WHITE PAPER. Cutting Through the Clutter: A CIO s Guide to Telecom Management

Transcription

1 WHITE PAPER Cutting Through the Clutter: A CIO s Guide to Telecom Management

2 Introduction 2 Telecom Best Practice Frameworks 5 Communications Lifecycle Management 6 Summary 8

3 Complexity abounds in modern telecommunications management, as so many new technologies, trends, techniques and terms surface at a moment s notice. The recent twenty-eighth annual publication of the Newton s Telecom Dictionary included almost 28,000 telecom and technology terms and acronyms defined over 1,376 pages. Most of these terms are dedicated to explaining the ever-expanding array of new technologies and commonly adopted business processes. On average, Harvey Newton adds approximately 1,000 new definitions annually. Although Harry Newton s annual publication is the default industry dictionary, it is not intended to provide detailed clarification or recommendations about operational management processes and their associated technologyenablement. Organizations seeking additional clarification on how to optimize their business operations quickly find themselves overwhelmed by a universe of corresponding management solutions that are predicated on enabling best practice frameworks. Most of these solutions focus on discrete operations; they are designed to address a specific business challenge that, in theory, every business leader can adopt. However, this approach requires the creation and maintenance of a federation of independent best practice solutions and services that often work independently of each other creating a disconnect.

4 All too often organizations find that the implementation of a specific point solution designed to enable a recommended best practice may fail to meet their expectations and the intended results. Best practices should always be regarded as qualified suggestions, and organizations will ideally identify the fits and gaps in each to properly adapt before adopting and implementing the strategies and solutions. This type of process has to come first to position the firm to make the right decisions on a lifecycle management solution. Before diving into the best practices of selecting full lifecycle management automation and solutions, it would be helpful to get an idea of some of the more common individual frameworks which exist today. There are several websites, professional organizations, and industry-recognized certification programs that can help businesses improve their proficiency to an appropriate level of understanding.

5 Telecom Best Practice Frameworks Without going into an entirely exhaustive list of best practices, here is an abridged rundown to get the gears turning: Common Telecommunication Best Practice Frameworks Telecom Expense Management (TEM): A lifecycle framework coined by Gartner that defines the recommended principles to manage the procurement, provisioning, payment, and cost allocation of telecommunication services. There are several vendors that specialize in TEM solutions. Telecom Expense and Inventory Management (TEIM): A lifecycle framework coined by Forrester which has many parallels to Gartner s TEM framework with additional focus on inventory management and provisioning. Like Gartner, Forrester evaluates vendors that specialize in TEIM offerings. Telecom Environment Assessment (TEA): A Telecommunication Environment Assessment published by AOTMP that focuses on seven disciplines developed by AOTMP. Efficiency First: Represents the superset of business principles and practices that are published by AOTMP. Wireless Expense Management (WEM): Primarily positioned as a framework for wireless expense management solutions. In short, it applies the principles of TEM to wireless services. Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM): Encompasses people, processes and technology focused on managing mobile devices, wireless networks and relevant assets. Mobility Managed Services (MMS): An example of a newer best practice framework that consolidates the functions of EMM, WEM, and TEM. It encompasses the spectrum of contracted managed services to enable optimal performance across the mobile workforce.

6 Enhanced Telecom Operations Map (etom): A lifecycle framework published by the Telecommunications Forum which describes the full scope of business processes required by a service provider and defines key elements of business process interactions. Again, there are other best practice frameworks and solutions out there. This is why working with an experienced solution provider that can guide the decision-making process is a key to success in optimizing your telecom management environment. The end game is to develop a strategy that defines rules, policies, and procedures in a way that works to the greatest benefit of the organization itself. Then, the firm will be ready to select and implement the right solutions to streamline business activities and intelligence objectives across the full lifecycle of communication services. Communications Lifecycle Management (CLM) Fundamentally, the objective for any organization is to gain visibility for the full spectrum of their communication processes, assets and services with the goal of making improvements that support cost savings and strategic business growth. To accomplish this, Calero proposes adhering to Communication Lifecycle Management (CLM) which is a lifecycle framework made up of many of the individual best practice processes noted in the above section.

7 By managing the full lifecycle, you gain visibility and control from procurement through payment, meaning that Communication Lifecycle Management will provide structure that enables more fluid and effective adherence to the decided-upon best practice frameworks. At the end of the day, the business should be looking to manage its communication processes, assets, and users like a welloiled machine, and these solutions will help to do so. Communication Lifecycle Management solutions can help you: Enhance transactional recording. Establish an audit trail that enables comprehensive analysis, and assures quality control for every facet of service delivery and support. Optimize rules-based routing procedures. Automate structured workflow that routes task assignments and approvals to the appropriate operational support units.

8 These solutions will provide a simultaneously flexible and structured framework, enabling intuitive insight to analyze operations and finances more quickly for reporting optimization. The end product is a far more efficient and accurate management strategy over time, as well as optimal processes, performance, and expense control. Working with a guide that has gone through the process of adapting best practice frameworks to specific needs, aligning lifecycle management solutions properly, and maintaining the entirety of the strategy will help you identify where to start, ultimately ensuring optimal results. Summary Businesses and public institutions should adopt the most appropriate elements of the various best practice frameworks that work for them and implement solutions that are designed to alleviate the manual intervention, translation, and synchronization of data across point-based solutions that only address a portion of their lifecycle management requirements. When companies get this right, operational performance will be optimized, lifecycle management processes can be automated, deficiencies are more quickly identified, and resolution is achieved in stride. Best practice frameworks provide guidance on the key performance indicators (KPIs) that help represent and substantiate telecommunications service support and delivery as a strategic enabler. Solutions aligned to best practice principles provide the means to automate the collection and presentation of strategic KPIs.

9 CALERO SOFTWARE, LLC EAGLE S LANDING BUSINESS PARK 1565 JEFFERSON ROAD, SUITE 120 ROCHESTER, NY PHONE: FAX: INFO@CALERO.COM ABOUT CALERO Calero Software is a leading provider of Communications Lifecycle Management solutions with a deep commitment to innovation and customer service. Calero s CLM Suite supports the full communications lifecycle (from procurement to payment) including software/services that aid Telecom Expense Management (TEM), Managed Mobility Services (MMS) and Usage Management. Calero has thousands of customers in the United States and more than 40 countries worldwide, including Fortune 1000 corporations, universities and government agencies. For more information, visit us at or or call