e a straightforward exercise, it is anything but! Here are some of the areas where organizations go wrong, followed by a suggested approach for doing it well. Top 10 (+1) Places To Go Wrong When Planning For And Purchasing A New PBX Here are the areas where organizations most often go wrong in identifying their requirements: 1. Underestimating time & effort Underestimating the time and effort needed to do this. What you might save at the front end will be more than offset by the cost of trying to fix things after the fact, if indeed they can be fixed at all. 2. Ignoring the details of how the current system is configured Failing to develop a complete understanding of how your cur- rent system is configured and how circuits and peripheral systems are connected to it. This often results in not buying sufficient capability and capacity with a new system, then encountering costly additions after the initial system purchase. Do not assume that this information is readily available. Someone who knows the questions to ask and can document the answers in a clear and The Telecom Handbook or 59 PURCHASING A PBX detailed manner needs to lock himself in the telecom equipment room for a day or two with the PBX technician. 3. Not focusing on how your organization is using the cur- rent system While it takes a lot of time to investigate how your organiza- tion is using the functions of the current system, this is time well spent. For example, "How do you transfer calls from one tele- phone to another?" If you only press the transfer button once now to transfer a call and a new system requires that you press it twice, this may be viewed as a step backwards (which it is!). The intercom is another capability that is often overlooked and can lead to disappointment when a new system is installed. Many manufacturers have focused their energy on accommodating "new technology" at the expense of making the system easier to use. 4. Assuming uniform capabilities among manufacturers Assuming that all manufacturers telecommunications system