Driving the Efficiency Agenda

Efficiency is often considered an internal issue for a CSP. Streamlining processes and minimising the steps to achieve a specific goal; creating efficiency to not only deliver a good service to customers, but also decrease operational costs.

Yet, the part that is often overlooked is evaluating efficiency from the customers’ point of view. Can they communicate and complete the tasks they want to do using the channel of their choice? Can they use multiple channels for the same task? Are the processes within each channel quick and easy-to-use?

In order for the customer to have that efficient experience, the channels have to address the needs demanded by the customer. All this requires an ‘outside in’ understanding. Without this insight, resources can be ploughed into systems that are ultimately not delivering the support demanded by the customers.

The channels desired may well differ from type of customer, or in fact each individual customer. Segmenting the audience to address the core demands is essential. A CSP cannot meet the requirements of all customers. Segmenting allows CSPs to address core concerns of high-value customers, or more loyal ones.

But whatever segment the CSP targets, understanding the customer is crucial. Analysing customer data is important, but further research needs to be done to establish what channels and processes customers want to do, which is not currently possible. This insight can then be applied when mapping out the support systems.

To deliver the ultimate efficient organisation, efficiency must be achieved on the inside, as well as for those using CSPs services. Start with the customers, then work backwards to understand how the vision can be achieved through efficient internal solutions. For the ultimate customer experience – ensure efficiency throughout.

This blog was written by Natasha Geldard, Marketing Consultant for CoralTree.

The Complexity of Simplicity

Why is simplicity so complex?

Less is certainly more when it comes to the IT BSS environment. Eight systems doing the job which one can do. Or even, a ten-step process to solve a customer enquiry, when it could be done in five – lowering the call handling time. Simplifying processes is an obvious win for CSPs. So, why aren't more CSPs simplifying their BSS?

I attended a TM Forum webinar last week in which, Rob Rich, TM Forum’s MD of Insight Research, talked about customer centricity. We heard all about the fundamental steps required for a CSP to drive profitability from having a more customer-centric business.

The majority of the content is not new, as Rob mentioned he has focused on it for many years. And it is fairly obvious. But TM Forum has packaged all the research together into an easy-to-understand format, which aligns to their best practice model for CSPs.

Putting Simplicity First

Rob put simplicity at the heart of achieving a customer-centric business. Simplicity that allows CSPs to increase the customer experience and agility of the business, at the same time decreases operational costs.

So why is simplicity not more readily adopted? Many say it is because they are stuck with back-end legacy systems, which are difficult to cut the ties to. Some claim it is too expensive to move to a new system, so instead invest in further systems to help alleviate some of the short-term pains.

This can work and can help mask many issues. But in order to achieve true ‘customer centricity’ simplicity is crucial. Cutting back systems to a solution that can manage customer interactions, across all channels, has to be the obvious choice. Only then, can CSPs be truly efficient, with simplified processes that benefit both the business and the customer.

This simplicity should not be so complex to achieve, especially as the benefits to the business vastly outweigh the investment. Simplicity – what a great vision.

This blog was written by Natasha Geldard, Marketing Consultant for CoralTree.

Seamless Service Activation

Enhance customer experience with robust provisioning

A customer makes the decision to sign up for a new service; the customer then expects the service to be available. They pay; they receive the service. It seems a clear concept, yet it does not always happen so simply. Operators are still having problems with service activation and this impacts customer experience.

In this digital era, with any service a customer purchases, it is considered to be unacceptable to pay for a service then experience a delay in receiving it. Or it not being authorised when you know the payment card being used is valid and in credit. Or perhaps even the system goes down…’we are not able to process your request at this time’. These are all frustrations for the customer.

This does two things. Annoys the customer, blemishing the company image. And deters them from buying the service, which means missed revenue. Repeat occurrences could have long-term impact on the subscriber base, as some move to competitors for a better service.

Activation of services in a timely and efficient manner for customers is essential for any operator providing subscription-based TV. 

So what are the essentials when looking for a provisioning solution?

1. High performance - you need to be assured that whether your solution is being utilised for hundreds, thousands, or millions of subscribers, it does the job regardless of numbers.
2. Content protection - a small percentage of the consumer market prefer to avoid paying for TV content. Securing authorised access to content is critical to protect revenues and ensure continuity of service to paying customers.
3. Interoperability - working alongside existing systems to ensure seamless, fast and reliable delivery of services.

Delivery of services does not only build revenues for operators, it can ensure a customer stays loyal. The experience is just as critical at this stage as when customers first signed up. Ensuring activation of services is streamlined with a robust and powerful service activation solution will help operators build customer satisfaction.

