L100 OSS BSS Domain Certification Reference Material
Note: This material is a reference in addition to the e-learning course hosted in the LMS server from TeleStrategies.
Version History Sl. No.
Version No.
D ate
Owner
Details
1
0.0
10-Dec-2005
Gnanari!a C
Draft "ersion of all t#e mo$%les
2
0.1
&0-Dec-2005
Gnanari!a C
'n#ance$ "ario%s toics (Stan$ar$s) NGOSS) Mar*et $ata+
Table of Contents 1.
LESSON 0: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. . 6 1.1 Oerations an$ ,%siness s%ort s!stems (OSSBSS+ aen$a.............................................. 10 1.1.1 Reason #1 — OSSs/BSSs enable operators to manage their customers......................10 1.1.2 Reason #2 — OSSs/BSSs enable operators manage their service offerings.................11 1.1.3 Reason #3 — OSSs/BSSs enable operators to manage their netor!...........................11 1.2 /#! is t#e OSSBSS $omain so c#allenin.........................................................................12
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LESSON 1: OSS STRUCTURE ! "ODELS............................................................................1 2.1 Oerations S%ort S!stems...................................................................................................12 2.1.1 "etor! anagement OSS............................................................................................ 13 2.1.2 Business Support S$stem %BSS&.................................................................................... 1' 2.1.3 (Service) OSSs............................................................................................................... 1* 2.2 BSS) Ser"ice nfrastr%ct%re an$ OSS...................................................................................... 1 2.& OSS BSS 3%nctionalit!..........................................................................................................14 2. Comle6it! of Networ* Manaement OSSs.............................................................................17 2.5 Mar*et) Sales an$ 8artner Strate!......................................................................................... 17 2. Comle6it! of OSS.................................................................................................................. 19 2.4 n$%str! stan$ar$s mo$els..................................................................................................... 19 2.+.1 ,elecommunications anagement "etor! %,"& mo-el............................................. 1 2.+.2 ,he , o-el.............................................................................................................. 22 2.+.3 Stan-ar-s orums in ,elecom rena.......................................................................... 30 2.7 :i# le"el f%nctionalities of t#e "ario%s 3;B comonents........................................................&2 2..1 Or-er anagement.........................................................................................................32 2..2 rovisioning %Service 4onfiguration5 "etor! rovisioning an- ctivation&....................32 2..3 6nventor$ anagement................................................................................................... 33 2..7 2..' 2..* 2..+ 2..
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,rouble ,ic!et anagement........................................................................................... 33 8or!flo......................................................................................................................... 37 8or!force management................................................................................................. 37 Billing.............................................................................................................................. 37 Sample en- to en- flo for a ne telephon$ or-er.........................................................3'
LESSON : $UL$ILL"ENT OSS............................................................................................ #% &.1 3%lfillment rocess................................................................................................................... &5 &.2 Or$er Manaement an$ 8ro"isionin...................................................................................... & 3.2.1 Benefits of having an Or-er management s$stem is......................................................3+ 3.2.2 eatures of an Or-er anagement S$stem....................................................................3+ 3.2.3 4ore processes in Or-er anagement inclu-es............................................................. 3 3.2.7 ,he Or-er anager........................................................................................................ 3 3.2.' rovisioning OSS............................................................................................................ 70 3.2.* Service ulfillment flo................................................................................................... 72 &.& <#e n"entor! Manaement OSS............................................................................................& 3.3.1 "ee- for automate- inventor$ management s$stem......................................................77 3.3.2 6nventor$ anagement s$stem functionalit$...................................................................7* &. 8ro"isionin = $etaile$ flow on t#e ,ac* en$........................................................................... &.5 &.
&.
<#e comle6it! of t#e f%lfillment rocess.................................................................................4 <#e >e! Or$er Manaement) n"entor! ? 8ro"isionin la!ers..............................................7 LESSON #: THE '(SSUR(NCE) *ROCESS....................................................................... .&+
.1 .2
<#e Role of Networ* Manaement OSS..................................................................................50 Networ* Manaement S!stems............................................................................................... 50
.& . .5 . .4 %.
Ser"ice manaement OSS...................................................................................................... 51 ;ss%rance to$a! = $etaile$ flow for ass%rance rocess.......................................................... 52 ;ss%rance = /or*flow for ;ss%rance rocess.........................................................................5& Ser"ice ;ss%rance S!stem ss%es........................................................................................... 5& /#o are *e! Networ* Manaement la!ers.......................................................................... 5 LESSON &: ,ILLIN- *ROCESSES....................................................................................... %&
5.1 Billin = Bi ict%re.................................................................................................................. 55 5.2 8%rose of a ,illin S!stem (>e! f%nctionalit!+........................................................................ 55 5.& ll%strati"e f%nctionalit! of a ,illin s!stem............................................................................... 5 5. Billin nterfaces...................................................................................................................... 57 5.5 Me$iation S!stems.................................................................................................................. 57 '.'.1 ,ra-itional e-iation S$stems........................................................................................*0 '.'.2 ,he 4omple9it$ of contemporar$ me-iation....................................................................*0 5. <#e Role of Ratin 'nine....................................................................................................... 1 '.*.1 Rating steps:................................................................................................................... *1 '.*.2 Steps to rate a call.......................................................................................................... *2 '.*.3 ;o -oes Rating or!<.................................................................................................. *3 5.4 :ow t#e ,illin s!stem is %se$............................................................................................... 5.7 e
centric) OSS becomes a critical -ifferentiator5 a--ing pressure to 4R ** 5.9 /#o are t#e *e! me$iation ? ratin la!ers..........................................................................4 5.10 /#o are t#e *e! ,illin la!ers..........................................................................................7 5.11 8%llin t#e "ario%s OSS BSS toet#er..............................................................................7 6.
LESSON %: INTE-R(TION.................................................................................................... 6+ .1 .2 .&
'lectronic nteration of S%ort S!stems (';+......................................................................9 <#e Role of ';....................................................................................................................... 40 OSS) critical to oerator@s ,%siness.........................................................................................41
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SU""(R/.............................................................................................................................. 1 4.1 OSS remains a #!,ri$ interation of loosel! co%le$ s!stems................................................42 4.2 Consi$era,le Det# to 'ac# of t#e OSS ss%es......................................................................42 4.& OSS Mar*et an$ Sen$in...................................................................................................... 4& +.3.1 Overvie of OSS mar!et................................................................................................ +3 +.3.2 ar!et anal$sis -ata from OSS Observer.......................................................................+3
7.
