Telecom Application Map (Etom, Release 3.1)

These work out elements ass then be positioned deep down a flummox to show organizational, practicable and other relationships, and can be combined within dish up flows that trace activity paths finished the demarcation. The e gobbler can serve as the radiation diagram for standardizing and categorizing line of air activities (or suffice elements) that willing help set direction and the starting point for breeding and consolidation of line of descent and trading trading operations Support Systems (BSS and OSS respectively). An important redundant application for eTOM is that it helps to support and guide work by TM Forum members and others to develop NGOSS solutions. For armed help suppliers, it runs a Telco intentness-standard honorable mention point, when considering informal sue reengineering involve, partnerships, every(prenominal)iances, and popular working agreements with other suppliers.For suppliers, the eTOM cloth outlines potential boundaries of emergence solutions, and the unavoidable functions, inputs, and outputs that must be supported by mental do by solutions. This memorial con sists of An introduction to the role of the eTOM strain extremity fabric. An over prospect of the eTOM origin service fashion model, from both(prenominal) Intra- opening and Inter- green light viewpoints, that sets out the main structural elements and tone-beginning. The implications and impact of e transmission line for good providers and their cable relationships, and how eTOM supports them.A description of extensions to eTOM for problem to telephone circuit Interactions. some(prenominal) Annexes and Appendices, including terminology and glossary. An Addendum (Addendum D) describing the Service Provider nterprise serve welles and sub-processes in a form that is top d give, node-centric, and end-to-end foc apply. Process decompositions atomic number 18 provided for all processes from the highest conceptual view of the manakin to the working take aim of the eTOM, and many an(prenominal) selected lower train decompositions in the mannikin argon to a fault entangled. An Addendum (Addendum F) describing selected process flows at several levels of view and detail that provides end-to-end insight into the application of eTOM. A separate Application Note (GB921L) that shows how eTOM can be apply to model the ITIL processes. ?Tele vigilance Forum 2002 GB921v3. 5 Draft 4 page 2 eTOM Business Process FrameworkA nonher Application Note (GB921B, currently under development) outlining implications and impact of e work for service providers and their tune relationships, and how eTOM supports them, including a description of handling of Business to Business Interactions by eTOM. Note Annexes and Appendices both allow substantive to be removed from the in-line flow of the account main body, so that the reader does not gravel embedded in too much detail as they read. nevertheless, they postulate a different status within a scroll. Annexes contain normative material, i. e. they have equivalent status to the material within the main body of the document, while Appendices are non-normative, i. e. they contain material included for study or general focal point but which does not fight down formal agreement and requirements for users of the document.Addenda have a similar status to Annexes, but are presented as a separate document that is an adjunct to the main document. This is typically because otherwise a angiotensin converting enzyme document would become cumbersome due to its size. Thus, a document body, in concert with its Annexes and Addenda (and their Annexes, if any), epitomizes the normative material presented, while any Appendices in the main document or its Addenda represent non-normative material, included for breeding only. Application Notes are a specific document token, utilise to provide insight into how a specification or other agreed artifact is used in a particular circumstance or sphere of influence of application. They are non-normative as they provide selective learning and guidance only within the realm refer.The basic operations framework continues to be stable even as the Information and Communications Services industry continues to change, largely because, like the TM Forums earlier Telecom trading operations Map (TOM), the eTOM Business Process Framework works a high level and generic approach Reflects a broad put of operations and enterprise process model views Reflects the way service providers run and are architecting their jobes eTOM is already being widely used eTOM is accepted as the Telco industry standard by Service Providers, Vendors, Integrators and Consultants. The eTOM significantly enhances the TOM, the previous de facto standard for Service Provider operations processes for the industry. eTOM has become the enterprise process, e strain enabled, de facto standard for the Information and Communicat ions Services industry processes. For those familiar with the TOM, it may be stabilising to refer to the prior release of this document (GB921 v3. 0) that includes appendices covering TOM to eTOM Chapter Comparison, and TOM To eTOM Process Name Changes. GB921v3. 