Tackling Knowledge Loss in Telecom

How Do Companies Deal with Knowledge

Walking Out the Door?

Telecom networks are built on decades of infrastructure and processes—many of which still rely on aging equipment and legacy platforms. For years, these systems have been maintained by seasoned engineers who know them inside and out. But as those experts retire, providers face a growing challenge: critical institutional knowledge is disappearing faster than they can develop new talent.

The risks are significant:

• Manual processes that only a few people know how to perform.
• Disparate procedures scattered across binders, spreadsheets, and ticketing systems.
• Longer training cycles for new staff who don’t have mentors with decades of experience.
• Operational slowdowns as troubleshooting becomes less efficient.

Left unaddressed, knowledge loss threatens not only efficiency but also service quality and modernization efforts.

How AI Can Help Preserve and Extend Knowledge

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers telecom providers a practical way to capture and use institutional expertise before it disappears. Rather than relying solely on human memory and scattered documents, AI can gather, centralize, analyze, and operationalize knowledge by:

1. Automating Manual Processes

AI generated coding techniques get better every day. What seemed like magic last year is now common practice with AI tools learning from repetitive manual tasks.  Circuit designers for example used to follow a complex M&P that worked 50% of the time.  AI turns these manual tools (M&P’s, job aides etc.) and turns them into automated workflows. This ensures consistency, reduces reliance on manual job aids, and frees up engineers for higher-value work.

2. Collecting and Standardizing Procedures

Most organizations have procedures split across old manuals, disparate knowledge data bases and handwritten notes. To make matters worse, much of the documentation is in conflict with other M&P’s  or best practices.  Properly designed, AI can:

• Ingest these disparate sources.
• Identify overlaps or inefficiencies.
• Standardize them into structured, searchable formats.

This makes training easier and reduces confusion when different teams follow different methods.

3. Enabling Better Training

AI-driven knowledge bases and assistants can answer natural language questions like “what is the best practice for disconnecting a DS 3 circuit? or  What error codes might I get when disconnecting a DS1? New hires get step-by-step guidance, on a new task along with what do I do if the process fails?

The result: faster onboarding, more consistent performance, and reduced dependence on retiring experts.

How Can Advanced Technologies and Services, Inc. Help?

AI is powerful but applying it effectively in telecom requires deep industry expertise. That’s where Advanced Technologies and Services, Inc. (ATS) comes in.

For over 30 years, ATS has worked with providers to bridge the gap between legacy systems and modern operations. We bring the context needed to make AI solutions useful and easy to implement and use.  Here’s what we bring to the table in combatting knowledge loss:

• Legacy System Expertise: We understand older platforms like Lucent 5ESS, Nortel DMS, and a myriad of transport systems—critical knowledge for training AI models effectively.
• Process Automation: We have been helping telco operators convert manual  tasks into reliable, automated workflows for over 10 years.
• AI-Powered Knowledge Capture: ATS uses AI to collect and organize scattered procedures into a unified knowledge base that can serve both operations and training. 
• Training Acceleration: Collecting all available data is critical, but more important is the ability to gather the best data and build the best training model.  We build AI-driven employee development  systems that combine best practices documentation, expertly developed job aids,  and real-world scenarios that have proven to work in the past, giving new hires an always-available “mentor.”
• Future-Proofing: By connecting legacy knowledge with modern systems, ATS ensures continuity today while preparing providers for tomorrow’s network transformations.

Conclusion

Knowledge loss is one of the biggest risks facing telecom providers today. But with AI and the right expertise, it can be turned into an opportunity: a chance to capture, standardize, and even improve on decades of institutional wisdom. 

Advanced Technologies and Services, Inc. helps providers take the guesswork out of this process. By combining legacy knowledge with cutting-edge AI and automation, ATS ensures telecom operators maintain continuity, improve efficiency, and prepare their workforce for the future.