viable decision for many companies.
Using cloud computing, companies or
individuals can contract to store data
on storage devices somewhere on the
Internet virtually. Applications can be
“rented” as needed, giving an
organisation the ability to speedily
and swiftly deploy new applications.

Now review ‘Resource 1 - Cloud Computing’, located in the Additional

Resources folder

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ICT Network Examples
Australian Parliament

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For the ICT designer, the need arises to finalise the procedure or methodology to develop
a good network for a client organisation? What are the main highlights, needs, important
factors that need to be documented, discussed and agreed upon for finalising the
network?

The answer lies in the development of a Network Diagram.

A Network Diagram is basically a pictorial representation of the needs, limitations,

available facilities and the expansion possible within an organisation’s network. It is not
just the visual representation of the whole telecommunication system, but also reflects the
hardware and software working with each other and within. A simple Network diagram is
shown below.

Simplified Communication Network

Network diagrams can be complex and might also show the basic information of entities
as well as the organisational structure. A network diagram can be either physical or
logical.

A Physical Network Diagram usually displays the actual physical arrangement of the
constituents that make up the entire network, inclusive of all cables and hardware.
Normally, this diagram gives a bird’s eye view of the system in its physical space, like a
floor plan.

Whereas a Logical Network Diagram describes the way information flows through a
network. It is also known as signal topology since they emphasise the arrangement of
devices and their communication with each other.

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Therefore, logical network diagrams typically show subnets (including VLAN IDs, masks,
and addresses), network devices like routers and firewalls, and routing protocols. In order
to make a network diagram, designers need to ask questions of the client:

 What networking arrangement does client already have in place (if there is one)?
 How many computers and networked devices does client have?
 Does the client’s office design and layout impose any physical constraints on
client’s planning process? For example, is there available space in available floors,
walls, or ceilings (often in the form of electrical conduits) where network cables can
be strung?
 What networked applications do end users rely on most heavily, and how much
bandwidth do these applications consume?
 Is the client planning any changes to its technology infrastructure (such as
additional employees or new applications) that might have an impact on
networking needs?
 How much money does client have budgeted for the installation and maintenance
of networks?
 What is the topology the client wants to use or prefers in its system?
 What is the scale of the client’s organisation?
 What is the role of multiple software in the client’s organisation?
 What is the server usage in the client’s organisation?

All these along with other important questions which primarily affect the organisation’s
responsibilities and working criteria must be discussed with POC and a proper briefing
should be held. The copies of the briefing then will be used as a basis of a network
diagram for the client’s organisation. Many types of software are available which can help
to make network diagrams for complex systems. Multinationals and large-scale
organisations depend heavily on these software applications for network diagrams as they
can also help in troubleshooting and fault identification. Example software applications are
SolarWinds, Network Topology Mappe, ConceptDraw Pro., Lucidchart, Intermapper,
CADE, etc.

Now review ‘Resource 2 – Network Mapping Software’, located in the

Additional Resources folder

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 Activity 1 – Trainer to demonstrate example of how a
network architecture meets business requirements.

Activity 1 - Notes

Now complete Self-paced Activity 1

Consult with key stakeholders to identify their requirements

In order to start any analysis, a designer needs the people who can provide the right
information, re-check and affirm about all the requirements, needs and final proposal.
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In any organisation stakeholders are the ones who have the access to the required
information. There are four general categories of stakeholders: users, management,
influencers and providers. In any organisation, these four groups (or individuals) are the
ones who should be contacted to enable a functional and optimal network diagram to be
created.

Defining Stakeholders

First of all, meetings should be set up with management to obtain information about the
organisation’s profile, it finances, its departments, its locations in different cities or
countries (if applicable). The management will also be able to advise about the hardware
and software requirements of the organisation. This will help in listing the number of
computers, printers, scanners, the internet (intranet & extranet facility as well), numbers of
employees involved and their intercommunication scale.

Assuming an engineering manufacturing organisation is composed of the following

departments Administration, Electrical Design, Civil Design, Protection Design &
Mechanical Design. Separate meetings should be held with each department who will
discuss in detail the software required by each department. Each department will also be
able to tell about the space needed for their proper working and what expansion is likely.

Obviously since they are interworking as well, servers will be required. Since each
department will be comprised of Engineers and drafting personnel, requirements of these
two designations will vary and will be listed in the main requirements of organisation.

Now the use of Focus groups is initiated at this point. Focus groups will be brought
together in order to go deep and understand the requirements of each Department.

Listing down all the imperative needs, a short summary will be made in order to create
points for a network diagram. Also, the IT security department will be separately
questioned in order to make sure that all the information, data, and resources are
properly secured, privacy is maintained and access for users is defined and controlled,

Apart from within organisation meetings, a meeting with important vendors (another
stakeholder) who will provide material for organisation’s operations, hardware vendors,
software vendors, material vendors, stationary vendors etc. can also be held in order to

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reflect any extranet facilities required. Also, telephony requirements may be listed after
meetings with vendors.

Another important stakeholder are the customers of the client.

All these stakeholders, which will vary from organisation to organisation, are important to
interview in order to develop a viable, functional network. These stakeholders should help
to provide actual information for the system to be developed.

A graphical view of important stakeholders for above example

Summarising, meetings, surveys (if required), focus groups are key tools in finding out the
key elements on which the whole networking system will be established. To obtain the
right information, all stakeholders within the organisation must be interviewed according
to their importance and level of information.

Assess organisation problems, opportunities and objectives, and confirm

details with appropriate person

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When all stakeholders have been interviewed and accurate information assessed, a very
refined network architecture structure can be developed. This network system will
comprise all the hardware and software needed to meet the needs of the organisation.

System designers will be able to determine which hardware/software is required:

computers, printers, scanners, software, security requirements, servers, firewalls, privacy
requirements etc. These all requirements will be listed providing inputs for the networking
system.

A major point of discussed at this point should be about the uses of the networking
system, or how it can be used to solve identified business problems of the organisation.
Some of the major uses of this technology are listed below:

1. Conveniently sharing files and information within an organisation without

repetitively sending it to every user and consuming storage capacity (Use of
servers and shared devices)

2. Efficient sharing and usage of resources like printers, scanners etc. Within an
organisation you can add multiple computers on a single printer or scanner thus
using it efficiently and making it budget friendly.

3. Powerful communication modes such as emailing or collaboration.

4. Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) has modernised telecommunication systems.

Through this, telephone calls are made digitally using Internet Protocols instead of
the regular analogue phone lines thus cutting costs and improving security.

5. Powerful security of data of organisation is provided using centralised support

system governed by technical operators which 24/7 provide high assistance to any
technical issue raised. Trouble shooting of hardware or software errors is now
available to organisation through this revolutionary system. It also ensures the
usage of anti-spyware and anti-virus software in order to provide high end security
to all systems.

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 Uses of Networking System (Resource & data sharing)

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 Activity 2 – Trainer to demonstrate how common business
problems can be solved by ICT

Activity 2 - Notes

Now complete Self-paced Activity 2

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Produce preliminary ICT network architecture design
Ascertain technical requirements, including hardware, software and network
elements according to specifications

In this topic you will go through different types of technologies used in communications in
order to obtain deeper insight into network operations. Starting from the Information
Communication Telecommunication (ICT) and its importance, you will switch to the high
efficiency available communication modes like Fibre optic communication and RF
Communications and their uses. Mobile technology, which uses RF communication will be
reviewed, so by the end of the section you will have a better understanding of how to
incorporate these technologies.