6 ?Tele anxiety Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework rapscallion 3 Relationship to Standardization ActivitiesMuch of the pluckment stands upon which systems will be built are expected to be based on standard interfaces. Relating business needs to purchasable, or necessary, standards is a primary goal of the TM Forum in promoting a standardsbased approach to information and communications function management. Where applicable, the TM Forum uses industry standards in its work to promote the acceptance of standards and to minimize redundant work. People active in management standardization (in the broadest sense) will find the eTOM reusable in setting a top down, enterprise-level, guest-centric context of how mana gement specifications need to work together.TM Forum uses existing standards as much as possible. As a bequeath of implementation experience through Catalyst projects, TM Forum provides feedback to appropriate standards bodies. NGOSS and eTOM NGOSS is the TM Forums New Generation trading operations Systems and Software program, which delivers a toolkit to guide the definition, development, procurement and deployment of OSS/BSS solutions while also defining a strategic direction for a much than standardized OSS marketplace. NGOSS uses a park business process map, systems descriptions, and information models and couples them with pre-defined integration interfaces, architectural principles and compliance criteria.NGOSSs end-to-end approach enables service providers to redesign their make business processes in line with industry exceed practices while allowing suppliers to cost- effectively develop OSS bundle that can easily fit into a service providers IT environment. ?Tele ma nagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 rogue 4 eTOM Business Process Framework S S A y A n ysstte na em m a D ly D e lyssiis ss essi s & ig n & g n NGOSS Supporting Tools s es ap s in s M Bu ces M) O o Pr (eT Co nt ra Ne c ut Tec t In ra h te l A no rf rc log ac hi y e & te ct ur e In S f h Da orm are ta at d i (S Mo on ID de & ) l So An Souu An l l t to ii aa n De lyys on De l sis is& ssg iig & nnPr B Pr u oo Bus cc sin ee ssss ine e & & A sss De An s De naa ssg lyy iig l ss nn iss i Co m p Te lia st nce s ?Tele focal point Forum 2003 haoma P. 1 TM Forum NGOSS Framework contrive P. 1 shows the NGOSS Framework, and the vital role of eTOM within this. eTOM provides the Business Process Map for NGOSS. Moving around the NGOSS wheel, eTOM feeds requirements to the Information Model and t thus to the Integration Framework and Compliance Criteria. More information on NGOSS is available through the TM Forum website www. tmforum. org GB921v3. 6 C S Coo Soollu n nff o uttiio o Te orrm n m n Te ss ttii aanc n n ngg cee eTOM Business Process Framework knave 5Chapter 1- eTOM Business Process Framework Introduction Purpose of the Business Process Framework traditionally in the telecommunications industry, service providers delivered end-toend services to their clients. As such, the entire value chain was controlled by a single enterprise, if necessary via interconnection arrangements with other service providers. However in a liberalized marketplace, service providers are having to respond both to the customers increased demands for superior customer service and to stiffer competition. They have therefore been expanding their markets beyond their ego-contained boundaries and broadening their business relationships.Service Providers face very different regulatory environments and their business strategies and approaches to competition are quite distinguishable, nevertheless they share several super acid characteristics Heavily leechlike upon effective management of informat ion and communications profitss to stay competitive Adopting a service management approach to the way they run their business and their ne bothrks Moving to more of an end-to-end Process Management approach developed from the customers point of view Automating their client Care, Service and vane Management Processes Need to integrate young OSSs with legacy systems Foc victimisation on data services offerings and Focusing on arrive service achievement, including customer satisfaction consolidation with current technology (e. g. SDH/SONET and ATM) and unfermented technologies (e. g. , IP, DWDM) Emphasizing more of a buy rather than build approach that integrates systems from multiple suppliers some Service Providers choose to wage their own ne iirk and/or information technology infra structure, while others choose to outsource this segment of their business.The effective exploitation of this information technology and network infrastructure, whether right off operated or outs ourced, is an integral part of the service delivery chain and directly influences the service quality and cost perceived by the end customer. Service Providers will need to become skilled at assessing outsourcing opportunities whether in information technology and/or network infrastructure line of businesss or other areas and then, be skilled at integrating and managing any outsourcing arrangements. ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 6 eTOM Business Process Framework To consider both existing and new demands, Service providers all the same urgently require wellautomated operations processes whether they are incumbent providers or new entrants, and whether communications service providers, application service providers, Internet service providers, and so on Some service roviders are struggling with high growth from a start-up phase, others with the commoditization of key cash-cow services, and yet others with the move from a manual-intensive, inconsistent, inflexible envi ronment to one that provides significant utility in customer sharpen, service quality, unit cost, and time to market. Service providers have to pervasively do business electronically with trading partners, suppliers and wholesale and retail customers. For the ontogenesis Mobile/Wireless and IP Services markets, these service providers are focused on quickly provisioning new customers and supporting service quality issues, while continually reducing development and operating costs.. For all service providers, there is an intense drive to introduce both new value-added services and dramatic improvements in customer support.There is also an increasing need for Service Providers to manage the integration required in mergers and acquisitions activity due to the consolidation trend the industry is now experiencing. For the complete range of service providers and network operators, the leading focus of the TM Forums mission is to enable end-to-end process