References.............................................................................................................................. 4
Ine of $i23res FIGURE 1PRINCIPAL SUPPORT PROCESSES....................................................................................................9 FIGURE 2SUPPORT SYSTEMS...........................................................................................................................10 FIGURE 3OSS CATEGORIES...............................................................................................................................13 FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE FIGURE
4BROADBAND SERVICES..................................................................................................................14 5WIRELESS, ISP SERVICES.................................................................................................................15 6BUSINESS SUPPORT SYSTEMS.......................................................................................................15 SERVICE OSS.......................................................................................................................................16 !SUPPORT SYSTEMS FOR REVENUE...............................................................................................1 9BUSINESS PLANNING " OSS RE#UIREMENTS...........................................................................1
FIGURE 10INFRASTRUCTURE " SERVICES COMPLE$ITY........................................................................1! FIGURE 11COMPLE$ OSS..................................................................................................................................19 FIGURE 12TMN MODEL.....................................................................................................................................20 FIGURE 13TMN VS TMF MODELS %MAPPING&..............................................................................................21 FIGURE 14TMF FUNCTIONALITIES E$PANDED...........................................................................................22 FIGURE 15TMF ETOM MODEL..........................................................................................................................23 FIGURE 16ETOM LEVEL 0 PROCESSES...........................................................................................................24 FIGURE 1ETOM LEVEL 1 PROCESSES...........................................................................................................25 FIGURE 1!ETOM LEVEL 2 PROCESSES...........................................................................................................26 FIGURE 19 C'ANGE IN FOCUS.........................................................................................................................29 FIGURE 20 NGOSS VIEWS..................................................................................................................................30 FIGURE 21 ETOM LIN(AGE TO NGOSS..........................................................................................................30 FIGURE 22 SAMPLE END TO END FLOW FOR A NEW TELEP'ONY ORDER......................................... 35 FIGURE 23FULFILLMENT PROCESSES...........................................................................................................36 FIGURE 24ORDER 'ANDLING PROCESSES...................................................................................................3! FIGURE 25FLOW T'RO) FULFILLMENT.........................................................................................................39 FIGURE 26ORDER MANAGER...........................................................................................................................40 FIGURE 2PROVISIONING OSS.........................................................................................................................40 FIGURE 2!PROVISIONING OSS %E$AMPLE&..................................................................................................41 FIGURE 29SERVICE FULFILLMENT FLOW....................................................................................................42 FIGURE 30INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM........................................................................................44 FIGURE 31PROVISIONING * DETAILED FLOW..............................................................................................4 FIGURE 32COMPLE$ FULFILLMENT PROCESS............................................................................................4! FIGURE 33ASSURANCE PROCESSES...............................................................................................................49 FIGURE 34NETWOR( OPERATIONS CENTER...............................................................................................50 FIGURE 35NETWOR( MANAGEMENT SYSTEM...........................................................................................51 FIGURE 36SERVICE MANAGEMENT...............................................................................................................52 FIGURE 3WOR(FLOW FOR ASSURANCE PROCESS..................................................................................53 FIGURE 3!SERVICE ASSURANCE SYSTEM ISSUES.....................................................................................53 FIGURE 39BILLING PROCESSES......................................................................................................................54 FIGURE 40BILLING * BIG PICTURE.................................................................................................................55 FIGURE 41SIMPLE TELECOM NETWOR(......................................................................................................55 FIGURE 42ILLUSTRATIVE FUNCTIONALITY OF A BIILING SYSTEM......................................................56 FIGURE 43BILLING INTERFACES....................................................................................................................5! FIGURE 44MEDIATION SYSTEM......................................................................................................................59 FIGURE 45TRADITIONAL MEDIATION SYSTEM..........................................................................................60 FIGURE 46COMPLE$ITY OF MEDIATION SYSTEM......................................................................................61 FIGURE 4RATING ENGINE...............................................................................................................................63 FIGURE 4!RATING CORE...................................................................................................................................63 FIGURE 49RATING ENGINE...............................................................................................................................64 FIGURE 50BILLING SYSTEM.............................................................................................................................64 FIGURE 51ETOM..................................................................................................................................................65 FIGURE 52COMPLE$ITY OF CUSTOMER RELATIONS'IP..........................................................................66 FIGURE 53CRM....................................................................................................................................................66 FIGURE 54FAB COMBINED...............................................................................................................................69 FIGURE 55SAMPLE BAC( OFFICE OPERATIONS.........................................................................................0 FIGURE 56EAI.......................................................................................................................................................0 FIGURE 5OSS INTERCONNECTION...............................................................................................................2 FIGURE 5!'YBRID INTEGRATION..................................................................................................................2 FIGURE 59 OSS SPENDING................................................................................................................................3 FIGURE 60 OSS SPENDING MAR(ET S'ARE................................................................................................4 FIGURE 61 TELECOM MAR(ET * FINANCIAL RESULTS %2002 TO2004&...................................................4 F+-/ 62 S/+/ G %2003, 2004&................................................................................................................5
1.
Lesson 0: Introduction
The communications industry is moving towards a world where we can communicate anywhere and anytime. It is a world where we can be “always on! without the hassle of waiting to be connected. It is a world where easy and effortless communications! based on mobility and "ersonali#ed services increases $uality-of-life! "roductivity and enables a more resource efficient world through freedom of choice. This vision of a communicating world im"lies drastic develo"ments in telecommunication technologies! infrastructures and services. The emerging broadband multi-service networ%s and &' enabled mobile networ%s will create e(citing new "ossibilities. )sers will get faster and more convenient access to services and a""lications! hel"ing them to enlighten and entertain them and to become more "roductive. Service *roviders will get much more effective channels to reach the most attractive "art of their customer base with new services and a""lications. They also face the challenges of changing business logic! intensified com"etitionandand a""ro"riate su""ort systems for service delivery! assurance billing. +"erations Su""ort Systems ,+SS includes all systems used to su""ort the daily o"erations of a telecommunication service "rovider. (am"les of these systems include billing! "rovisioning! element management! and networ% management a""lications. Su""ort systems that will reduce your o"erating e("enses while increasing system "erformance! "roductivity and availability. +SS can be defined as “the hardware and software that service providers use to manage their network infrastructure, deploy services and provide connectivity.” /hy +SS0 *rovisioning a sim"le "hone line can involve from 12 to 34 se"arate tas%s Numerous grou"s would need to be coordinated to ma%e it wor% resulting in time delays! human errors and rewor% costs.
Lucent Technologies re"orts that at one large carrier! the 54-day interval re$uired to "rovision a data circuit re"resented only 61 hours of actual wor%
7ue to the o""ortunities given by deregulation in many countries! there are a number of new entrants in the telecommunications service industry. *roducts and services "ortfolios need some fine tuning in most cases because customers are faced with overla""ing offers from various service "roviders. Service creation and "rovisioning are becoming more dynamic! and "rovider-customer interconnections are getting sim"ler by using Internet technologies. Telecommunications service "roviders can be grou"ed as follows: Local Exchange Carrier (LEC), ILEC, and CLEC - 8 L9 is sim"ly a tele"hone com"any that "rovides service to a local calling area. 8n IL9 ,incumbent local e(change carrier is a tele"hone com"any that "rovided local service "rior to the Telecommunications 8ct of 65. 9om"etitive Local (change 9arriers ,9L9s have come into e(istence since the Telecommunications 8ct of 65. 9L9s attem"t to com"ete with "ree(isting L9s by using their own switches and networ%s. Long distance reseller - 8 com"any that "urchases bloc%s of longdistance tele"hone service in bul% at a reduced "rice and then sells the long-distance to consumers at a rate below that which they would normally "ay. Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC): 9ongress "assed the Telecommunications 8ct of 65 that forced the Incumbent Local (change 9arriers ,IL9s to offer the use of the local loo" or last mile in order to facilitate com"etition. 9L9s com"ete with the IL9s or ;<+9s ,;egional in one IL9s domain - to its destination! which lies in another local service "rovider?s domain.
