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Managing eBusiness - Operational Challenges of an Online Business Model

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Overview

Aspects of an online business model• Purpose, value, typical functions

Service management environment context• Taking the BSS/OSS online

Developing integrated architectures• Choices, approaches and lessons

End-to-end integrated enterprise operational environments• Role of data, interface and process

Online business model case study• Role of product catalogue, service provisioning etc

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Online Business Model?

Who are the actors?• Customers, Partners, Suppliers, Internal

What are the actors?• People, systems, web services

What are the functions?• Customer/Partner self service, supplier integration, ubiquitous access to information for staff

Where is the value?• Reduction of costs, accurate and timely service and information

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Service Management Environment

Challenges in the Service Management Environment

• pervades the entire service management environment (BSS/OSS)

• access to information that was previously available via other means (business reporting, operational resource planning etc, etc)

• unique requirements for data modeling

• increased urgency for integrated architectures

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Key Architectural Issues

1. Developing Integrated Architectures

2. Understand the Role of Integration Technologies

3. Understand the Role of Process Management

4. Organisational Issues effect the architecture development

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Developing an Integrated Architecture

Architecture Pressure Points• data modelling, process design, interface design

Data issues• replication, synchronisation, access, consolidation, data panic

Strategic Architecture Planning• understand paradigms and methodology used to approach large architectural issues• address the logical system partitioning, data models, integration and synchronisation strategies• identify data, processes and interfaces that support *core* business activities

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Role of Integration Technologies

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI)• becomes attractive where numerous external applications/systems

• system can automatically perform tasks

• (n) systems -> (n) application connectors

• COTS connection, application vendor supplied connectors

WorkforceManagement

Integration Bus

CRM

Service ProvisioningProcess Automation

(Workflow)

Billing

NetworkMonitoring

NetworkProvisioning /Configuration

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Role of Integration Technologies (cont)

EAI Software Component Integration

• Gateway – mediation device to translate object definitions and functions from one environment to an another

• Object Abstraction – uses the process of abstraction of two disparate models to form an ‘interface’

• Application Interworking – horizontal integration of different operation systems with different technologies and different object models

Generic Object ModelGeneric Object Model

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Role of Process Management

• Process Integration, Coordination and Automation • Flexible and controlled integration between people and

systems• Process management solution solution independent of

EAI• Ideally process management solution is middle-ware

agnostic

ModemOrdered ?

Start

Collect OrderDetails

End

Acquire LocalLoop

Setup BillingRecord

ProvisionNetwork

Ship ModemTest Service

DSL Provisioning Process

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Lessons Learned

1. Greenfield / Blue Sky doesn’t last

2. Need for a Technology Management Plan

3. Strong Software Architecture and Technical Leadership

4. Watch the ‘Architecture Pressure Points’

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Case Study

The Challenge:• Online Business Support for Multi Service Packages (supporting multiple network products on a shared line (DSL bearer)

Solution Requirements:• ‘Plug and play’ of products into whole of company environment, processes, systems, operations• Generic (common) set of product independent business requirements and business rules to support the multi service model

• Business process and system support for complex order/provisioning/billing scenarios enabled via the multi service model

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Case Study (cont.)

Catalogue Definitions and Online Ordering• Codify product definitions, ordering scenarios, and validation rules• Use component based product definitions• Use a service order a request for change of service• Choose a product configurator that suits your business objectives• Enables automation in Service Provisioning Process

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Case Study (cont.)

Quotes, Rating and Billing • Rates and charges associated with fine grain product catalogue object model• Allows rates and charges rates and charges to be re-assigned during complex service change scenarios

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Case Study (cont.)

Service Activation & Change• Requested changes to services modeled as orders• Business object lifecycles key to automated provisioning

Product Order

InstalledService

Usage

CatalogueRates andCharges

contains

Identifies a change to

consists of

Invoice

TroubleTicket

identifies an issue with

will have

consists of

Customer belongs to

consist of

SLA

will have a

Rebate /Deduction

consist ofmay violate violation may imply

Service Provisioning Messages • New Order Request• Order Update Request• Order Cancellation Request• Order Status Update Response

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Concluding Remarks

Major implementation issues continue to be:• Legacy data migration• Client training and communication

Strategic Architecture Planning• Understand paradigms and methodology used to approach large architectural issues• Identify data, processes and interfaces that support *core* business activities

Treat data models, processes, and interfaces as a crucial part of the technology management plan

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Thank You

Chris Phillips

Email: C.Phillips@ citr.com.au

Contact CiTR Pty Ltd for more information about our Online Business Solutions

http://www.citr.com.au