Fiber Optic Project Management MiniCourse

Lesson Plan: Planning And Managing Projects 




Fiber U MiniCourses are courses on a specific topic that you can take in about an hour or less. They are based on questions people ask FOA all the time, so the topics are recommended by our readers.

Level: Basic

Intended For:

Project managers for fiber optic network projects

Designers of fiber optic communications networks
Managers, owners and users of fiber optic communications networks
Contractors and techs who install, operate and maintain fiber broadband networks.

Objectives: From this self-study program you should learn:

How to create a plan to install a fiber optic project
How to manage the installation

Prerequisites

You will need a basic understanding of fiber optic communications or at least a familiarity with fiber optic technology.
For an quick, simple overview of fiber optics, you can use one of these three options: 1) the Fiber U self-study program Fiber Optics in Communications and How It Works, 2) the FOA YouTube Videos Fiber Optics and Communications and How To "Talk" Fiber Optics or 3) Lennie Lightwave's Guide To Fiber Optics  

For more comprehensive preparation, see the Fiber U Basic Fiber Optics self-study program or the printed FOA textbook FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optics.

This Fiber U MiniCourse is also included in the Fiber U Fiber Optic Design Course, Lesson 7.

When you finish, you can take an online test on this course to qualify for a "Fiber U Certificate of Completion."


Project Management For Managers
Managing a fiber optic project can be the easiest part of the installation if the design and planning have been done thoroughly and properly, or, if not, it can be the the hardest. But even assuming everything has been done right, things will still probably go wrong, so planning for the unexpected is also very important. This lesson plan includes some guidelines for managing the project that can minimize the problems and help in their speedy solution.

Once the design of a fiber optic cable plant is complete and documented, one might think the bulk of the design work is done. But in fact, it’s just beginning. The next step is to plan for the actual installation. Planning for the installation is a critical phase of any project as it involves coordinating activities of many people and companies. The best way to keep everything straight is probably to develop a checklist based on the design during the early stages of the project and create a Gantt Chart to track progress.


Assignment
Watch the video, read the references and take the quizzes (Test Your Knowledge)

YouTube Video
FOA Lecture 33: Cabling Project Management  

Read
First read the FOA Reference Guide To Fiber Optic Projects for background on what is involvde in a fiber optic communications project. Note the table of links to useful information on this page - they are not for this MiniCourse but file them away for future reference.
Planning a Fiber Optic Installation 
Fiber Optic Project Management (For Managers)   
Installation Checklist  (keep for reference)


Test Your Knowledge: Online Quiz

If you are a network manager, you should also take the Fiber U Fiber Restoration MiniCourse  


When you finish, you can take an online test on this course to qualify for a "Fiber U Certificate of Completion."
Take the Fiber U Project Manager Test on Classmarker for free. Use the Password  FOA&PM