Internet Service Provider (ISP): These service "roviders have a direct relationshi" with the end-user and "rovide varying levels of Internet connectivity. 8n IS* can be a facility-based "rovider! meaning it has its own bac%bone connection to the Internet! or it can trans"arently resell services bought from a telecom service "rovider that has high bandwidth access to the Internet. MSP (Managed Service Provider): 8n outsourcer that de"loys! manages and maintains the bac%-end infrastructure for Internet businesses. Application Service Provider (ASP): S* who combine a""lication! systems and networ% management. Service level e("ectations are e(tremely high@ the whole business of a customer may rely on this "rovider. Content Service Provider : S* who concentrate on the value! $uality and timeliness of content in e9ommerce! m9ommerce environments. They strongly coo"erate with IS*s! 8S*s! /S*s. et!or" Service Provider (SP): They are res"onsible for "roviding a highly reliable networ%ing infrastructure! consisting of e$ui"ment and facilities. #ireless Service Provider (#SP): 9arrier who "rovides cellular! "ersonal and mobile communication services. The various industry issues of su""ort systems include: ,6 ,1 ,& ,3 ,2 ,5 ,A ,B
9onvergence and telecom consolidation 7evelo"ing su""ort systems mar%et mergence of com"le(! multi-"latform environments m"hasis on telecom system integration 'rowth of su ""ort systems is tie d to sha re-shift among telecom end mar%ets and carriers +utsourcing *roduct based vendor driven solutions )"grade cycles in su""ort systems
The mar%et drivers for su""ort systems are ,6 ,1
'rowth of the global telecommunications mar%et Increasing networ% com"le(ity
,& ,3 ,2 ,5 ,A
merging standards for telecommunications "roviders 7eregulation C *rivati#ation 9ommunication convergence 9ustomer orientation 8S* model
The telecommunications industry today is e("eriencing a number of changes and challenges. 7eregulation! new services! new technologies! reengineering business "rocesses! mergers and ac$uisitions are Dust a few that demand $uality attention. 8lso! time-to-mar%et! multi"le conce"ts such care! as return service differentiation! of service! customer on investment and total cost of ownershi" re$uest attention on behalf of business managers of service "roviders. Euality of "rocesses! automation of "rocesses and integration of su""ort and management tools may mean difference between business success and failure.
9ustomer care! service develo"ment! order "rocessing! "rovisioning! networ% and systems management and billing Fulfillment! service assurance and billing
Sim"lified view of the business "rocesses is "rovided below:
Figure 1Principal Support Processes
1.1
Operations and business support systems ( OSS/BSS) agenda Lesson 4: Introduction Lesson 6: Models Lesson 1: Service fulfillment Lesson &: Service assurance Lesson 3: Service billing Lesson 2: +SSG
Telecommunications +SSs are the collection of software systems that hel" telecommunications o"erators manage and deliver their communications services ,i.e.! run their business.
Figure 2Support Systems
/hy are +SSsG
1.1.1 Reason #1 OSSs/BSSs enab!e operators to manage t"eir customers
Manage the c$stomer acco$nt
9ontact information admin! technical! billing! ... Trac% "roducts "urchased! contracts
Manage the sales process 9orrelate customer re$uirements with service offering Service ordering Service changes! termination! etc.
Manage the %illing process
7eterminea""ly how much a customer owes Invoicing! "ayments! adDustments
Manage c$stomer expectations 9ommunication of service "erformance Failure resolution SL8 credits 7elivery dates! downtime! and more ...
1.1. Reason # OSSs/BSSs enab!e operators manage t"eir ser$ice o%erings
7efines technical! legal and contractual s"ecifications of service ,SL8! regulatory 9atalogs services into "roduct offerings o *ricing! "romotions! discounts o 8vailability! eligibility Facilitate $uote generation o Manage the order "rocess 9onfigures the networ% to deliver services "urchased 7etermines the $uality of service ,EoS actually delivered by networ% ;econciles the delivered EoS with customer e("ectation G contract ,SL8 *rovides business-oriented re"orts of resource ca"acity and utili#ation Facilitates resource "lanning
1.1.& Reason #& OSSs/BSSs enab!e operators to manage t"eir net'or
Ens$res proper operations o& e'$ipment Installation
9onfiguration Testing Inventory and assignment Maintenance Fault detection and resolution Security )sage collection Fraud detection
+SS becomes more critical to manage su""ort multi"le networ% technologies and meetingdiversified customers?services! e("ectations. 1.
"y is t"e OSS/BSS domain so c"a!!enging*
et!or" services are complicated 9hallenging IT "roblems ;e$uirements are a constantly moving target Legacy heritage 9ost tradeoffs difficult to $uantify and "redict 7ifficult to get it right the first time Multi"le generations software and infrastructure Theory ,getting it right doesnJt align with "ragmatics ,good enough
Ne(t +SS refers to +SS that is o"timi#ed for innovative! valueadded'eneration I* services.
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Lesson 1: OSS Structure / +ode!s
.1
Operations S upport S ystems
+SS are generally divided into & domains 6. Kandles business o"erations and is customer centric! done by o"erations team and they re"ort to o"erations officers 1. +SS - Kandles service oriented +SS li% e 8ssurance! ma nage services re"orting mostly to IT de"artment &. NMS > Kandles management of networ% resources! done by netwo r% engineers
Figure 3OSS Categories
.1.1 ,et'or +anagement OSS
Networ% Management +SSs ,NMS are designed to manage s"ecific hardware elements de"loyed by the o"erator. For e(am"le! broadband deliver services that are based on data trans"ort e$ui"ment G technologies. Kence! their NMS are o"timi#ed for broadband infrastructure such as 7SL! I*! 8TM! and Frame ;elay e$ui"ment.
Figure 4Broadband services
NMSs also manage server infrastructure. For e(am"le! I* o"erators utili#e a range of a""lication server e$ui"ment to deliver various value-added services. Kence! their NMSs are o"timi#ed for various server "latforms ,e.g.! Sun )ni(! NT and server a""lications ,e.g.! 8"ache /ed! ;eal ideo.
Figure 5Wireless !SP Services
.1. Business Support System (BSS)
The business su""ort systems ,
Figure "Business Support Systems
9ustomer relationshi" management ,9;M masters customer record! "roduct catalog! order entry! contract! trouble management! SL8 violations! service order! order status! ... Sales force automation ,SF8 manage the sales "rocess! "roduct configuration! eligibility! custom contract negotiation! ;FIG;F* "rocesses! SL8 negotiation! u"sell 7ecision su""ort ,7SS mar%et analysis tools! "ricing analysis! data warehouse
.1.& -Ser$ice OSSs
The HserviceH +SSs are used to bridge together the
Figure #Service OSS
.
BSS S er$ice Inrastructure and OSS
Together! the
Figure $Support Systems %or &evenue
.&
OSS / BSS unctiona!ity
The e(act +SSG
Figure 'Business planning ( OSS re)uirements
.2
3omp!e4ity o ,et'or +anagement OSSs
)ltimately! the com"le(ity of Networ% Management +SSs is driven by com"le(ity of the underlying infrastructure that is re$uired to deliver the services defined in the "roduct strategy.
Figure 1*!n%rastructure ( Services Comple+ity
.5
+aret Sa!es and 6artner Strategy ;etail large customer base! few contract o"tions! small volume each! large-scale 99 /holesale small customer base! large volume! custom deals! reconciliation is %ey nter"rise small customer base! custom deals! SF8! "erformance feedbac% G accountmanagement style interfaces
Pricing strateg 'ranular - com"le( usage "rocessingGmanagement! accounting! articulation! revenue assurance "rocesses! integrated customer care! ... Flat-rate - subscri"tion-oriented billingGcustomer care ,automated 9redit - "ost-"aid! "re-"ay! any-"ay! blended.