ICT is just not about the

communication system, it is whole
package of containing sensitive
information or data, its transmission to
the right person and the sharing,
storage and protection of the
information.

It is a medium on which multiple

technological advancements rely. It is a
constant developing procedure which
has expanded to the whole world due
to its efficiency and reliability, as well
as advantages.

From an organisational point of view, ICT is a major platform on which the structural and
as virtual information of each organisation depends.

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To develop the network architecture, the system analyst will start by collecting information
about the organisation and developing an organisational chart that depicts the logical
structure of the organisation - the interactions between the working staff, inter-
departments and possible communication configurations.

As every employee has defined tasks to perform, an analyst must estimate the sort of
computing devices that they require to do their jobs. For example, their dependency on
computer, printers, modems etc.

Similarly, a physical analysis of the organisation in geographical terms can focus the sort
of networking infrastructure that would be required to guarantee each employee is able
to connect to the all possible communication services. Hence physical structure will be
incorporating all tangible things in a network and logical pattern will display the virtual
connections and possible information exchanges. This map is the baseline for the
development of the architecture system.

This data or mapping collectively plays massive role for the analyst to formulate an
architecture that conforms to the contemporary organisational requirements.
Modification, redundancy, flexibility, progress are all notions of the present age
organisations.

Organisations are developing constantly, so information architecture must be easily

adaptable to updates and amendments and be robust enough to cope with extremes of
use, even in the face of any adversity.

A lifeless e-commerce server can cause damage to organisation and bring to a stop
organisational development and operation. Hence in order to avoid this, a well-planned
information system should be the basis for a dynamic organisational environment.

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 Typical demonstration of ICT

Every organisation has a unique structure, both logically and physically. One organisation
could be spread over one room or one building whereas the other may be on several
sites world-wide. Present communication and computer technologies allow us to create
“information architecture” to suit an extensive range of organisational configurations.
Information Architecture is defined as an overall technology strategy for an enterprise.

As discussed earlier, the basic features of a computer network include hardware, software,
and protocols. Protocols are defined as rules which govern the flow of data within a
system just like traffic signals on a road. The interrelationship of these basic elements
establishes the infrastructure of the network. A point must be noted is that the logical
path is always the high-level representation; the physical path is the actual route.

Typical examples of Hardware may be:

 Computers
 Modems
 Printers & Scanners
 Routers
 Cables (used for connections)
 Fibre Optics
 Switches

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Typical examples of software may be:

 Operating systems
 Firewalls
 Antivirus software
 Browsers
 Email
 Instant messaging
 Application software (Office productivity, Graphics production, Multimedia
development, Application development environments (programming languages,
Task specific software)

Typical examples of protocols may involve:

 Internet Protocols
 Wireless Network Protocols
 Network Routing Protocols

Apart from defining the basic elements, it is very important to know the importance of
connecting these elements together. For example, you have a computer, but its cables are
not connected to electrical switch, will it work? The obvious answer is NO. Therefore, the
hardwired connections of these different physical elements must be properly met in order
to confirm the working of hardware, as well as software. No information exchange can
happen if the cabling is not correct. Therefore, separate drawings are prepared for cable
systems. The drawings or layouts depict the whole system in which the cables will be laid
and transferred from one source to another. These drawings are technically referred as
cable raceways drawings which also include the trays on which the cables are laid. The
complexity of this system depends upon the structure of organisation and hardware
involved. A planned cabling system is a complete system of cabling and related hardware,
which provides a comprehensive telecommunications infrastructure.

Every structured cabling system is distinctive in its nature due to below mentioned
variations possible.

 The architectural structure of the building, which houses the cabling installation;
 The cable and connection products;
 The function of the cabling installation;
 The types of equipment the cabling installation will support -- present and future;

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  The configuration of an already installed system (upgrades and retrofits);
 Customer requirements; and
 Manufacturer warranties.

Typical Cabling drawing

The procedures used to complete and sustain cabling connections are fairly standard. The
standardisation techniques are helpful because it ensures a proper sequence and rules in
an increasingly complex system. Whether the organisation is small or big, a proper
standard helps to maintain uniformity, sequence and flow in all cases.

Now a very crucial point is raised after the discussion of cabling system. Let us suppose that a
client is spread over two rooms of a building, then obviously cabling requirements will be limited,
and cabling drawings can be prepared easily. But what if the client has several buildings in a city
or country? What will you do? Obviously a new, more refined, advanced and viable technology
will be introduced which is known as Fibre optic cable system or optical Network. But what will
happen if the client and its users are spread worldwide and are highly interlinked. Will the cabling
system suffice at that point? No, it will not be able to cope with the modern requirements at
economical rates. At this point, wireless communication will come into play and may suit the
requirements. That is why different technologies at different scales will be provided and need to
be understood by the organisation analyst or ICT developer. These technologies will be discussed
later.

Coming back to ICT, the above described physical and software paths are technically
referred as topologies. A network topology is the arrangement of nodes - usually
switches, routers, or software switch/router features - and connections in a network, often

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represented as a graph. So, the whole mapping of physical devices, virtual information
and their representation is generally referred as topology.

With respect to physical topologies, following topologies are defined in an ICT network:

 Bus Network topology

 Star Network Topology
 Mesh Network Topology
 Ring Network Topology
 Tree Network Topology

Network topologies

Network designers must propose solutions to their customers that best meet their needs
and selecting the right topology is part of that advice.

Now review ‘Resource 3 – Physical Topologies, located in the additional

Resources folder

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Designers will now focus on Network Protocols in detail.

Network protocols as already defined are a set of rules which allow the transmission and
receiving of data so that computer network devices (from servers and routers to
endpoints) can communicate, irrespective of the differences in their underlying
infrastructures, designs or standards.

These protocols must be accepted in order to be able to send information successfully.

Network protocols are the reason behind the actions, policies, and affairs of the end-to-
end process of timely, secured and managed data or network communication. No
communication system can work without protocols. Just like a traffic signal, which allows
the proper flow of traffic on roads using certain codes, protocols are also the reason for
the smooth operation of a whole ICT network, without mishandling any information.

Generally speaking, networks have main three types of protocols:

 Communication, such as Ethernet;

 Management, such as the Simple Network Management Protocol; and
 Security, such as Secure Shell (SSH).

Falling into these three broad categories are hundreds of network protocols that regularly
handle a wide-ranging variety of tasks, including authentication, robotics (automation),
correction, compression, error detection, file recovery, file transfer, link aggregation,
routing, semantics, synchronization and syntax.

Examples of Communication protocols

 TCP/IP (transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol)

 HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)

Examples of Management protocols

 SNMP (simple Network Management Protocol)

 ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)

Examples of Security protocols

 HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol secure)

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  SSL (Secure socket Layer)
 SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol)

You can learn further about these protocols by searching about them and finding out
how they are different from each other and how they work. An important search can be
about the bodies working for the formation of these protocols worldwide, with a uniform
pattern and codes.

Now review ’Resource 4 – Communication Protocols’, located in the

Additional Resources folder

After having knowledge about hardware, software, protocols and cabling systems, other
important communication mediums are Optical and RF communication modes.

