2008. next generation oss. bartacek and straka

OSS/BSS Transformation experience

Tomas Dolezal, Vaclav Bartacek

October 2008

© Emeldi Proprietary, All rights reserved

Case introduction

Year 2005 /2006

Cesky Telecom was in the process of completing privatisation -

acquisition by Telefonica group completed in 2006

Cesky Telecom had aggressive plans for mass market penetration of

retail DSL and other broadband services

As a result sales of ADSL increased from 200 orders per week to 2000

orders per day

Legacy OSS/BSS solution for DSL was inadequate to support

ambitious marketing campaigns

There was an imminent need to upgrade OSS / BSS solution

Needed a solution enabling to dramatically improve service

delivery times, customer online experience and ordering

efficiency


Key requirements for new solution

Support broadband connectivity growth:

Implement scalable and robust system

To be Implemented fast

Support introduction of new broadband services (Next generation

services):

Flexibility

Business Process driven architecture

New products shall be implemented quickly, cheap (preferably without demand

of code adaptation) and reliably

New solution to be SOA compliant:

Service oriented architecture, Self contained services

Modular, Loosely Coupled

Data synchronisation across multiple systems

Service execution controlled by BPM workflow engine

API constructed based on Web Services, XML, Java Beans, etc)


Pre-selection solution delivery

considerations Telefonica O2 (Cesky Telecom) considered the following solution

delivery options:

Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) solution from a single vendor

Component Based Solution from multiple vendors

Develop and Integrate from external vendor

Develop and Integrate was chosen – why?

Exact Functional Fit

Optimum Price – based on the exact functional fit – Customer only pays for

components they will use

Gradual Deployment – starting with Proof of Concept

Full Architectural Compliance – Solution implemented by external supplier will

be fully complaint to strategic architecture and solution requirements

Smooth transition from the legacy environment

Quality of Support – Development resources will continue to support after

deployment

CHALLENGES ON THE WAY


Challenge No. 1 – Product Catalogue

Typical Telco company has several product catalogues.

Usually master /slave principle is not clearly defined /

resolved. Products have different names, different

structures, but service provisioning needs for its

functionality only one.

How to stay flexible and ensure fast implementation

of new services and new service updates in OSS?


Challenge No. 2 – Workflow

Service provisioning process in telecommunications

industry is very dynamic and complex Technology

influences new services and new products influence

technology - specially NGN services. Inventory data is

important for provisioning success, but usually there is

not a consistency.

How to implement flexible workflow for automatic

service provisioning in complex

telecommunications environment?


Challenge No. 3 – Integrated

Environment Telco Service Delivery solution blueprint entails many

integrated systems. Typically, each component has its

own interface to downstream systems. Probability that

one of these interfaces/systems stops communicating is

fairly high - impact is critical

How to protect service ordering and service

provisioning process from downstream systems

failures?


Challenge No. 4 – Bundles, campaigns

ADSL and IPTV product managers need to launch

various bundles and campaigns whereby “only” some

of the components are modified. Traditionally, system/s

require changes in product catalogue. This is fairly

expensive and lead time is weeks.

How to modify services and create bundles,

campaigns expediently and economically?


Challenge No. 5 – Tools

Traditionally, user interface and administration

environment of legacy system is very difficult. Every

changes must be carried out by supplier and it is new

RFC.

How to provide balanced and friendly compromise

between complexity and flexibility for administrator

and users?


• These challenges are faced by all fix and mobile operators

• In response to those Emeldi developed its own solution

• TBOSS is primarily a service provisioning controller for IP based services, however,

it’s not limited to just IP based services -- its highly flexible architecture allows it to

provision almost any product or service

• TBOSS brings a reliable solution for provisioning based on industry proven J2EE

technologies and the experience of successfully handling real-world order volumes

in a 24/7 environment

• TBOSS uses business process modeling tools and a sophisticated product

catalogue to enable the building of highly complex workflows that are hot-

deployable into live systems

TBOSS


Key Features of TBOSS


Flexible Product Catalogue

customer buys a product or bundle...

... but consumes services

product mgmt defines a new product...

... but only speed is higher

marketing offers a new product....

... but only pricing has changed


Key Principles

✓smart mapping

products, services,

inventory ...

product as a

combination of services

(N:M)

easy bundling


Key principles

✓product inheritance simple, multiple or multi layer inheritance

ability to reflect the product portfolio structure

ability to create and reuse building blocks

✓price versioning and price overriding changing prices for certain time period

more than one price at the same time

campaigns and deals

✓tools for product definition


Flexible Workflow

Consumer (mass market) products

thousands of orders per day

standard products

simple process or provisioning

ADSL, IPTV, WiFi, CDMA, Mobile...

Products for individual (big) customers

a few orders per month / week

non-standard products

complex provisioning

VPN, services for public sector


Flexible Workflow

✓2 entirely different types of workflow

simple, straight-forward, no modifications

tightly coupled with product catalog

new products share existing workflows

complex, dependent, modifications required

logic must be separated from the product catalog

workflow inheritance, injections of sub-workflows

✓tools for workflow definition


Tools

✓Product Catalogue or Workflow

definition life cycle

analysis of existing definitions and structures

definition of new objects

using wizard – several products at once

cloning – saving time (and space)

verification of new objects

hot-deployment to the system

✓XML based tools X GUI tools


Failure of Downstream Systems

✓Order entry / processing resistance:

ability to park the order and to continue later

off-line mode

✓Provisioning system / process

resistance

multiple state process controlling

asynchronous communication

Implementation Summary


Implementation Summary

TBOSS/NOSB was implemented as a replacement of a legacy OSS/BSS

system for Czech Telecom (currently Telefonica O2) in timeframes

requested by customer

It plays now a vital role in Telefonica O2 order fulfilment process and is

part of mission critical application suite supporting broadband services

The main functionalities implemented and currently in use are:

Provisioning of ADSL and Internet services including value added services such as

IPTV

Support of ordering via Self Care Portal and Web Ordering

Automated notification of customers

Helpdesk processes support

TBOSS/NOSB is a robust and stable system which is crucial for the

current service ordering and provisioning process within Telefonica O2

Internally with Telefonica O2, NOSB is viewed as a successful

implementation


Business Benefits Delivered

Substantially improved service delivery times for DSL and

other Broadband services (e.g. IPTV + all Internet Services)

Significantly reduced number of order entry errors

(validation)

Improved order status visibility and tracking

Introduced management of accurate KPI measurements

Improved time to introduce new products and services (RFC

turnaround time cut in half)

Stable system

Very reasonable cost to operate (CTO)


Our recommendation for OSS

transformation

✓choose scalable solution

vertically:

Can front-end module be moved to another box ?

horizontally:

is the application even designed to run in cluster ?

✓choose reliable solution

HA architecture – clustering, balancing,...

✓only highly skilled people can help

be ready to solve troubles fast


Thank you

would be pleased to provide you more

information about TBOSS and other

Emeldi products in our stand.

2008. next generation oss. bartacek and straka

Travel