Telecom Management System Consolidation

Since the late 1990s, ITS has managed its telecom operations using software from PCR (first PCR COMMIT, now PCR360).  PCR360 provides a database of services and assets related to voice, data, and cable television service at Western, and includes incident tracking, work order management, and billing based on those services and assets.

Starting in 2020, ITS has worked to consolidate its Telecom help desk operations with the university's central IT help desk.  As a result of staff reductions and reallocation of budgets to higher priority positions, there is no longer a team dedicated to the operation and maintenance of PCR360.  We therefore feel it is in the best interest of ITS and Western to consolidate the services provided by PCR360 into other systems on campus that are staffed and maintained – namely the IT Service Management system (Jira) and Facilities Work Order and Asset Management Systems (ReADY and AiM).

Customer service requests and incident reports currently originate in Jira and are duplicated in PCR360 via manual data entry from ITS staff.  When Facilities needs Telecom support on a project, those requests originate in AiM and are manually duplicated in PCR360 by ITS staff.  When a facilities project needs to be billed for telecom fees and rates, that data originates in PCR360 and is manually duplicated in AiM by ITS staff. By moving PCR360 functions to Jira, ReADY, and AiM, we can eliminate duplicate data entry and high annual licensing costs to run PCR360.