This blog was written by Natasha Geldard, Marketing, CoralTree

Real Time Convergent Charging and Policy Management are a necessity!

Real Time Convergent Charging (RTCC) and Policy Management go hand in hand, with 95% of the CSP’s that responded to TM Forum’s recent Insights Research paper ‘RTCC and Policy Management’ [Link] saying that they cannot remain competitive without implementing it in some form.

The benefits of introducing RTCC can be great for the CSPs for a whole number of reasons such as improving customer experience, minimising or negate bill shock and providing a means to monetise the OTT market.

As customer experience quickly becomes the critical focus for operators, RTCC and policy management will allow operators to be much more creative and agile in how they interact with the customer and a lot quicker in the introducing new services and products

Bad Profits

Currently the two largest uses for RTCC and Policy Management are bill shock management and threshold management, which are great, but - even now - there are companies who use them in rather blunt ways. Capping or throttling customers who reach data caps, or charging ‘premium’ prices for going over limits. This creates ‘bad profits’ and does nothing to enhance the customer experience.

However some CSP’s have the idea, using these tools to build a bond with the customer and ultimately using it to drive revenue growth. When customers get close to limits they are warned they're close, and offered ‘extensions’ to their data or broadband usage for a set price, repeat ‘offenders’ can be marked for upsell opportunities offering them a better package at a higher price, but one that would be cheaper than the charges they would otherwise incur.

In the short term, this doesn't drive as much revenue as the charges, but, as should be obvious, a loyal customer is more profitable than a customer who leaves because they feel they've been ripped off.

As the marriage between RTCC and Policy Management becomes more complete (94% will implemented a RTCC & PM strategy within two years and 64% within the next year) operators and CSP’s will be able to produce more innovative offerings to their customers.

This will enable them to increase revenue through USPs – introducing flexible services that the customer can control such as Holiday mode, sharing data, moving portions of broadband download limits onto mobiles – especially as networks move towards 4G LTE. And on the topic of LTE, Policy management and RTCC will be necessary for the introduction of VoLTE to ensure bandwidth is properly managed.

Over The Top

Lots has been made of the need to monetize the OTT trend, and with a RTCC and Policy Management, CSP’s and operators can. 

A good number of them are offering free data when using apps like WhatsApp and Facebook, others are offering Netflix or sports services when they sign up (Virgin Media, Vodafone) whilst others are competing directly with their own offering (Sky’s NowTV, UPC’s Horizon) Policy management and RTCC is vital in letting operators omit these services from customer’s data use. 

The nature of the relationship with OTT players is only really beginning to be explored, but it can be as simple as free data, it could be as one Indian MSO does, offering bundles of access to YouTube, Facebook and other OTT services instead of, or in line with data allowances.

Or CSP’s could really be involved with developing the relationship, making it a truly two way relationship that benefits both, working with Google’s Project Loon or Facebook's Internet.org to bring internet (and telecoms) to remote places with the knowledge, infrastructure and software they already have in abundance. OTT’s get more customers, CSP’s get more customers.

However the future unfolds, one thing appears to be a common theme throughout it all, the need for Real Time Convergent Charging and Policy Management, preferably together, to drive new revenue growth. 


This article was written by Craig Maxwell-Brown. Business Development Associate for CoralTree Systems Limited. Views are not necessarily the companies views.

Do we understand the meaning of convergence?

The communications industry is rife with vendors promoting their convergent systems. Technology aligned, all working smoothly, hand in hand. But is this so commonly used word, convergent, merely a buzzword?

Converge is defined as to ‘come together from different directions so as eventually meet.’ So do the systems that are implement into communications providers operations really converge with the existing systems in place? Or is the truth that they simply run in parallel?

I don’t think we should trivialise the importance of convergence here. Creating the competitive differentiation that a converged system allows is in every operator’s best interest. Convergence enables a joined up approach to customer service, more efficient call handling, and minimising billing and order errors.

But very few operators’ systems are really convergent. Many are ‘window dressed’. New systems on top of old, trying to disguise the disorganisation underneath. But the systems only work in parallel and are not often integrated. This can be beneficial in the short-term and helps speed up processes, but as more technologies and services are added complications will become apparent.

The long-term objective should be to converge all BSS systems. This will limit the support needs and issues faced by IT teams, as well as providing a wealth of knowledge to marketing and customer support teams, so service can be enhanced.

Systems must ‘come together from different directions so as eventually meet’ in order to stay competitive in this dynamic communications industry.