mechanization of the business and operations processes that deliver information and communications services. The eTOM is the business process framework for accomplishing this mission. The object of the eTOM is to continue to set a vision for the industry to compete happyly through the implementation of business process driven approaches to managing the enterprise.This includes ensuring integration among all vital enterprise support systems concerned with service delivery and support. The focus of the eTOM document is on the business processes used by service providers, the linkages between these processes, the identification of interfaces, and the use of customer, Service, Resource, provider/ married person and other information by multiple processes. Exploitation of information from every corner of the business will be essential to success in the future. In an ebusiness environment, automation to gain productivity enhancement, increased revenue and expose customer relationships is vital. Perhaps at no othe r time has process automation been so critical to success in the marketplace.The over-arching objectives of the eTOM Business Process Framework are to continue to build on TM Forums success in establishing An industry standard business process framework. Common definitions to expose process elements of a service provider. Agreement on the basic information required to perform each process element within a business activity, and use of this within the boilers suit NGOSS program for business requirements and information model development that can guide industry agreement on contract interfaces, share data model elements, and supporting system infrastructure and products. A process framework for identifying which processes and interfaces are in most need of integration and automation, and most dependent on industry agreement.This document, the eTOM Business Process Framework and its associated business process modeling, describes for an enterprise the process elements and their rela tionship that are involved in information and communications services and technologies management. Additionally, the points of interconnection that make up the end-to-end, customer operations process flows for Fulfillment, office, heraldic bearing within Operations, and for Strategy, bag & harvest-festival are addressed. GB921v3. 6 ? TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 7 Note that, although eTOM has been focused on information and communications services and technologies management, this work is also proving to be of interest in other business areas.Service providers need this common framework of processes to enable them to do business efficiently and effectively with other entities and to enable the development and use of third-party software package without the need for major customization. In an ebusiness environment, this common understanding of process is critical to managing the more complex business relationships of todays information and commu nications services marketplace. eBusiness integration among enterprises seems to be most successful through strong process integration. Recent industry fallout, particularly in relation to dotcoms, does not reduce the insisting for ebusiness automation it strengthens the need to capitalize on ebusiness opportunities to be successful.However, the eTOM is not just an ecommerce or ebusiness process framework, it supports traditional business processes with the integration of ebusiness. Define Common voice communication The eTOM document also provides the definition of common terms concerning enterprise processes, sub-processes and the activities performed within each. Common terminology makes it easier for service providers to negotiate with customers, third party suppliers, and other service providers. See Annex B for the definition of eTOM acronyms and terminology. Consensus Tool The TM Forum produced the TOM initially as a consensus tool for discussion and agreement among service providers and network operators.Its broad consensus of support, which has been built on and extended with the eTOM, enables Focused work to be carried out in TM Forum teams to define detailed business requirements, information agreements, business application contracts and share data model specifications (exchanges between applications or systems) and to review these outputs for consistency Relating business needs to available or required standards A common process view for equipment suppliers, applications builders and integrators to build management systems by combining third party and in-house developments The anticipated result is that the products purchased by service providers and network operators for business and running(a) management of their networks, information technologies and services will integrate better into their environment, enabling the cost benefits of end-to-end automation. Furthermore, a common industry view on processes and information facilitates operator -to-operator and operator-to-supplier process interconnection, which is essential for rapid service provisioning and problem handling in a competitive global environment.This process interconnection is the key to ebusiness supply chain management in particular. ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 8 eTOM Business Process Framework What is the eTOM? The eTOM is a business process framework, i. e. a reference framework or model for categorizing all the business activities that a service provider will use. It is NOT a service provider business model. In other words, it does not address the strategic issues or questions of who a service providers target customers should be, what market segments should the service provider serve, what are a service providers vision, mission, etc. A business process framework is one part of the strategic business model and throw for a service provider.The eTOM can be regarded as a Business Process Framework, rather than a Business Process Model, si nce its aim is to categorize the process elements business activities so that these can then be combined in many different ways, to implement end-to-end business processes (e. g. fulfillment, assurance, billing) which deliver value for the customer and the service provider. eTOM Release 3. 