Optical Networking

Optical networking uses fibre optics (also known as waveguides) to transmit information in
the form of light from one place to another. The principle of total internal reflection is
used in this medium of transmission of data. The information or signals travels in the inner
core of fibre optic cable which is made of very pure glass which ensures the speedy and
accurate transfer of light. Since light travels at the highest rate known, it is a very speedy
method and that’s why modern technology uses fibre optic cables for transmission of
signals.

A Fibre optic (FO) system consists of three main elements: optical transmitter, optical
receiver and optical regenerator.

Optical Transmitter:
An optical transmitter, a device that converts electrical and analogue signals into either
On-Off or Linear modulating light signals. Then it releases the data into the fibre optic
cable. The pattern of light waves forms a code that carries a message. The cable then
relays the data emitted by the optical transmitter to the optical receiver. The receiver
accepts the light signal and reformats the data into its original form.

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Optical Receiver
The receiver essentially performs the opposite function of the transmitter. Optical
receivers receive the light signal from the fibre optic cable and turn it back into
information. A computer or television knows how to understand and use the received
information. 

Optical Regenerator:
Although signal degradation is minimal in a fibre optic cable, some degradation may
occur when data is to be transmitted over very long distances. When a cable covers a
long distance, optical regenerators are placed at certain intervals along the cable. Optical
regenerators are fibres that have been treated with a laser. The molecules in the fibre
allow the signal travel through the fibre optic cable to take on laser properties themselves.
The laser properties strengthen the light signal. Optical regenerators essentially
strengthen the light signal that is traveling through a fibre optic cable.

Components of optical networking system

Applications of Fibre Optics:

 Used in telephone systems

 Used in sub-marine cable networks
 Used in data links for computer networks, CATV Systems
 Used in CCTV surveillance cameras
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  Used for connecting fire, police, and other emergency services.
 Used in hospitals, schools, and traffic management systems.
 They have many industrial uses and also used in heavy duty construction.

A typical example of FO system provided in a home for internet and telephonic services is
depicted in below picture for readers’ interest.

FO supplied Wi-Fi home-based network

RF Technology or RF Communication:

Wireless transmission is basically a series of Radio Frequency signals transmitted from a

receiver to the transmitter then to the end device. But what is radio frequency or RF? For
that first we need to know about the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. Radio Frequency is
basically the very high frequencies which are used for communication purposes mainly in
any wireless communication system.

The EM spectrum is shown below for reference, which broadly consists of so many rays of
different frequencies. RF Frequency is a certain range of frequency which lies in this
spectrum which is used for communication purposes.

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 EMR Spectrum

EMR spectrum is very useful in all its wavelengths or frequencies. Every frequency can be
used in different ways for multiple purposes. Typical uses of the spectrum are shown
below.

Uses of EMR Spectrum

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So why do we use very high frequencies for wireless communication? The answer to this
question lays in the behavior and properties of high frequency sounds.

Frequency refers to the rate of oscillation. High frequencies are very efficient in terms of
propagation, they are least affected by noise and any impairments and the size of the
antenna required reduces very much. The antenna size/typically related to the wavelength
of the signal and in practice is usually ¼ wavelengths. Combing all these factors, RF
communication is a very reliable, authentic and viable to mode of communication.

Three categories of RF systems are defined below.

Simple RF System:
A simple RF communication is defined as one-way communication system like AM & FM
radio transmissions. You can always hear to AM or FM Radio channels, but you cannot
send them information back. Hence it is a single way communication. Other examples are
pagers and televisions.

Half Duplex RF System:

Half Duplex RF Systems are defined as the systems in which both receiving, and
transmission can happen, but not as a simultaneous operation. A perfect example is a
walkie-talkie radio system.

Full Duplex RF system:

It is a system in which both communication ends can send and receive data without
obstruction, for example is mobile phones or satellite communication.

Just like an optical fibre communication system, an RF system also comprises a

transmitter, a communication medium and a receiver.

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 Wireless Communication system

Applications of RF Communications:

 Wi-Fi
 Bluetooth Technology
 Mobile Communication System
 Radio Applications

As already mentioned, cellular technology is a use of the RF communication system.

Mobile technology is very important factor affects almost every individual, as well as
corporations.

Mobile Cellular Technology:

The advent of modern information technology has led to a speedy and a very reliable
corporate growth. The sophistication of these advanced telecommunication systems has
been a major platform on which today’s organisations rely.

Another form of technological advancement is the Cellular system. Mobile phones have
emerged as a greatest invention which is in reach of almost every human and is widely
used due to its easy interface and high efficiency level. From the first to the 5 th generation
of mobile phone technology, cellular networking has evolved, and now smart phones are
like computers as their technology has made them as efficient as computer systems.

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Mobile Phone works on Cellular Network Technology. A cellular network is a system of
wireless links. An area on Earth is divided into cells of different shapes like hexagonal,
square, rectangular, circular or any other.

But the hexagonal shape is widely chosen and used. Each of these cells has their own
base transceiver stations. These base stations offer wireless network coverage to the cell.

These wireless frequencies can be used for transmission of voice, data, FM radio content
etc. Different set of frequencies are used by each cell to avoid any conflict with the
adjacent cells. The grouping of these cells then serves the purpose of covering large area
over radio frequency and providing services accordingly. This is mainly the working
principle of wireless systems like phones. tablets etc.

Hexagonal cellular network

ICT designers need to understand why cellular technology is so important and why it is so
imperative to consider it. The answer lies in the usage of mobile phones as smart phones
and their accessibility to everyone. From an organisational point of view, expansion
depends upon its end users or customers. Since smart phones are now in reach of most
of the population and its usage and numbers of users are increasing daily, organisational
entities target this area to market their organisation through this medium.

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For example, nearly all websites now made mobile friendly. For most organisations
website traffic is essential, and if its website is mobile friendly, it has the possibility of
increasing traffic to its website exponentially.

Another way of looking at it may be, due to the help of smart phones, email handling,
social interaction and digital marketing is now very approachable and easy to apply at any
time of day. This has increased the efficiency and reliability of any organisation as they can
exponentially increase their customer interaction.

This technology is also bridging the gap between rural communities and their ability to
build their livelihoods and increase their resilience towards coping within an ever-
challenging environment.

Evolution of Cellar Network

Concluding this section, ICT designers must be able to map the topographical
requirements of an organisation, whether widely spread or limited. They must be able to
differentiate the physical and software requirements of the organisation per its purpose
and policy. Keeping in view the expansion possible, designers should be able to propose
the most suitable network architecture program which meets current and future goals.

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Select software solutions to suit organisation platform

Whether a client operates a small scale organisation or it is a large enterprise, it will

require different management and software for its niche. Companies are adopting
software in order to increase their efficiency, get things done, predict risks, record financial
statements, manage projects and more. Management software is developed in order to
support, improve and automate the organisation plans. Less manual work is required, and
more work can be performed with minimal errors.

For management and IT departments, the following software are basic needs. This
software applications are specific in nature and help the organisation in their respective
areas.

 Accounting/financial programs
 Asset management
 Customer relationship management (CRM) s
 Database
 Word processing
 Spreadsheets
 Presentation
 Project and task management
 Time recording
 File storage and document sharing
 Invoice and budget management
 Resource management
 Executive information systems

Apart from these software applications, there might be many technical types of software
an organisation would need in order to run its operations. An organisational analyst
would need to identify and then prioritise technical and functional requirements needed
to compare different software and then propose solutions.