To read more about operator convergent strategy, read CoralTree’s latest Insight report: “Convergent strategy or conflicting goals?” by visiting our website: www.coraltreesystems.com/insights-papers

This blog was written by Natasha Geldard, Head of Marketing, CoralTree

CTO vs. CFO – focusing on company prosperity

The goals of the communications providers’ CTO and CFO are driving further apart. Both are committed to do what’s best for long-term business prosperity, but their strategies are far from converged.

In this face-paced sector communications operators have to innovate, to offer the latest services and packages to customers, in order to stay competitive. The CTO is under constant pressure from the business to ensure that the systems are in place for dynamic packages to be marketed, fulfilled, and billed. With many BSS systems dated, this requires investment to upgrade to next generation support systems.

In contrast, the CFO focuses on ensuring profitability and demands in fiscal year returns for any large investments made. The CFO role is to demonstrate to owners, shareholders, or the market, that the business is doing well. In simple terms, growing and making more money than it is spending.

Yet some CFOs are acknowledging this strategic problem. Industry news title, Global Telecoms Business published in an article that interviewed top global telecommunications CFOs in February 2014. Tom Fitzpatrick, CFO of satellite operator Iridium, was quoted saying: “The short-term earnings bias of Wall Street in the evaluation of results proves difficult in that many compelling long-term initiatives are not undertaken in the face of this short-term bias.”.

Many BSS out-of-date

The issue is that many BSS systems in place are so dated that they are unable to cope with next generation technologies and services. Quick fixes will not last for long and will not be able to keep up with the fast pace of change. In the long run, this will cost the operator more money than upfront investment in a long-term solution.

To stay competitive, it is crucial for the CTO and CFO strategies to be converged. Alignment must be made to support the business with advanced IT, creating long-term efficiency and cost-savings.

To read more about operator convergent strategy, read CoralTree’s latest Insight report: “Convergent strategy or conflicting goals?” by visiting our website: www.coraltreesystems.com/insights-papers

This blog was written by Natasha Geldard, Head of Marketing, CoralTree

Big (Little) Data and Customer Experience - CEM Blog Part Four

It has been a little while since the last blog article on Customer Experience Management, so if you're in need of a quick refresher then please follow these links

Part One: Putting yourself in the customers shoes
Part Two: Customer experience and the call centre
Part Three: Going Social

All clued up? excellent.

Big data is proving to be a very important and ever growing part of a business. The ability to collect more and more data from an increasing range of sources provides some very potent opportunities for business. However for businesses to really achieve that ‘write home about’ customer experience, you need ‘little data’.

Big data, better operations

Now, by its very nature, big data gives an extremely broad look at all our customers and what they're up to. It allows us to spot trends in customer behaviour and habits as a whole – both good and bad. CSPs can use this to great advantage, identifying behaviour patterns, trends and pain points for customers and work out solutions that build customer advocacy.

Let us use an example to make it more realistic. An increasing number of people are using OTT services like Netflix and Lovefilm. Not only are more of your customers using them, but they're using them more frequently and these data heavy services can impact the network.

Rob Rich, MD of Insights at TM Forum, says the operators are “using network and customer data to learn the habits of their most valuable customers.” They are using network data to determine where the most strain is being put on the network, so “by comparing the two, they can drive support for future network investments that will improve network performance and boost customer satisfaction.” [source]

This is a perfect example of what big data can do. By looking at the whole picture, companies can find patterns, trends and pain points across a wide section of customers, which can only ever be a good thing.

So what about small data? 

Small data is where unique gains can be made that boosts customer experience and satisfaction. Little data lets us spot opportunities and enables personalised customer interactions. It can be achieved with the data that a CSR should be able to readily access via their CRM.

The key is how easy it is for a customer service agent to access that information and how closely it is linked a 360 degree view of the customer. The customer service agent must be able to view recent customer interactions and all information needs to be clearly accessible, quickly.

Imagine a scenario where you don't have to re-tell the story you've already told to several people because the customer service agent already knows that last week your phone line conked out. The engineer was meant to turn up this morning, but canceled, and that no one has yet replied to your question via social media. It would be blissful, wouldn't it?

Or maybe recognising that a customer is routinely hitting data or download limits. Or that they've been late payers recently, but offering solutions, such as putting a hold on premium services, would be beneficial for the customer for a few months.

All these 'above and beyond' measures build customer loyalty. We know that loyal customers are worth up to 10x their first purchase. [source]

Companies have some, if not all this information available to them already. They have done for a long time. The key to Little Data is making sure you take advantage of it!

Big data and little data are both important strategic considerations for service providers. Ensure the network is performing to its optimum ability and build customer loyalty. Data, big or small, is the gold to each operators armour.