Partner strateg a complex the val$e chain implies +"en +SSs "rovisioning! ordering! etc. Settlement "rocesses
*artner management
Indirect sales strategies * extend re'$irements to resellers and channels .7
3omp!e4ity o O SS
The com"le(ity of the +SS is determined by the functionality ga" between the
Figure 11Comple+ OSS
.8
Industry standards / mode!s
.8.1 9e!ecommunications +anagement ,et'or (9+,) mode!
The Telecommunications Management Networ% ,TMN model was defined by the IT) to hel" o"erators formali#e the structure of their +SSs.
Figure 12,-. -odel 2.7.1.1
TMN’s Service Management / Network Management layers
The TMF has e("anded the TMNJs service management G networ% management layers! in the telecommunications o"erations ma" ,the socalled TO model.
Figure 13,-. /s ,-F models 0mapping
Figure 14,-F %unctionalities e+panded .8. 9"e 9+ +ode!
From an o"erations "ers"ective! the TMF model is commonly divided into three core functional areas! namely: fulfillment! assurance and billing ,!A".
Figure 15,-F e,O- model
eT+M is
Figure 1"e,O- evel * processes 2.7.2.1
eTOM for Telco business rocesses
Kighest conce"tual view of the business "rocess framewor% 7ifferentiates strategy and lifecycle "rocesses from +"erations "rocesses 7ifferentiates the %ey functional areas in five hori#ontal layers 8t the overall conce"tual level eT+M can be viewed as having & maDor areas of "rocessStrategy Infrastructure and *roduct Management , 9overing o *lanning and Life 9ycle Management o +"erations , 9overing the core of o"erational management nter"rise Management , 9overing cor"orate or business o su""ort management The four su""orting functional "rocess areas areMar%eting! *roduct and 9ustomer "rocesses, sales and o channel management! mar%eting management! "roduct and offer management Service ,Service develo"ment! configuration! "roblem o management and rating o ;esource, 7evelo"ment and management of firm?s o
infrastructure Su""lier *artner, 7ealing with the firm?s interaction with it?s su""liers and "artners
Figure 1#e,O- evel 1 processes
+"erations
F8< is still the core of the +"erations area +"erations Su""ort C ;eadiness is se"arated from F8< “+*S also su""orts functional "rocess grou"ings hori#ontal layers
shown
as
Strategy! Infrastructure C *roduct
SI* encom"asses strategy and lifecycle management "rocesses in su""ort of o"erations o Strategy C 9ommit o Infrastructure Lifecycle Management o *roduct Lifecycle Management “SI* also has functional grou"ings! aligned with those in “+*S
Enterprise Management: this grou"ing involves the %nowledge of nter"rise-level actions and needs! and encom"asses all business management "rocesses necessary to su""ort the rest of the enter"rise.
These "rocesses are necessary in any business because they are needed to run the business at the enter"rise level! to direct the business! and are critical to su""ort the direct and indirect 9ustomer *rocesses. nter"rise Management "rocesses include "rocesses for financial management! legal management! regulatory management! etc. This area also sets cor"orate strategies and directions! and "rovides guidelines and targets for the rest of the business. These are sometimes considered as the “cor"orate functions andGor "rocesses. nter"rise Management also includes strategic "lanning for the enter"rise as well as information systems strategy develo"ment and management. nter"rise Management "rocesses general do not have a customi#ed as"ect for information andin communications service "roviders. The nter"rise Management "rocess grou"ings are: 7 Strategic C nter"rise *lanning 7
Figure 1$e,O- evel 2 processes
*lanning
C
S+P Settlements -illing Management (S+P.M * -) For a value networ% and "articularly! for service "roviders! settlements and billing management is com"le(. In many cases! the su""lier cost can be the largest single cost and incorrect settlement or billing can mean the difference between "rofit and loss. SG* Settlements C
Motivation for N!OSS
TM Forum "rovides strategic leadershi" and guidance on:
New 'eneration +"erations Systems and Software ,N'+SS
/eb-based 9ustomer 9are ,-care and 9ustomer ;elationshi" Management ,9;M Managing -9ommerce
TM Forum enables collaborative! business-driven solutions based on commercially available software and industry standards The +"erational 9hallenges are growing! hence mar%et demands that ne(t generation systems to "rovide
;a"id service develo"ment ;eal time flow-through service delivery *roactive! real-time! content-based! location based billing /eb-based! customer self service Service level guarantees across multi"le service! multi-technology! multi-"rovider! infrastructures Fle(ible and res"onsive technology base
Systems develo"ment G integration can ta%e too long! and is too e("ensive and ris%y unable to su""ort new services o 9an?t meet ra"id time to mar%et re$uirements o o 9an?t deliver su"erior customer service that determines mar%et winners o 8ffecting com"anies? bottom line
So! the need is to redesign systems to handle chaos
asy and fle(ible res"onse to changing business models and software technologies ;educed overall cost of +SS ownershi"! with increased functionality and reduced develo"ment time Lower cost of change
Integrated "roactive G content based billing Su""rot forbilling legacy>integration 9ommercially available! off-the-shelf software ,9+TS
N'+SS revolutioni#es +SSs
+SSs s"an business! system and networ% needs o Kow come +SS com"onents don?t0 N'+SS has two im"ortant goals To enable business! system and im"lementation re$uirements o to be s"ecified and develo"ed o To facilitate the ra"id develo"ment of +SS com"onents and solutions to meet the business needs of the Internet enabled economy N'+SS solves this by defining a methodology More than Dust an architectural s"ecificationP o
9hanging the focus Q
Figure 1' Cange in %ocus
N'+SS %ey conce"ts
iew > “focus on "articular concerns within a system Framewor% > “su""orting or enclosing structure Methodology > “system of "rinci"les and "rocedures a""lied to a disci"line 8rchitecture > “style or method of design and construction
Figure 2* .OSS /ies
eT+M lin%age to N'+SS
Figure 21 e,O- lin6age to .OSS .8.& Standards orums in 9e!ecom ;rena
Some of the standards are "rovided below Standard bodies G Forum &'** ,htt":GGwww.&g"".org
7etails 'SM! '*;S! )MTS standards &'**1 ,htt":GGwww.&g""1.org 97M8 1444 standards Metro thernet Forum Focuses on ,htt":GGwww.metroethernetforum.orgG Management! 8rchitecture!