For example, which operating system suits the client’s organisation, MS Windows or Linux
or Apple iOS. Pros and cons of each system must be identified and discussed.

Similarly, for software and hardware, is IBM preferred or Oracle, or SAP?

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 Activity 3 – Trainer to demonstrate hardware and software
components of a typical network architecture.

Activity 3 - Response

Now complete Self-paced Activity 3

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Develop preliminary physical network diagrams as a preface to architecture
blueprint

As previously discussed, physical network diagrams depict the tangible equipment of a

network architecture design. They show important hardware that is necessary for system
operation and play a vital role in communication.

Physical network diagram refers to the preface to the network architecture blueprint.
These physical diagrams give an overview of the network in its physical space, like a floor
plan.

Based on multiple topologies these physical diagrams are a pictorial representation of the
arrangement and interconnection of hardwired or virtually connected equipment. These
diagrams also allow the designer to consider resource sharing, such as multiple
computers connected to single printer. For any enterprise or industrial organisation, the
architectural blueprint is referred as a logical organisation of an organisation and its
supporting data, applications, and IT infrastructure, with clearly defined goals and
objectives for the future scale of the organisation.

The reason for its importance lies in its complete definition. This blueprint does not only
define the present communicational equipment, its interaction with each department, but
also outlines the basic goals and purposes of organization, along with its expansion and
progress. This blueprint shows the organisational applications and infrastructure glued in
a definite manner to serve organisation purpose, as shown below.

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 Now review ’Resource 5 – Networking Architecture Blueprint’, located in
the Additional Resources folder

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Produce a document on the possible impact of the network design on the
organisation requirements

As the ICT designer goes through the steps to formulate a blueprint for their client, they
should be able to document all the important points and factors. This document will help
them to finalise their options in discussion with stakeholders.

Documentation is always very necessary in any organisational plan. As already discussed,

briefs, minutes of meeting and related documentation ensures and binds both client and
analyst to guidelines, agreements and rules, and hold each party responsible for their role.

A proposal will not only contain the information gathered from stakeholders, but also will
contain possible risks involved. These risks may be due to hardware or software limitations
or incompatibilities. It is good practice to well define all risks that might emerge during
implementation.

The document may contain different sections like:

Section 1 - Identify Key Stakeholders

 Identify who is affected by this system

 Identify End users - their needs must be met.

Section 2 - Identify Stakeholder Requirements

 Understand and document their requirements and aspirations

 Gather this information from interviews, meetings and focus groups

Section 3 - Identify Requirements

To make analysis easier, consider grouping the requirements into these categories:

 Functional Requirements – These define how a product/service/solution should

function from the end-user's perspective. They describe the features and functions
with which the end-user will interact directly.
 Operational Requirements – These define operations that must be carried out in
the background to keep the product or process functioning over a period.

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  Technical Requirements – These define the technical issues that must be
considered to successfully implement the process or create the product.
 Transitional Requirements – These are the steps needed to implement the new
product or process smoothly.

Section 4 - Interpret and Record Requirements:

 Once all major requirements have been outlined, find out the most imperative,
achievable, realistic and financially plausible requirements.
 Outline any conflicting requirements
 Involve stakeholders to find an optimal solution in the case of conflict

Section 5 - Final Proposal:

 This should contain the client proposal covering all aspects and the client should
be encouraged to circulate this to every stakeholder for analysis and agreement.

Make sure the proposal:

 Is factual, comprehensive and contains verifiable information based on production,

capabilities, strategies, and goals of the client.
 Identifies development, key problems, and solutions to mitigate anticipated risks.
 Supplements the organisation’s internal competitor information gathering efforts
by serving insight, strategic analysis, and data interpretation.
 Analyses the latest developments, market size and shares, and strategies

For example:

Section 1 - Identify Key Stakeholders

 GM/CEO of Organisation
 Technical Heads of all departments (Technical, Admin & Financial Departments)
 Individual Engineers & draftspersons, Admin & Financial department individuals
 Security & IT Team
 End Clients
 Vendors (Optional)

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Section – 2- Aspirations from ICT

 Highly reliable
 Highly Secured
 Well integrated
 Smooth running
 Less downtime
 Confidentiality is maintained
 Restricted access is required
 Incorporates Extensions

Section 3 - Categorise Requirements

 Which technical software is required?

 Which management software is required?
 Which OS will be suitable?
 Security Features that will be incorporated
 Reliable operation is always maintained
 Server is updated and secured
 All software work together, no clash is observed
 Additional hardware/software whenever required will be easy to adjust in main
system

Section 4 - Interpret and Record Requirements:

 Outline the basic requirements and find a common ground for all the
requirements. For example, for every local office one server will be proposed and
its access will only be given to the local employees; no other employee can read or
write the data of any other branch office.
 Find the conflicting areas, e.g. will admin will be allowed to access the technical
data? If yes, why? If no, why No. Security team may highlight it as a threat to the
integrity and confidentiality of system hence admin department will be restricted to
access technical on goings. If admin heads disagree discussions will be carried out
and will be recorded as well.
 Future extensions will be assessed by the finance department. The plan should be
a moderate one, neither too expensive nor too cheap.

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Section 5 - Final Proposal:

 The final draft prepared will be presented in a well-documented format supported

by all necessary facts and figures, any assumptions or deviations made.

In this manner, designers can prepare a document for any client.

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 Activity 4 – Trainer to demonstrate a detailed example of a
physical network diagram

Activity 4 - Notes

Now complete self-paced activity 4

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Evaluate preliminary design and likely performance using
forecast demands
Predict forecast traffic demands, and impact on network design, from current
and future demand requirements

While designing an ICT plan for a client, an important area to focus on is the current and
proposed network traffic of that organisation. Network traffic is basically the amount of
data (in GBs for large enterprises) moving across its communication system at any given
point.

Network traffic is the main component for network traffic measurement, network traffic
control and simulation. The proper organisation of network traffic helps in ensuring the
quality of service in a given network.

Network traffic is also known as data traffic. Data traffic measurement holds a key position
because it defines the bandwidth of the whole communication network. Simply if this
traffic is high i.e. huge amount of data is travelling within the system, larger or broader
bandwidth will be required. Smaller enterprises, whose network traffic is limited does not
require this broader bandwidth range.

Measuring traffic

Telecommunication traffic can be expressed in terms of the intensity of traffic and traffic
volume. In detail, measurement of traffic intensity associated with planning and technical
performance of the network, and measurement of the volume of traffic associated with
the revenue of telecommunication Operators and Providers.

Precisely it is defined as “The instantaneous traffic intensity in a pool of resources is the

number of busy resources at a given instant of time.”

The unit used to express the telecommunication traffic is known as “Erlang”, after the
Danish mathematician A.K Erlang.

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A simple explanation of the Erlang is:

a) In a medium of transmission that is a bandwidth of 1 G bps internet traffic flowing

at 0.6 G bps, the traffic intensity in the transmission medium is = 0.6 G bps / 1 G
bps = 0.6 Erlang.
b) On a web server that can serve 1,000 hits per hour, there were 400 hits per hour,
the traffic intensity on this web server is = 400 hits per hour / 1000 hits per hour =
0.4 Erlang.
c) On a call centre that can serve customers as many as 500 calls per minute there
are 230 calls per minute, then the traffic intensity in the call center is a call per
minute = 230 calls per minute / 500 calls per minute = 0.46 Erlang.

