[Omniscient]

A client of ours is moving premises. They used a local telecoms company to deal with all telecoms requirements, including installing the phone system in the new building and dealing with BT for all line requirements. Included in the line requirements was a PSTN line to be used for ADSL, the telecoms company placed an order with BT to install the line, but never placed an order for ADSL to be activated on the line.

I handle all IT matters for the client. I realised that the DSL order had not been placed when i phoned the telecoms company to get the details of the DSL connection. Since then I've personally dealt with BT Local Business to get it sorted asap.

The problem is that the DSL line can't be activated until after the client was scheduled to move premises. The client is obviously upset by this.

My question is whose responsibility was it to order the DSL?

Was it the telecoms because they dealt with all the other telecom requirements, knew DSL was required, ordered the phone line, but not the DSL?
or
Was it mine because I deal with all the IT requirements and the DSL line is of course used for IT Matters, which are my responsibilty.

I'd be interested in your views. So far the client holds the telecoms company responsible, so did I initially.
But now I'm not so sure... I should have been aware that the DSL line might be considered IT related instead of Telecoms related, I should have realised that the DSL directly affects my job and therefore falls under my responsibilty.

What do others think?

[Paquadez]

Should be covered in your company's SLA (Service Level Agreement).

If not, it ought to be!

Additionally, the client should have made absolutely sure who was ordering and provisioning and specifying what and who was paying for it!

With the level of poor performance, broken promises and kiddies driving call centre response lines, any telcom or datacom service in the UK at present is liable to go wrong; as an ordering and delivery process and as a service, per se.

Whwn I am ordering anything, hard goods or services, I make absolutely sure I know who is liable: and it aint me!

Paq