8TIS ,8lliance for Telecommunications Industry solutions ,htt":GGwww.atis.orgG 97M8 develo"ment grou" ,htt":GGwww.cdg.orgG
TM Forum ,htt":GGwww.tmforum.orgG
*rotocolGTrans"ort and Services North 8merican service "rovider body develo"ing telecom standards The 97M8 7evelo"ment 'rou" ,97' is a consortium of com"anies focused on ado"ting and evolving 97M8 wireless systems Su""orts the information and communications services ,I9S industries
7SL Forum ,htt":GGwww.dslforum.orgGinde(.shtml M*LS Forum ,htt":GGwww.mfaforum.orgG +"en Mobile 8lliance ,htt":GGwww.o"enmobilealliance.orgG *arlay The *arlay 'rou" aims ,htt":GGwww."arlay.orgGenGinde(.as" to intimately lin% IT a""lications with the ca"abilities of the telecommunications world by s"ecifying and "romoting a""lication "rogramming interfaces ,8*Is that are secure! easy to use! rich in functionality! and based
SI* Forum ,htt":GGwww.si"forum.orgG
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=ig" !e$e! unctiona!ities o t"e $arious ;B components
.<.1 Order +anagement
)ses ')I which guides order ta%ers or customer-care re"resentatives through the ordering "rocess for any number of services. Services range from basic tele"hony lines to com"le( services such as IS7N! 87SL etc. Incor"orate some default data common to each service a "rovider offers to ease the %eystro%e burden 8lso "erform a certain amount of error chec%ing Integrates with other systems li%e /or% Force Management etc. The system generates s"ecific tas%s for other systems that must be com"leted to activate service on the networ%
.<. 6ro$isioning (Ser$ice 3on>guration ,et'or 6ro$isioning and ;cti$ation)
Involves s"ecifying which "ieces of e$ui"ment and networ% routes a given service will utili#e The activation system activates service on the "ro"er networ% elements ,any "iece of networ% hardware! such as a switch! multi"le(er! or cross-connect system
The Networ% *rovisioning System encom"asses the configuration of networ% resources! and logical resource "rovisioning for individual customer instances. 9urrent networ% elements are generally designed with an intelligent element manager built in that can receive and e(ecute commands sent by activation systems. lement managers also can feed e$ui"ment status data bac% to u"stream systems for networ%-and trouble-management functions. lement managers use "rotocols such as SNM* for traditional data e$ui"ment to communicate with activation andenabling other systems. Today?s service "roviders are wor%ing toward flow-through "rovisioning and activation! combining "rovisioning and activation systems to allow order and design-and-assign systems to issue commands to an activation system.
.<.& In$entory +anagement
Maintains the status of communication e$ui"ment. 'ives an in-use view of the Inventory Kel"s you identify the different e$ui"ment details! how and where it is being used. The inventory items includes Switches! ;outers > *orts! Kubs! 9*! Servers!
.<.2 9roub!e 9icet +anagement
Interfaces with Fault Management modules C other +SS for the ac$uisition of networ% faults and trouble-tic%ets.
Trouble-tic%et generation! distribution! log! and resolution management ca"abilities to im"rove service $uality and res"onse time. ;e"orts to illustrate staff efficiency in clearing "roblems Su""ort for reduced res"onse times and increased service $uality Networ% Fault monitoring ca"abilities
.<.5 or?o'
.<.7 ororce management
Suggesting technicians based on s%ill setsGlocation. 8ssigning resources to a""ointments +"timi#ing 8""ointments based on location! change in customer orders! order cancellations.
.<.8 Bi!!ing
9all detail ;ecords ,97; are generated by the switch for each call made. +ne 97; can have more than one call record. 97; contains information on the source number! destination number! call duration etc. Mediation device "ic%s u" the call records from different switches and converts them into format that is understood by the billing and rating systems ;ating ngine a""lies the tariff "lan on the call along with discounts etc as a""licable and then the rated record is stored in the database /hen
aggregated! discounts! ta(es and other fi(ed "rices as a""licable are added and sent to the invoicing system to generate an invoice .<.< Samp!e end to end ?o' or a ne' te!ep"ony order
Figure 22 Sample end to end %lo %or a ne telepony order
&.
&.1
Lesson : u!>!!ment OSS
u!>!!ment process
The HfulfillmentH "rocess embodies a range of +SSs including order management! inventory! "rovisioning! service activation and more@ and
Figure 23Ful%illment processes
&.
Order +anagement and 6ro$isioning
The order management and "rovisioning "rocesses is the %ey +SSs involved in configuring the networ% to deliver the service desired by the customer ,i.e.! fulfillment. The aim of an order management system ,+MS is to order the service the customer re$uests! su""ort changes when necessary! %ee" the customer informed with meaningful "rogress of their order! and trac% and manage to successful and on-time com"letion. The "rocess begins with an order or! in some cases! "re-sale activity. The "rocess ends with a com"leted order! a delighted customer and sufficient information to build or u"date a customer
account record in troubleG"roblem handling! "erformance re"orting and billing "rocesses and systems. &..1 Bene>ts o "a$ing an Order management system is
Time-to-mar%et for new services is minimi#ed Failed orders is reduced to #ero Time to deliver services is minimi#ed Labor-intensive manual "rocesses are eliminated ;eliable service to customers
&.. eatures o an Order +anagement System
".2.2.1
Man#atory
8cce"ting orders *re-order activity Integration with Inventory database Integration with SL8 to %now whether the customer is eligible for the service ordered and also to estimate the "rice for the service. ;eserve available facilities to su""ort the order. Initiate service installation Notifying the customer Initiate billing "rocess Integration with 66 database ".2.2.2
Otional
+rder "lan develo"ment ;e$uest customer de"osit Issue order and trac%ing order status Integration with wor%flow management system to dis"atch a technician to install a service /eb ordering 7ata-driven 8rchitecture 8*I Su""ort /or%flow engine
Notification for new tic%et assignments or escalations to a""ro"riate "ersonnel! individuals or teams Multi *latform Su""ort Euote service "rice *ayment engine Integration with 9;M &..& 3ore processes in Order +anagement inc!udes
8cce"ting orders *re-order activity and 9redit 9hec% *rice estimates +rder "lan develo"ment ;e$uest customer de"osit ;eserve number Initiate service installation Notifying the customer Initiate billing "rocess
Figure 24Order 7andling processes
Figure 25Flo tro8 %ul%illment &..2 9"e Order +anager
The order manager coordinates all as"ects and "rocesses related to fulfilling an order including validation! service decom"osition! inventory u"date! "rovisioning! billing and testing.
Figure 2"Order -anager &..5 6ro$isioning OSS
The "rovisioning +SS wor%s with the order manager to activate the service within the corres"onding networ% element,s.
Figure 2#Provisioning OSS
The "rovisioning +SS also handles configuring the networ% for dynamically-oriented transactions such as authentication! accounting! authori#ation! roaming! etc.
Figure 2$Provisioning OSS 0e+ample
Figure 2'Service Ful%illment %lo &..7 Ser$ice u!>!!ment ?o'
Sales "rocess caters for the customer $ueries! for the various available services ,6!1. 9ustomer "laces the service order directly to the order management system or through sales "rocess ,&!&8. +rder management "rocess hands over this order to Service 9onfiguration "rocess to activate the service ,3. 9ustomer related details are saved in the +MS! which can be used by the assurance and billing "rocesses. Service 9onfiguration system assigns this service re$uest to Networ% *rovisioning System ,2! that in turn sends this re$uest to its sub-"rocess “Networ% 9onfiguration and ;outing to actually configure the service at Networ% lement Level ,5.