Let us take an example of a cellular organisation who wants to provide 4G coverage in

9km2 urban areas with 95% coverage probability. The number of approximate users is
20,000 whereas 18 cellular sites with 3 sectors each are present in the area. How will you
determine the load/traffic on each cell?

A simple calculation will be done based on following steps, since each site has 3 sectors,
there will be 18 x 3= 54 Cells

To calculate the load on each cell, divide number of users by number of cells, i.e.
20000/54= 371 subscribers per cell.

The need of proper network data traffic is very important and beneficial for any
organisation. The reasons are listed down here.

 Identifying network bottlenecks – In a system, there might be few applications or

users who are using higher bandwidth or deploying major traffic for an overall
system. In certain situation they might be considered as bottlenecks and proper
solution can be provided for this issue.
 Network security - Unusual amount of traffic in a network is a possible sign of an
attack. Network traffic reports provide valuable insights into preventing such
attacks.
 Network engineering - Knowing the usage levels of the network allows future
requirements to be analysed.

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A network analyst’s job is to cater the present and as well as future requirements of any
organisation in your design. For an optimal, robust and easy-going communication
network, you should opt for solutions which have some spare capacity. The need of this
spare capacity in your design will mainly highlight the importance of future extensions.

For example, if your client has a plan to expand the organisation on a larger scale in 2 to
3 years, will the present ICT architecture be able to incorporate this expansion easily
without damaging any operation at any time? The answer to this question should be YES.
You should design a robust system for your client using above mentioned topologies and
technologies which will easily accommodate the expansion of users, applications and
hardware.

Existing hardware and software should not only cater the present needs of the
organisation but should also be easily extendable as per the organisation’s development
and growth. If for example FO cable systems are suggested in your plan then additional
spare capacity should be maintained in the design so that if, in future, heavy data flows
are observed, these cables could easily withstand this additional load.

Similarly, the routers, switches, hubs and other related hardware should be able to handle
inflow of more traffic in future expansion and their withstanding capacity must not be
violated for future endeavours. Spare capacities at an initial design help solving all these
issues.

Future expansion of an organisation not only means the additional users or computers for
their use. It also means more data, more hardware, more hardwired cables, more
software/application uses, more information on servers, higher security risks, more flow of
data hence increased data traffic and the need of increased bandwidth in some cases.
Your proposed solution must be easily expandable in all cases.

The question may arise that how much expansion should be considered before designing
and forecasting additional data traffic. The answer lies in the organisation’s future goals
and interests of stakeholders. Your design should reflect their aspirations, including all the
possible outcomes of heavy traffic. Stakeholders should be duly informed beforehand
about the proposal’s limitation beyond a certain point of expansion. But it must be noted
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your plan should be easily integrate-able into another plan if required in case of higher
growth of organisation than expected.

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Benchmark design using expected performance parameters

Have you ever looked on a car’s speedometer or fuel indicator while driving? Or have you
ever looked at the engine indicators before going on a long journey? Obviously yes,
because everybody does that and it is highly recommended to use these indicators to get
to know about a car’s health before and while driving. Similarly, there are a set of defined
indicators for any organisation, which shows the health of any organisation and usually
known as Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

KPIs are basically a type of measure which evaluates the organisation’s performance
against its own strategic objectives. In simple terms KPIs help organisations to understand
how well they are performing in relation to their strategic goals and objectives. They can
be a management tool for obtaining insight and decision-making. In addition, KPIs serve
to lessen the complex nature of organisational performance to a small, convenient
number of key indicators that provide pointers that can in turn help decision making and
ultimately improve performance.

Every organisation has goals. Due to competition and market strategies, every
organisation needs to meet its goals in order to survive, as well as to flourish. KPIs plays
important role in quantifying goals and objectives. For example, an organisation that
wants to increase its sales rates by 10% each year will use effective KPIs to monitor its
growth and can determine whether the organisation is achieving its goal or not.

KPI Importance

KPIs are natural, simple and logical parameters of judging the progress. Essentially,
creating successful KPIs comes down to understanding the objectives of the organisation
using a clear, structured process for crafting KPIs. Visualisation of progress becomes easy

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using KPIs, but obviously developing KPIs is a time consuming and important task. A
roadmap is given below.

Creating KPIs for an organisation

How to create KPIs for any organisation:

STEP-1: ESTABLISH CLEAR OBJECTIVE

You should be very clear about your main objective, for example you want to increase
sales for your organisation, or you should retain and satisfy existing customers. It can be
hiring employees every year, or it can also be expanding your organisation to another city
or country. Your objective should be well defined as for each objective separate and
distinct KPI will be designated.

STEP-2: OUTLINE CRITERA FOR YOUR OBJECTIVE

Once you’ve set a goal or objective or defined your KPI, you need to focus on outlining
the needs for those goals. You should also make sure your objective is realistic and as per
organisation’s and stakeholders’ requirements and interests. Outlying the success criteria
will require you to focus on its progress. You will define a time frame for achieving a goal.
You will define the users helpful in achieving goals. Realistic organisational approach must
be considered while outlining success criteria. KPIs that never get updated can quickly
become obsolete. All KPIs must be regularly updated to cope up with day to day
challenges.

STEP-3: COLLECTING DATA:

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Investigate the availability and accuracy of the data. Data may be available automatically
from existing systems or hidden in reports and databases. This data will all need to be
pulled together at regular intervals for reporting in one central place. Depending upon
the KPI objective, there might be a need for some external group to collect data about
goals.

STEP-4: BUILDING KPI FORMULA:

Building a formula helps in those KPIs which are mostly value based like revenue
generation, total expenditures etc. you need to build formulas and make calculations with
test data to see if the results are what you would expect. Set short and long-term targets
for the evaluation of KPIs.

STEP-5: PRESENTING KPIs:

To efficiently communicate KPIs, you'll need to translate the data into understandable
visuals such as graphs and charts

As an organisational analyst and ICT designer, you should be able to nominate suitable
KPIs for a client, both short and long-term. The process of evaluation of KPIs, their
monitoring and re-adjustment is a continual process of growth and accountability.

Certain KPIs might cease being effective after a period, and you should be able redesign
KPIs as per new requirements and challenges. Analysis of KPIs is very important to judge
the growth of organisation which in turn helps the ICT designer in rechecking its specified
model for network architecture. An analysis of present situation of organisation is also
important as it leads to re-definition of target goals and their achievability in the future.
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Tracking, modeling, analysing and comparing KPIs is a non-ending procedure of an
organisation’s goal evaluation.

There can be hundreds of KPIs depending upon the client but some famous and reused
KPIs are mentioned below.

