Plan your Phone System Migration

Still planning your next steps in migrating away from you on premise phone system? Here are some key things to consider:

After evaluating cloud-based VoIP or UCaaS systems, you're almost ready to select a go-forward solution. The goals are to reduce operating cost, provide greater reliability, and improve support. So, what will you need to execute on this project?


Let’s cover the bases. Here's a few components to consider when launching a migration away from traditional phone systems like PRI, PBX, and POTS deployments. Let's jump in.

Enterprises need the ability to accurately track, manage, and report on all lines associated with the project. If a Telecom Expense Management organization is engaged with your company, they should be able to help with these first two items. However, in my experience there may still need to be a deeper audit and evaluation done to insure accuracy before the project kicks off.


Besides hard, physical assets, telecom asset management involves tracking nonphysical assets such as service agreements - lines of service. If a POTS line or mobile plan is no longer deployed per your organization, but the carrier still records the item as active, you will be charged for those lines.


Building and maintaining an accurate inventory is essential to ensuring costs in this project stay within projections.

Enterprises need the ability to accurately track, manage, and report on all lines associated with the project. If a Telecom Expense Management organization is engaged with your company, they should be able to help with these first two items. However, in my experience there may still need to be a deeper audit and evaluation done to insure accuracy before the project kicks off.


Besides hard, physical assets, telecom asset management involves tracking nonphysical assets such as service agreements - lines of service. If a POTS line or mobile plan is no longer deployed per your organization, but the carrier still records the item as active, you will be charged for those lines.


Building and maintaining an accurate inventory is essential to ensuring costs in this project stay within projections.

Project Team

Putting a team in place to deploy a technology transformation is critical. By engaging key stakeholders in this process you will increase your likelihood of success and your time to ROI. Here are a few roles you will need on your team to deploy an enterprise technology transition in the telecom space.


  • General Project Manager(s)


This role is your enforcer. The one who ensures everything is documented and all processes are followed. They will also be responsible for coordinating with onsite sponsors, networking, and techs on both the enterprise side and the vendor deploying the service.


  • Network Engineering


What, you thought we would leave them out of the conversation? You want this job done correctly, right? Get them on board early and ask them to help build the process for transitioning with your GPM. They will be an essential part of this process.


  • Onsite Sponsor


An authority at the deployment location that understands the outcome of the project and can navigate any issues that may arise.


  • Field Techs


Local IT will execute the tactical implementation of the service. Sometimes this can be letting the vendor tech in to install the phones, other times it is reworking your network configuration. Clear dialogue with the GPM and Network Engineering team will help the field techs understand and execute on the transition.



Don’t forget the vendor. Leaning on the vendor for implementation best practices, coaching on how to engage stakeholders, and deployment support is essential. When evaluating vendors, ask about prior deployments and their onboarding process. Discuss concerns and projections. Ask how they plan on supporting the deployment and get gritty. You are selecting a long term partner, assumptions will get you both in trouble.


  • 3rd Party Support

There are options for additional support to ensure the migration is handled quickly and smoothly by telecom professionals. Many significant projects require coordination with carriers, vendors, and providers from which the customer may be migrating to their new solution. All of these parties and their many moving parts can be managed by PM teams that focus on IT transformation projects as a primary function. These teams are able to ensure that each stakeholder’s interests are properly protected and served.

After a site transitions and Move, Adds, and Changes have been completed - someone needs to verify previous lines have been disconnected. Often invoices will be paid due to the lack of systems and processes to catch the error. Notifications inside a software will not be enough to protect your environment. Ask your cybersecurity team, I’m sure they have a few stories to tell on that very topic.