Networ% 9onfiguration and ;outing system chec%s the validity and availability of the networ% data through Networ% Inventory Management sub-"rocess ,A!B and then configures the service on Networ% lement Management and networ% elements ,!64. 8fter configuration of Service! Security sub-"rocess chec%s for the networ% access on the configured elements ,66!61. Networ% 9onfiguration andto;outing sub-"rocess the Test Management sub-"rocess chec% the configuredre$uests service ,6&. This test sub-"rocess chec%s whether configured service is wor%ing or not ,63!62. Test com"letion results are sent bac% to the Networ% 9onfiguration and ;outing sub-"rocess ,65. Networ% 9onfiguration and routing sub-"rocess sends the networ% com"letion status to the Networ% *rovisioning "rocess ,6A. If the Service is successfully configured! Networ% Inventory Management sub-"rocess is u"dated with data used for assigning the service. Networ% "rovisioning system u"dates the Service 9onfiguration "rocess after assignment of service is com"leted ,6B. Service *rovisioning "rocess informs the +rder Management about the result of Service ;e$uest ,6. It also u"dates billing system to start the billing for the given customer.
&.&
Sales "rocess or +rder Management system informs the 9ustomer about the activation of service it has as%ed for ,14!148.
9"e In$entory +anagement OSS
The inventory management +SS %ee"s trac% of all the "hysical! logical and other networ% assets! as well as the assignment of those assets to customers.
Figure 3*!nventory management system &.&.1 ,eed or automated in$entory management system
8s communications networ%s evolve into more com"le( service "latforms with layered technologies and multi-vendor systems! it is im"erative to have a sim"le! fle(ible! and consistent way to manage and to maintain how networ%s are configured. Telecom o"erators must maintain configuration records and without integration! these records ra"idly become unmanageable being a mi(ture of "a"er files! s"read sheets or in-house locali#ed databases.
Increases the $uality of the data in the system! and minimi#es the administrative burden of re-%eying data It achieves flow through "rovisioning by integrating with *re-+rdering "rocesses. o o Service *rovisioning o Service 8ssurance
The Networ% Inventory and 7esign subsystem brings together several vital functions > 6. "lanning and develo"ment! 1. intelligent routing! and
&. inventory management In Inventory system! a carrier stores all its information regarding the inventory ,facilities and e$ui"ment available on its networ%. 7etermine whether or not the re$uested service can be su""lied. 8nswers $uestions such as: Is the "ro"er e$ui"ment in "lace or must new e$ui"ment be
installed0 8re the "ro"er facility circuits-the high-ca"acity circuits that "rovide bac%bone trans"ort-already assigned! or do they need to be configured0
Inventory management includes both: Inventory creation: Inventory creation refers to creating new networ% resources in the inventory in accordance with networ% growth forecasts. The "rovisioning of customer services utili#es "owerful networ% *rovisioning of customer services. o Inventory algorithms to design and assign networ% o com"onents! ensuring ra"id and accurate service delivery.
Networ% Inventory Management system does networ% maintenance and restoration to maintain the o"erational integrity of the networ%. Networ% inventory manager "rovides you with wide variety of "owerful tools to document almost every as"ect of your networ% Networ% 9ircuit 7esign
The circuit design module designs many different configurations of the netwo r% before final i#ing on the o"tim um one based on the service "roviderJs strengths and wea%nesses. These networ%s can be dis"layed gra"hically with drill-down ca"abilities to e$ui"ment! including routers and "orts. The user has the ability to manage ca"acity at the lin%Gconnection level! as well as the e$ui"ment level! in order to su""ort the "rovisioning of traditional and converged networ%s.? ;ules-based 7esign functionality "romotes following ca"abilities: Define #ogical Network $ystems >Oou can s"ecify a collection o of elements that can be combined and arranged to define
logical networ% systems and the services enabled by the networ%s. Define #ogical Network Templates>These tem"lates allow you o to define and maintain rules governing the ordering! design and "rovisioning of various logical networ% systems. Design %onnections >Oou can design connections for data! o voice and video.In addition 'ra"hical Layout ;ecord ,'L; su""orts the design of "hysical connections. 9ircuit design is more related to the service delivery "art as it involves configuration and design for "roviding a service to the end customer. The networ% inventory "rovides the service assurance "art as it ta%es care of the networ% data! fault management and recovery from disasters.
&.&. In$entory +anagement system unctiona!ity
&.2
Standard interfaces to integrate with order management! customer care and "rovisioning etc. /eb enabled solutions. ;eal time discovery of networ% elements and fault management. 9lientGserver distributed architecture Scalabilityintegrate server grou" to reduce database traffic! allowing more users towith wor% e("editiously So"histicated but easy-to-trac% system of networ% views Networ% configuration data re"resented by ma"s! drawings! symbols! and icons 7ynamic! interactive relationshi" with hierarchical browser dis"lay and gra"hics window dis"lay! thus "roviding u"-to-date "hysical locations and s"ecifications in te(t and gra"hics asily accessible vendor information on all networ% obDects
6ro$isioning @ detai!ed ?o' on t"e bac end
Figure 31Provisioning 9 detailed %lo
&.5
9"e comp!e4ity o t"e u!>!!ment process
)ltimately! the com"le(ity of the fulfillment "rocess is driven by the com"le(ity of the "roduct bundle! delivery infrastructure! su""ly chain and wor%force.
Figure 32Comple+ Ful%illment process
&.7
9"e Aey Order +anagement In$entory 6 ro$isioning p!ayers
#ho are the "e order management, provisioning and inventor plaers0 /SS prod$ct vendors 879 ,"rovisioning: wireline! cable 8I Metrics ,order management! inventory and "rovisioning: wireline! ne(t-gen! enter"rise 9o-Manage ,inventory! "rovisioning: data 8TMGF;G7SLGS+NTGI*GI*-*N 9ramer ,"rovisioning! inventory! order management: mobile! voice! data ftia +SS Solutions ,order management! "rovisioning! inventory: wireline! 9L9 'ranite ,"rovisioning and inventory: wireline! mobile! enter"rise Metasolv ,order management! "rovisioning! inventory: wireline! wireless! data! is" Net9rac%er ,order management! "rovisioning! inventory: wireline! ne(t-gen! data *eregrine Systems ,inventory management: wireline! ne(t-gen Sigma Systems ,"rovisioning: cable
Telecordia: ,order management! "rovisioning! inventory! dis"atch: ;<+9 wireline isionael ,inventory management: ne(t-gen
/thers In-house develo"ers IL9G9L9 "rovisioning gateways ,7ST! Nightfire! Euintessant! /isor
2.
9ustom solutions ,consultantsGintegrators Legacy systems
Lesson &: 9"e -;ssurance 6rocess
The HassuranceH "rocess embodies a range of +SSs designed to ensure that networ% is o"erating "ro"erly! and that service $uality thresholds are maintained.
Figure 33:ssurance processes
2.1
9"e Ro!e o ,et'or +anagement OSS
The role of networ% management +SSs is to "rovide networ% o"erators the critical "erformance and fault information re$uired to ensure smooth networ% o"eration
Figure 34.etor6 Operations Center
2.
,et'or + anagement Sy stems
Networ% management systems wor% by collecting events from the networ%! then $uic%ly consolidates analy#es and distributes the relevant data to ensure fast resolution of "roblems.