Examples of Sales KPIs

1. Number of New Contracts Signed Per Period

2. Dollar Value for New Contracts Signed Per Period
3. Number of Engaged Qualified Leads in Sales Funnel
4. Hours of Resources Spent on Sales Follow Up
5. Average Time for Conversion
6. Net Sales – Dollar or Percentage Growth

Examples of Financial KPIs

7. Growth in Revenue
8. Net Profit Margin
9. Gross Profit Margin
10. Operational Cash Flow
11. Current Accounts Receivables
12. Inventory Turnover
13. EBITDA

Examples of Customer KPIs

14. Number of Customers Retained

15. Percentage of Market Share
16. Net Promoter Score
17. Average Ticket/Support Resolution Time

Examples of Operational KPIs

18. Order Fulfillment Time

19. Time to Market
20. Employee Satisfaction Rating
21. Employee Churn Rate

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Examples of Marketing KPIs

22. Monthly Website Traffic

23. Number of Qualified Leads
24. Conversion Rate for Call-To-Action Content
25. Keywords in Top 10 Search Engine Results
26. Blog Articles Published This Month
27. E-Books Published This Month

Consider relevant KPIs for an engineering firm. The relevant KPIs for it might be,

 Number of customers retained (how many times a single customer is awarding

project to that organisation),
 New customers involved (how their work grabbed new customers),
 Percentage of Market Share (with respect to their rivals),
 order fulfillment rate (how timely they are submitting their projects), Time to
market (how efficiently they are leading the market),
 employee retention (how many employees prefer to remain in same organisation),
employee attraction (how many employees from rival organisation joined this
organisation),
 Employee Satisfaction Rating, Employee Churn Rate, Growth in Revenue, Net Profit
Margin, Gross Profit Margin, Operational Cash Flow, Current Accounts Receivables,
workshops conducted, research papers published, workshops conducted etc.

You can always define new and relevant KPIs whenever required for your required client

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 Diagnosis Plan with KPIs

As an ICT designer your KPIs can be about optimal operations of software, timely transfer
of data, speed and efficiency related to customer handling, troubleshooting network
problems, quality control, efficiency of hardware involved, durability and life expectancy of
the security system, and many more. They can also be defined with respect to managerial
point of views as well.

After developing and evaluating KPIs, you will monitor their performance and check their
success rate. This success or failure rate will redefine your organisational techniques.

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 Activity 5 – Trainer to demonstrate how to predict forecast
traffic demands and their impact on network design

Activity 5 - Notes

Now complete Self-paced Activity 5

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Review design’s likely performance profile

All organisations and entrepreneurial ventures have a direction in which they need to
move. Without any proper direction, their activities may be of limited worth. This is where,
from organisation point of view, performance profile comes into play.

Performance profile is basically used to achieve targets in a more organised and

quantified manner. Performance profiling can even be used to improve innovation and
cross-functional teamwork. Powerful performance profile from top to bottom in a
hierarchical organisation can help improve the efficiency of the complete entity.

A performance profile is basically job specific and points to different goals on which an
employee can focus to differentiate themselves. It is just not the job description but also
focuses on the needs of the job. It focuses on what people should do (their goals) versus
their skills and expertise (their degree and experience). Apart from organisational benefits,
it focuses on individual success. It emphasises career building rather than job acquisitions
by focusing on an employee’s learning process.

Five areas are included in a complete profile:

1. Key Results – Identify the key organisation results or outcomes associated with the
job or position.
2. Key Actions – Identify the key actions that are necessary to drive those key results.
3. People Skills – Skills necessary for success, such as persuasion, coaching,
negotiating, public speaking.
4. Technical Skills – Skills necessary to be successful, such as equipment operation,
computer capabilities.
5. Experience and Education – Including areas of expertise and educational
achievement.

With respect to ICT, the performance profile varies but technically offers the same
characteristics and benefits. The performance model of a proposed networking solution
will be determined by using the above mentioned areas.

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  Key Results - The proposed solution should provide predefined goals and
achievements.
 Key Actions - The proposed solution must follow a right direction to achieve the
goals.
 People Skills - The proposed solution must involve the users within an organisation
completely and all engagement outside the organisation must also be interactive
and useful.
 Technical Skills - The plan must be optimal, robust and complete in its
requirements and must possess all the skills/targets expected from it with respect
to communicational purposes.
 Expertise Area- The proposed ICT solution must be capable enough to deal with
the current and future aspirations of an organisation and all technologies used
within it must qualify for all the required tasks.

The review of the proposal given will assess how efficiently the ICT architecture is making
use of latest technologies to fulfill the desired tasks. Expectations of the ICT solution will
be monitored on real grounds using this profile.

The performance profile will also be able quantify how expectations are met. The
organisation will be in good shape if the profile matches their agenda and aspirations,
otherwise a revised plan must be developed to upgrade the performance profile. As an
analyst, you must be able to evaluate the proposed networking solution on these areas
and must match it with the technical and financial goals of the client.

As an example, referring to the design engineering firm example, in order to analyse if a

proposed solution is working or not, you will try to assess every point. Starting from Key
results; the organisation is expected to give workable, technically plausible, within budget,
optimal and a complete design of a substation covering all electrical, civil, protection and
mechanical areas. An ICT analyst can only provide a system to meet stated ICT goals.

Moving to point-2, Key action: this will include your possible actions to attain the desired
ICT network. For example, you will mention the need of workstations, printers, routers,
switches, firewalls, servers, security software, management software, IP system, video
conferencing system’s requirements, mapping software, etc. to be used by you to design
the ICT which is suitable for technical, security and with respect to administration’s point
of view.

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Point-3 will cater for the involvement of the users and employees of the organisation. You
will run test sessions to see how accurately the system is running. Users will check it with
respect to their needs and will inform you if they face any difficulty in their tasks.

As per point - 4, you will judge the overall efficiency of the system. Check it, test it,
compare it, redesign it, and re-optimise it if required. Keep in mind that your actual goal is
to cater for your client requirements.

Once all points are checked, in order to comply with point - 5, you will check it against the
expected future expansion needs of the organisation. You must ensure that your
proposed solution can easily scale to incorporate future hiring of employees, future
expansion of the system and future extension of organisation locations, if required.

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Determine costs involved with a range of supplier products

In order to succeed in today’s dynamic technology environment, IT departments demand

new-age hardware and as well as software products that are reliable and cost-effective.
Since ICT is comprised of both these, cost effective solutions must be provided by a
networking analyst.

 Examples of different Hardware that might include in ICT (but not limited to):
 Computer systems

 Servers
 Computer Peripherals & accessories like Adapters, battery, Pen Drive, USB Hard
Disk and Toner etc.
 Projectors / Presentation Products
 Printers (Dot Matrix, Deskjet, Laser and Multi-functional Printers)
 Scanners
 Photocopy machines
 Security (UTMs and Antivirus etc.)
 Line telephone sets with cordless handsets
 Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks
 Removable media storage units
 Fixed Media storage Units

Examples of different software that might include in ICT (but not limited to)

 Operating systems (packaged)

 Network Software
 Database management software
 Internet related software
 Licensing services for all paid software
 System software downloads
 Application software downloads
 Firewalls
 Anti-Virus software
 Security software
 Telecommunications service provider

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 Sample Hardware & software Integration

To obtain costing of both hardware and software two methods can be employed.

 Internet Search
 Private enquiries to Vendors

Internet Search:

By using this method, you simply need to explore the rates of the required hardware
and software through internet searches. By visiting different vendor’s websites, you
may find out the current charges of required equipment and can integrate these in
your financial report or final costing of a system.

Private enquiries to Vendors

Often vendors do not publicly display their prices so you should opt the method of
privately contacting them from the behalf of the client to find out exact current list and

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discounted prices.

Both the methods are reliable and can be used for the final costing of the hardware
and software requirements.

As you obtain pricing details, check if any hardware or software is required in bulk, as
you may qualify for discounts and premium offers from the vendor.

