Better Keep Up! OSS Transformation Is Essential for Success

Turns out that the adage, “the only constant is change," is true. Let me explain.

This past year in the communications industry has felt like a revolving door of offerings. It seems that every time we turn around, service providers are promoting new types of plans or features in an effort to enhance customer experience and stay ahead of the competition.

In order to improve customer experience and enhance customer-centricity, they offer more personalization options. In order to create new revenues, they diversify their products to target new niches that require high operational efficiency, such as machine-to-machine (M2M). But in order to expand in these new directions, service providers need to evolve their operations support systems (OSS). This transformation is fundamental to optimizing network investment by better matching supply to demand through improved planning processes – and to monetize those investments by rolling out the latest and greatest services as quickly as possible.

To determine where OSS transformation currently stands, Amdocs commissioned a survey, conducted by Telesperience, that surveyed 33 service providers from around the globe about their current and future transformation strategies.

The research came back with some eye-opening results. One of the most interesting findings was that 70 percent of service providers had started an OSS transformation process between 2009 and 2011, with 25 percent beginning in 2011. A third of these service providers are already seeing benefits such as faster time to market while still in mid-project, while an additional 31 percent expect to see results soon.

Another finding: While spurring innovation is a key motive for OSS transformation, service providers indentified the need to reduce operation expenditures and increase operational efficiency as the most significant driver for their OSS initiatives.

The research also revealed that OSS transformation is happening around the globe, though goals and methodologies vary depending on region. In North America, service providers see OSS transformation as a way to create a more flexible infrastructure. In CALA, the focus is more on speeding business processes and supporting the rollout of new products. Asia, one of the most advanced markets in the world highlights modernization as the leading driver for OSS transformation.

It’s important to note that today’s transformation products are different from what they were years ago. Traditionally, transformation would originate in the IT department, and initiatives were much larger in scale. Now, projects are often driven from the business side of the organization, with more defined goals. If, for example, a service provider is focused on offering optimal family data plans, they can do so in modular fashion without having to alter the entire system.

So what’s the takeaway? From the survey, it’s clear that service providers are realizing the importance of OSS transformation for both improving internal processes and efficiencies, and delivering the great customer experience that will help attract and retain customers. With the wireless industry constantly evolving, it is critical for service providers to continue adjusting to the market, meeting the wants and needs of mobile users. And having a clearly defined OSS transformation process is a major step in reaching that goal.

Rebecca Prudhomme is vice president of Product & Solutions Marketing at Amdocs . She currently leads Amdocs’ entire global team of product marketing professionals focused on bringing to market Amdocs’ products, services and solutions.