I helped build a NOC, too.. It was scrapped time and again when serious mistakes on the parts of all (planning and esp. management) were made. Consider manpower. Be nice to your NOC. Let THEM pick the times that the NOC shift will go. We started with a 3x9h shift (with overlap) and then scrapped it for a 12h model, which has taken morale down. Consider training. Dont hire people unless you have the time to train them. Serious time where other things will be put off. Assign someone to be trainer (someone clued) and get ALL other responsibilities off of him/her for the duration of the training, which, if done right, will be forever.. Don't "cut" the NOC in. Phase it in. "The NOC will be operational on x" really doesnt make sense. It will guarantee failure, unless you have an extra million laying around to hire triple the needed staff. My advice, start small, train each person, phase in the NOC.. slowly move duties over. If you have a phone system and a "NOC line", round robin calls or ACD them so x% of them go to the NOC and the rest to the "traditional" phone answerers. That's about all I can think of.. i'm sick as hell, just woke up.. 213 am.. ugh.. need.. more.. nyquil.. -jamie PS/The noc was not AIS. It was at a former employer. -- jamie rishaw (dal/efnet:gavroche) American Information Systems, Inc. Tel:312.425.7140, FAX:312.425.7240