Figure 35.etor6 -anagement System
2.&
Ser$ice management OSS
Service management /SSs reconcile net!or" per&ormance against service g$arantees and+or c$stomer*speci&ic SLAs 1$alit o& Service (1oS) is de&ined in standard Service
2escriptions as !ell as individ$all negotiated c$stomer* negotiated SLAs *erformance - latency! error rates! through"ut! dro""ed calls! bloc%ing Service - downtime! order com"letion time! MTT;! MT
o
o
.eporting Standard ,"redefined and e(ce"tion re"orts! including dashboards *erformance of a service against an SL8 ;e"orts of any develo"ing ca"acity "roblems ;e"orts of customer usage "atterns! etc. *erformance reviews with the customer ;es"onses to "erformance in$uiries from the customer o
o
o o o
Credits to c$stomers (rating)
Charge*%ac" to s$ppliers (rating) 3tili4ation 5 net!or" planning, %loc"ing trends, etc
Service management +SSs monitor networ% "erformance! reconciles against customer SL8s! and generates credits and other service-oriented re"orts for "lanning and customer care systems.
Figure 3"Service -anagement
2.2
;ssurance today @ detai!ed ?o' or assurance process
6e drivers 9ustomer satisfaction > high e("ectations! low loyalty EoS as a com"etitive differentiator ;evenue and "rofitability 9om"etitiveness G differentiation nter"rise accounts
6e iss$es Networ% technology evolution I* networ%ing
8dvances in end-user devices 9om"le( service infrastructure
7oal: c$stomer*centric ass$rance ;a"idly identify root cause of customer com"laints
2.5
Total view of customer e("erience through real-time monitoring Monitor and re"ort "erformance on a service or customer ,enter"rise basis ("and sco"e to third-"arty su""liers ;ssurance @ or?o' or ;ssurance process
Figure 3#Wor6%lo %or :ssurance process
2.7
Ser$ice ;ssurance System Issues
Figure 3$Service :ssurance System !ssues
2.8
"o are ey ,et'or +anagement p!ayers*
et!or" management Micromuse ,level 6!1!& faults@ data! ne(t-gen! enter"rise! voice K* +"enview ,networ%-level: data! access! trans"ort! a""lication servers Tivoli! 9om"uter 8ssociates ,a""lication servers Telecordia ,wireline TTI ,wireless 9oncord and Infovista ,service management only
/thers $ui"ment manufacturers 9ustom solutions ,consultantsGintegrators In-house develo"ers
5.
Lesson 2: Bi!!ing 6rocesses
Networ% data management ,i.e.! mediation and rating are the %ey +SS elements that su""ort the billing "rocess.
Figure 3'Billing Processes
5.1
Bi!!ing @ Big picture oerator alications access
internet access
ser"ice latform 8 /;8 VR
net4or5s
ser"ice control
services inclu-ing > content/ infotainment > 4R an- bill alications pa$ments ser"ers > retail service
cre$it c#ec* reA%est a%t#orise or $en!
traffic recor$s
call for ,alance c#ec* or a!ment
c#ec* ,alances ? control ser"ice
s%lier acco%nts
iss%e statements ? settle
traffic recor$s
all %sae
,alance c#ec* $e$%ction
collect traffic
rate ? %$ate ,alances
tariffs
,alance c#ec* $e$%ction
pa$ment for content5 or to up-ate other accounts
c%stomer acco%nts
ratea,le %sae
a!ments switc#
rate$ e"ents
Ban*s an$ ot#er financial instit%tions #!sical a!ments
erio$ic ? a$-#oc c#ares
iss%e ,ills
NET -ENER(TION CH(R-IN- 7 COLLECTIONS
%n,ille$ transactions
recei"a,les ? le$ers
Figure 4*Billing 9 Big Picture
5.
6urpose o a bi!!ing System (Aey unctiona!ity)
Figure 41Simple ,elecom .etor6
7 7 7 7
5.&
Meter and bill the services consumed by the customer 8llow definition of different rates for services 8llow easy management of customer accounts Maintain record of "ayments received I!!ustrati$e unctiona!ity o a bi!!ing system
Figure 42!llustrative %unctionality o% a biiling system
/ireless
9ritical
Fle(ible rating ca"ability for new services Multi-mode "rocessing : real time! hot or batch Multi-"arty settlement ca"ability Service convergent )nified accounting: "ost"ayG "re"ayG now"ay 8da"tability and ease of use Multi-territory and multi-role ca"abilities
7
9arriergrade "erformance 8 Functional 8 Scalable 8 )seable 8 8vailable
Rey definitions 7 7 7 7
7 7
8ccount: 8ny customer is re"resented in the billing system as an account. +ne account can have only one customer *lan: 8 "lan is a bundle of services associated with the account Service G *roduct: 7ifferent billing vendors have different definitions for serviceQ. chec% out the definition for s"ecific "ac%age
5.2
Bi!!ing Interaces
Figure 43Billing !nter%aces
5.5
+ediation Sy stems
The role of mediation systems is to ca"ture usage information from the networ% and service infrastructure! and distribute it to u"stream billing! settlement! mar%eting and other
Figure 44-ediation System
Mediation "rocesses the 9all 7etail ;ecord ,97;! call! message! usage! traffic! tic%et! event! (7; )sage ty"es can be
Fi(ed to Fi(ed Fi(ed to Mobile Mobile to Fi(ed Mobile to Mobile ;oaming alue 8dded Services ,SMS! 9all Forward! etc.
Rey activities in Mediation > )sage collection
*olling G 7ata 9ollection 9onsolidator across networ% elements Standardi#e in"uts to
The validation functions in mediation includes
7u"licate chec%s 7ro" calls *erform edits and translations 9reating message legs Table loo% u" and conversion ,9LLI - country code! city code! e(change 8ssign a uni$ue tag number to the event
5.5.1 9raditiona! +ediation Systems
Traditional mediation systems focus on voice usage and 97; collection and routing to retail! interconnect and roaming billers.
Figure 45,raditional -ediation System 5.5. 9"e 3omp!e4ity o contemporary mediation
The com"le(ity of contem"orary mediation systems is driven by the granularity of "ricing! real-time constraints! regulatory re$uirements! scale and diversity of networ% elements.
Figure 4"Comple+ity o% mediation system
5.7
9"e Ro!e o Rating ngine
The role of the rating engine is to a""ly "ricing rules to a given transaction! and route to the rated transaction to the a""ro"riate billingGsettlement system. 5.7.1 Rating ste ps:
,6
,1
7etermine a. 9onnection date C time b. 7uration c. ;ate "eriod for discounts i. Time of day ,T+7 ii. 7ay of wee% ,7+/! holidays d. ;ating increments i. 6! 5! 64! &4! 54 second increments ii. *er "ac%et! "er byte e. urisdiction i. ;egional! National! International ii. May be used for rating! settlement! ta( ;ate table loo%-u" using a. vent date b. vent ty"e c. +"tionally
,& ,3 ,2
i. ;ate table I7 ii. ;ate "eriod iii. urisdiction 9alculate event charge 9alculate ta( ,o"tional Store relevant information on the (7;
5.7. Steps to rate a ca!!
,6
,1
,&
,3
,2
7etermine charge "oints a. +riginating charge "oint i. “8 number from the 97; ,May be the src inating cell site address ii. +riginating charge "oint country code U city code U e(change b. Terminating charge "oint i. “< number from the 97; ,May be the t erminating cell site address ii. Terminating charge "oint country code U city co de U e(change ;etrieve "lace names a. Table: 9harge "oint "lace names b. +riginating C terminating c. Store on 97; 7etermine band a. Fi(ed or Mobile b. Terminating country c. Terminating networ% d. First 2 minutes etc ;ate table loo% u" using a. ;ate Table I7 ,o"tional i. 8ssuming rates s"ecific to rate "lans b. 9all date c. 9all ty"e d.