Suppliers or vendors will be contacted and will be asked to provide, for example, a
hundred workstations / PCs, or ten printers or routers. In an ICT plan, you will
determine the quantity of each item and then contact vendors to provide the required
items, keeping the client’s IT & admin department in the communication loop.

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Produce an evaluation report on predicted performance and costs of the
network architecture design, addressing organisation specifications and
recommendations

Once the architecture design analyst has gone through the main practical steps, they
need to write a report which include the major points of the proposed network
communication plan. It should encompass the major requirements of the organisation,
the ICT structure needs and should be laid out in a proposal format.

Writing this report will cover diverse topics ranging from pros and cons of the
technical element of the proposal, as well as its viability and how it meets the needs
for organisational development and growth. It should cover detailed planning steps
and reinforces how ICT is helping the organisation to meet its structural and growth
requirements.

The report should begin with the client goals goals, its driving forces, its plans, its
strategies, its customers’ interests, its technical & functional requirements, its
employees and users, and its growth plan. The report should outline the information
gathering strategies deployed in order to obtain information about the organisation’s
needs.

After discussing the client’s major needs and aspirations, it should outline how the
network plan will meet each major need of the organisation. The network strategies
adopted should be explained with all pros and cons and proper arguments should be
made about the reasons for choosing certain solutions.

The report should also integrate the hardware, software & protocol requirements. The
Finance department’s role should also be clarified at this point so that the proposed
network should be capable of being developed to meet a predetermined budget.

The ICT plan should define, at a high level, the organisational benefits sought from
planned reforms. It should emphasise the current, new or planned performance
indicators, performance targets and key result areas of its organisation units. The
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report should also identify the key relationships between organisation drivers,
organisation units, organisation processes, organisation transformations and
information systems requirements coherently.

The organisation’s policies, mission statement and proposed future plans must form a
key input when deciding the ICT structure. The influence of these parameters highly
affects the developments of ICT design.

Once all the available technology options are assessed, the ICT vision is proposed. All
the requirements as discussed are set out in the report that is put forward for
discussion, critical analysis, final submission and approval. It is regarded as a good
practice to communicate the ICT Strategic Plan to all affected departments of the
organisation. This may be done through presentations or other means appropriate to
the organisation.

The report should specifically stress the role of ICT, the needs of ICT and the benefits
of ICT in an organisation plan. It should discuss how ICT includes digital technology to
assist individuals and organisations using information. It is not only a networking
scheme but is a complete package with vision and serious engineering. ICT is
concerned with digital data storage, retrieval and transmission of data and
information. ICT can make an organisation more efficient, effective and responsive to
customers' needs.

Now review ‘Resource 6 – Sample ICT Plan’, located in the

Additional Resources folder

Now review ‘Resource 7 – Sample ICT Plan – Health Sector’,

located in the Additional Resources folder

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 Technology Push Model Using ICT

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 Activity 6 – Trainer to work through an example of an
evaluation report on predicted performance and costs
of the network architecture design

Activity 6 - Notes

Now complete Self-paced Activity 6

Finalise network design and obtain approval

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Review benchmarks, requirements and final design proposed
At this stage an ICT designer should be able to coherently define the requirements of
both organisation and IT infrastructure separately and review the proposed design by
focusing on the benchmarks and interests of the organisation. It should be made clear
that an optimal solution of organisation preferences and IT preferences must be
made. A graphical view is given below.

Organisation & IT requirements

There can be several organisation drivers and necessities based on the organisation
type and many other variables. The best place to start understanding the
organisation’s requirements is by looking at the big picture of an organisation and
understanding its goals, vision, and future directions. This can considerably help to
steer the ICT design to be more organisation driven.

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 Top down approach in an organisation

The solution proposed must fulfill all the organisation requirements, both managerial
and as well as functional requirements. You must assess your design on those
parameters in line with communication network. The most important task is to check
the deliverables at proper timing in order to be able to crosscheck and examine your
proposal’s efficiency.

The benchmarks predefined by good discussions with stakeholders come into play at
the review stage. At this stage, overall functionality is re-visited to ensure the
sustainability and efficiency of the ICT architecture. The review stage is the re-
evaluation phase which conforms to the pre-defined goals, aspirations and functions
of both organisation and network analyst. It is a step towards finalization, as well as
the re-enforcement stage that helps in the analyst to be sure about the proposed
plan.

The performance parameters may include the checking of proposal on bandwidth,

attenuation of data, security, quality of service, transmission rate, traffic control,
distortion, dropouts, software failures, software errors, hardware malfunction, software
competency etc. These along with many other performance parameters will inform
about the efficiency and capability of the proposed design. The Client will then
evaluate these performance parameters and will check which parameters are more
critical for its organisation. The approval of the design will depend on these

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performance parameters.

The re-assessment stage should be followed by a set of defined rules or key factors
that should be critically re-evaluated for the organisation entity growth. The few
factors are mentioned below.

 Strategy performance: where the organisation strategy defines the

infrastructure and organisational processes, also producing the infrastructure
and IT process requirements.
 Technological Transformation: implies the development of an IT strategy in
response to an organisation strategy. IT infrastructure and processes are
developed from these requirements.
 Competitive Potential: exploits new IT features and potentials, redefining
organisation strategy and, consequently, the infrastructure and organisational
processes.
 Service Level: focuses on producing an IT organisation to be considered “world
class”; IT strategic alignment stems from the quality and quantity of IT services
provided to the institution

The ICT strategic vision is now reviewed by comparing with the vision or mission
statement. Review of organisational benefits and anticipated goals are reconsidered if this
vision is completely held.

Stakeholders like the Finance department, IT, other staff and clients, are expected to
assess the plan once again. This review process ensures that all benchmarks, important
notes, major levels of achievement will be delivered by the proposed ICT structure.

Major stakeholders should be aligned at this stage because it will lead to the final draft of
the plan. Specific time period deliverables and quantified achievements are mentioned at
this review stage so that a glance of overall proposal performance can be predicted.

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Determine support and training requirements needed
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is just not a game plan for any organisation
entity, it can be a game changer for an organisation. It is a process of evolution for an
organisation in a digital world. It leads a designer to have a focused approach towards the
organisation and to create an architecture that helps the organisation in the selection,
usage, handling and updating hardware, as well as software and protocols. It is an
organisation-driven strategy for the organisation to survive in the tough competition of
the digital era.

Network design is simply incomplete in the modern world if it does not include ICT. Users
all over world are now shifting the paradigm of general communication to modern
communication technologies by making better use of ICT.

An ICT designer can be helpful for their clients for not only providing the plan but also for
long term assistance and training.

Workshops and meetings are conducted within and outside the organisation for the
training of users about ICT formats and plans. These meetings and workshops focus on
the importance and usage of ICT using more sophisticated technologies. In order to take
full advantage of this modern technique, employees must also be trained about its
characteristics.

For instance, ICT needs to consider the timely response and solution of any error that is
generated in any software while in use. The user of software must know how to generate
a support ticket for the problem, so that IT department gets to know about the problem
and provides a solution for it. The IT department, on the other hand, should not only
solve the emerging issue, but also record the error in order to record software’s efficiency
level. That’s why this responsibility and the rights of users and design engineers must be
well known to both parties. For the awareness of these rights and responsibilities, clients
need to have proper training about ICT.

