Attributes of Success as a Telecom Procurement Manager

1. Be a Knowledgeable Team Player. A big part of my success is helping others be successful. Being an effective team player requires a solid understanding of the technology, the benefits, the vendors and the pricing. The more knowledge I have in these areas, the greater influence I have in the decision making. I’ve developed a level of trust with our IT Operations where they will often accept vendor proposals I’ve solicited on first take.

2. Owning the complete order process with urgency. Having urgency for on-time delivery cannot be overemphasized. It requires owning the order process end to end, from prompt qualification and serviceability, to contracts, to install, to In Production.

3. Have complete and accurate documentation on orders and inventory. Documentation is a key element to drive savings and preparedness for technology change. With good documentation you have the answers before the questions are asked. I had a manager once call my documentation “freaking amazing”. Comprehensive and detailed documentation has contributed to my job success on a regular basis. 

In the last 24 months we’ve had some major projects completions including Cloud Connectivity using both layer 2 wireline and layer 3 Dynamic connections to GCP and AWS. We also completed our replacement of legacy AT&T Fiber Rings to AT&T’s latest UVN2 technology. Being a knowledgeable team player, owning the complete order process and having comprehensive accurate documentation helped tremendously in getting it done.