Figure 4#&ating ;ngine 5.7.& =o' does Rating 'or*
Figure 4$&ating Core
Figure 4'&ating ;ngine
5.8
=o' t"e bi!!ing system is used*
The
Figure 5*Billing System
5.<
e9O+ @ Beyond u!>!!ment ;ssurance and Bi!!ing
Figure 51e,O5.<.1 3R+ @ +anaging t"e e4panding scope o customer re!ations"ip
Traditional customer relationshi" management ,9;M > master customer record! "roduct catalog! order entry! contract! trouble re"orting! SL8 violations! service order! order status! etc Traditionally! 9;M is not that com"licated Single service ;eliable networ% Single "ayment model Limited customer touch "oints
Telecoms were a utility > consumer had no choice
Today! 9;M is com"licated: bundles! entertainment! value-add services! "ricing! "ac%aging! etc
Figure 52Comple+ity o% Customer &elationsip 5.<. 9"e -customerCcentric OSS becomes a critica! di%erentiator adding pressure to 3R+
Figure 53C&-
9ustomer e("erience - /hich "rovider offers the best “ease of use and a su"erior buyingGdelivery e("erience0
Mar%et and "resent service o"tions in a sensible manner Ma%e services and offers easy to "urchase Instant gratification by immediately fulfilling what was soldno delay! no issues *rovide all-around smooth interaction! from ordering to service delivery 8rticulate service usage in a way that consumers can easily understand
*ricing and "ac%aging - /hich "rovider offers the best deal and "ricing that aligns with the customer?s understanding and e("ectation of the value delivered0
7ifferentiate offerings with custom "ac%ages or bundles 8lign offers by affinity grou"! customer segment! family andGor individual 7evelo" "ricing "lans that ma(imi#e ;+I and "rofits *ersonali#e "roduct offerings! offers 7rive im"ulse buys and u"sell at every o""ortunity +ne-time and limited try itGbuy it offers )ni$uely mar%et to customers one-to-one! o""ortunistically. *rice and manage offerings in a way that aligns with consumers? "reference and their view of the value delivered
9ustomer service Q /hich "rovider is the easiest to deal with! and has a re"utation for res"onsiveness0
5.D
)nified! real-time view of the customer that details all the "roductsGservices "urchased )nderstand customer across all the related accounts *ossess the information necessary to set realistic and accurate e("ectations for the customer ;ecogni#e the value ,"rofitability of each customer Manage the account by a single I7 Rnow the com"lete status of each service delivered successfully! unsuccessfully or with un%nown status! and be able to validate! communicate or otherwise address the issue. 7eliver all customer interactions seamlessly through a single website e("erience Instantaneously and automatically identify choice o""ortunities for u"selling! cross-selling and churn avoidance (ecute a""ro"riate mar%eting and sales res"onses. "o are t"e ey mediation rating p!ayers*
Mediation 8ceV9omm voice! data 9om"tel wireless voice ricsson wireless voice Intec voice! interconnect K* ne(t-gen! data Narus ne(t-gen
Sigma - cable =acct ne(t-gen
.ating very billing vendor
Stand-alone: ;ateIntegration!
Se"ro
,+"ennet!
/thers $ui"ment manufacturers ,*re-"ay 9ustom solutions ,consultantsGintegrators In-house develo"ers Legacy systems
5.10 "o are t"e ey bi!!ing p!ayers* Prod$ct*oriented (89 vendors;) 8mdocs 879 ,Saville 8MS <9'
Service %$rea$s Tier 6: 8mdocs! 9onvergys! 9S' Tier 1: 8lltel! 7ST! ); Systems! Infodirections! erisign
/thers 9ustom solutions ,consultantsGintegrators In-house develo"ers Legacy systems
5.11 6u!!ing t"e $ar ious OSS / BSS toget"er
8m-
Figure 54F:B combined
7. 7.1
Lesson 5: integration !ectronic Integration o Support Systems (;I)
8I electronic integration of su""ort systems is re$uired for an automated bac%-office in large-scale o"erations.
Figure 55Sample bac6 o%%ice operations
7.
9"e Ro!e o ;I
The role of 8I is to sim"lify the integration headache by creating an o"en data e(change "latform o"timi#ed for heterogeneous inter-"rocess communication ,H"lug and "layH. 8I is the software designed to su""ort communication between software systems! including +SS
Figure 5";:!
7.&
OSS critica! to o peratorEs b usiness
S$mmar 5 /SSs deal !ith the range o& iss$es critical to an operator
8.
Summary
/SS remain a complex interconnection o& sstems Summary +SSs remain a com"le( interconnection of system! with the com"le(ity driven by the customer management! resource management and service management re$uirements.
Figure 5#OSS interconnection
8.1
OSS remains a "yb rid integration o !oose!y coup!ed systems
)nfortunately! in many networ% o"erations! the reality is that the +SS remains a hybrid integration of loosely cou"led systems ,so-called Hsmo%e-stac%sH built over time in an ad-hoc basis.
Figure 5$7ybrid integration
8.
3onsiderab!e Fept" to ac" o t"e OSS Issues
=here is also considera%le depth to each o& the /SS iss$es addressed, and others not addressed, depending on the service providers speci&ic %$siness plan and mat$rit
8.&
8ccount hierarchies Settlement and real-time 888 with content "roviders Flow through between +SS! and between "artners. *roduct catalog Su""orting the ordering "rocess ,+SS integration ;oaming Security Fraud 8ssurance *re-"ay 8uto-discovery of inventory 7irectory-based "rovisioning Standards
OSS +aret and Spending
8.&.1 O$er$ie' o OSS maret
9ommunications service "roviders s"end about &W of total revenue on +SS software to im"rove the $uality and efficiency of their o"erations XY &4< 8bout 1G& of +SS s"ending for custom develo"ed systems@ about 6G& is for commercial software The To" 644 9S*s buy almost all the commercial software XY < +ver 344 vendors com"ete in the +SS mar%et
8.&. +aret ana!ysis data rom OSS Obser$er
Figure 5' OSS spending
8nd the mar%et share is
Figure "* OSS Spending -ar6et sare
Figure "1 ,elecom -ar6et 9 %inancial results 02**2 to2**4
Figure "2 Services rot 02**3 2**4
/SS+-SS estimated at >?9- mar"et Investment in +SSs are driven by new revenue o""ortunity from emerging services New networ% technology ,64:6 ratio of e$ui"ment to communications software 9redit models ,"re"ay! "ost"ay! bundles! regulatory 9om"etitive advantage! time to mar%et Investment in +SSs are driven by cost savings Scale stresses architectures! subsystems ;eal-time re$uirements for online customer care a""lications m"loyee "roductivity G flow-through
o
o o
o o o
Is the incremental reven$e operational savings @ costs0 New revenue0 Oes and no more wishful thin%ing than results lately. +*= savings0 Oes and no 5- ;+I very tough unless current "rocesses are a mess. ;egulatory0 Oes and no lobbyistsG"enalties are sometimes chea"er.
.ealit: toda
<.
64W success rate! &4W failure! 54W 1( over budgetGtime In-house develo"ment "revalent 7ifficult area to "roducti#e
Reerences
Telestrategies +SS