Support system for anything, hardware or software is a basic service required by users. It
is just not an awareness that, in the event of a problem there is a backend which is always
available for help, but also serves the purpose of a high responsive rate from the
hardware or software by increasing its efficiency. Imperfection, malfunction, misuse,
overuse, unidentified /unexpected errors should always be anticipated. Even the latest
technology is not perfect. Nothing can be perfect as there is always a probability of error

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in both hardware and software. In these circumstances, a back-end support if available
can lead to ways of debugging issues during the application of ICT structures. That is why
clients should always be warned about potential unforeseen situations that might occur
during the final proposal. An ICT designer has a responsibility to share the burden of
those situations with their client and provide solutions to such unwanted circumstances.

Also, multiple incompatibility issues can be experienced during real time applications of
ICT. These issues can be caused by software not compatible with each other or
sometimes the hardware might not be well-matched with the software.

These issues might arise during the upgrading and updating of software. Any future
update may not work properly and solutions to such problems must be proposed in order
to keep the circle of work going. Obviously, such technical issues can only be solved if the
analyst has enough technical knowledge and conveys it properly to organisation
managers and other stakeholders. Again, the importance of meetings and workshops and
the need for continuous education of staff, as well as the network designer, is emphasised.

 In case of software issues, relevant vendors can be contacted and the ICT engineer
along with the IT team can resolve such issues, if an IT team is unable to resolve
them.
 In case of hardware malfunctioning, IT technicians, IT personnel and vendors can
be contacted to resolve issues, if the error cannot be remedied by IT supervisors.
 Staff training should be undertaken in workshops, meetings and presentations by
IT staff, ICT professionals and software & hardware teams.
 Selected staff can be sent to attend workshops worldwide in order to gain extra
knowledge about emerging issues relating to security, communication and IT
implementation.
 Separate ICT engineer designation will further help in the operation of an ICT
system as they should be capable of resolving technical and non-technical issues
from the system.
 A Security Engineer and team should be able to deal with security related issues
and deploy the latest security techniques in order to keep the overall ICT system
secure and integrated.

The overarching aim of ICT is to deliver “Technology that works first time, every time for
everyone, wherever and whenever they need it”. This goal must be prioritised in all cases.

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 Activity 7 – Trainer to demonstrate example of final design
proposal

Activity 7 - Notes

Now complete Self-paced Activity 7

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Obtain latest technical specifications and pricing by contacting possible
vendors

Summing up the above procedures, as an organisation analyst, you have provided the
client with a suitable, functional, realistically viable, operative all-in-one package for their
network communication problems. But another main driver of ICT design is the question
about proposal needing to be budget friendly. Is it financially suitable for the client? Does
the client finance department approve it?

So, in order to get answers to those questions, you need to obtain pricing of the different
equipment involved. As already mentioned, internet and private emailing can be two
options to get proper pricing from vendors. But again, you can optimise the plan further.

While contacting the respective vendors, you can ask for the technical specifications of the
related equipment and can also ask about their different selling plans. For a large scale
organisation, special offers can be obtained from vendors in order to decrease the cost to
the client. Vendors also offer different pricing strategies like standard, value or premium
packages. These packages or offers must be fully evaluated and then the best suited
package should be accepted.

Vendors also want to attract large enterprises by giving them customisable plans. Not
only software, but also on hardware, vendors provide packages. The vendors want to
build long term relationships with organisations and so offer them customisable budget
friendly programs. These offers are important for an ICT engineer to focus on and to use
in areas where they are most suited.

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It must be made clear that ICT should not only supersede a normal plan in terms of its
functionality but also with respect to its costing and burden on the organisation.

Organisation entities cannot spend unlimited amount of money on extravagant network

designs, instead they require a financially optimised, minimum costing plan which meets
all their system and functional requirements.

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Document network design and present documentation to appropriate
person for approval

Once a design proposal is ready for implementation by an ICT designer, documenting it

and presenting it to a POC is the next step. All procedural developments including
thought provoking areas, challenges, requirements, comparisons, vendor relations must
be incorporated into the document and presented to the POC for final study and
approval.

The guidelines below are for reference only, any ICT analyst or designer can deploy their
own strategies to prepare the document.

Documentation is a major element which shows the line of action taken and the reasoning
behind chosen schemes and vendors.

Requirements from your Clients

 Organisation profile
 Stakeholder information
 Organisational motives and intent
 Aspirations of stakeholders
 Managerial requirements
 Financial constraints

Essential features of ICT solutions:

 Reliability
 Coherence
 Accessibility
 Affordability
 Sustainability
 Long and short-term planning
 Management and support

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Proposal by ICT Designer:

 Line of action
 Type of Network: Access / Core/ Broadband/ Wireless/ Network etc.
 Layering of system
 Administrational Duties
 IT department duties and roles
 Hardware and Software Details
 Protocols required
 Extensions possible
 Debugging skills
 Vendor’s details
 Final costing
 Special Plans from vendors
 Future extension of network
 Upgrades of system hardware and software
 Network limitations
 Client’s training and satisfaction reports
 Audit trails, if required
 Applicable International Standards etc.
 Complete implementation plan

The documentation should be backed up by facts and figures and should contain
comparisons between different plans in order to explain why this proposed best suits the
client’s requirements. The above-mentioned steps are essential steps but must not be
limited to these points. A designer should modify these points to correspond with client
suitability and requirements.

Documentation should be completed in an accepted format. Everything should be

explained in detail in order to rule out any misunderstandings. The designer should
prepare the document in such a way that every key stakeholder can identify how their
requirements have been met by the proposed network solution.

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Once the proposal document is prepared, it should be provided to POC, who will then
scrutinise it to ensure it meets requirements. If any clarifications are needed, meetings and
discussions will be arranged. Cross questioning, explanations and decision-making basis
will be the major topics of the meetings.

The POC will then make sure that all the points are read, clarified, discussed and finalised
with parallel discussions with the designer. If the plan is accepted, the project will move to
its implementation phase otherwise it will be sent back to the designer for re-working and
clarification about any ambiguities remaining or updating as required.

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Obtain sign off on final organisation solution

Obtaining an official sign-off is significant because it indicates the official end of a project
or completion of a deliverables and the acceptance of the product by the customer
(internal or external). The major elements of ending or signing off procedure are:

 Sign Off Document

 Sign Off Sheet
 Final Acceptance document

Sign Off Document:

The document which marks the formal ending of ICT network architecture design process.
It shows that all procedural tasks are completed and now the deliverable required from
network design or analyst is supplied to its client.

Sign Off Sheet:

The Sign-Off Sheet is a record of the electronic signatures or manual signatures on the
document. In the Sign-Off Sheet, you can view the list of participants/stakeholders that
have either approved, or not approved, when it was signed off.

Far from being a mere formality, the sign-off launches accountability and limits certain
obligations. When project managers, team leaders, and other stakeholders sign off on a
project, they are representing and taking the responsibility that the work has met their
standards and the organisation's standards as well.

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Final Acceptance Document:

As name specifies it is the final document which holds the final acceptance of the
proposal submitted to principal stakeholders. Once this document is issued the ICT
engineer’s proposal is accepted by the client.

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 Activity 8 – Trainer to demonstrate example of network
design documentation

Activity 8 - Notes

Now complete Self-paced Activities 8 & 9

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