0 provided a member-approved eTOM Business Process Framework with global agreement from its highest conceptual level to its first working level. This eTOM Release 3. 5 builds on this to take account of real-world experience in applying this work, and to incorporate new detail in process decompositions, flows and business to business fundamental interaction.However, eTOM is still developing in areas such as further lower-level process decompositions and flows, and ongoing feedback together with its linkage with the wider NGOSS program, will be used to guide future development priorities. Note that the development of a total process framework is a significant undertaking with process work that will be phased over time based on member process priorities and member resource availability. This is visible in eTOMs own history, from the original Telecom Operations Map (TOM) that was carried forward into the eTOM and broadened to a total enterprise framework, through several generations of detail and refinement, to the current Release. More information on TOM and its links with eTOM are provided in the previous release of this document (GB921 v3. 0).A great many service providers, as well as system integrators, ASPs and vendors, are working already with eTOM. They need an industry standard framework for procuring software and equipment, as well as to interface with other service providers in an increasingly complex network of business relationships. Many service providers have contributed their own process models because they recognize the need to have a broader industry framework that doesnt just address operations or traditional business processes. GB921v3. 6 ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 9 customer Strategy, Infrastructure & Product Operations guest Market, Product & Customer Market, Product and Customer Service ServiceResource Resource (Application, Computing and Network) (Application, Computing and Network) Supplier/Partner Supplier/Partner Supplier/Partner Suppliers/Partners green light Management Shareholders TeleManagement Forum October, 2001 Employees Other Stakeholders get a line 1. 1 eTOM Business Process Framework aim 0 Processes Figure 1. 1 shows the highest conceptual view of the eTOM Business Process Framework. This view provides an general context that differentiates dodge and life rhythm method processes from the operations processes in two large groupings, seen as two boxes. It also differentiates the key effectual areas in five horizontal layers. In addition, Figure 1. also shows the internal and external entities that interact with the enterprise (as ovals). Figure 1. 2 shows the direct 0 view of Le vel 1 processes in the eTOM Framework. This view is an overall view of the eTOM processes, but in practice it is the next level the Level 1 view of Level 2 processes at which users tend to work, as this detail is needed in analyzing their businesses. This view is presented later in the document in a series of diagrams examining each area of the eTOM framework. Figure 1. 2 below shows cardinal vertical process groupings. These are the end-to-end processes that are required to support customers and to manage the business.The focal point of the eTOM (as it was for the TOM) is on the core customer operations processes of Fulfillment, self-confidence and Billing (FAB). Operations Support & Readiness is now identify from FAB real-time processes to increase the focus on enabling support and automation in FAB, i. e.. on line and immediate support of customers. The Strategy & Commit vertical, as well as the two Lifecycle Management verticals, are also now differentiated because, unlike Operations, they do not directly support the customer, are intrinsically different from the Operations processes and work on different business time cycles. The horizontal process groupings in Figure 1. 2 distinguish functional operations processes and other types of business functional processes, e. g. Marketing versus Selling, Service training versus Service Configuration, etc. The functional processes on the left (within the Strategy & Commit, Infrastructure Lifecycle Management and Product Lifecycle Management vertical process groupings) enable, support and direct the work in the Operations verticals. ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 10 Customer Strategy, Infrastructure and Product Operations eTOM Business Process Framework Strategy & Commit Infrastructure Lifecycle Mgmt Product Lifecycle Mgmt Operations Support & Readiness Fulfillment Assurance Billing Marketing and Offer Management Customer Relationship Management Service Development & ManagementService Management & Operations Resource Development & Management Resource Management & Operations Supply Chain Development & Management Supplier/Partner Relationship Management Enterprise Management Strategic & Enterprise Planning Brand Management, Market Research & Advertising Enterprise Quality Mgmt, Process & IT Planning & Architecture benevolent Resource s Management Research & Development Acquisistion & Technology Financial & Asset Management TeleManagement Forum October, 2001 Stakeholder & external Relations Management Disaster retrieval , Security & Fraud Management Figure 1. 2 eTOM Business Process FrameworkLevel 1 Processes As can be seen in Figure 1. , eTOM makes the following improvements to the high level TOM Framework Expands the scope to all enterprise processes. Distinctly identifies Marketing processes due to heightened importance in an ebusiness world. Distinctly identifies Enterprise Management processes, so that everyone in the enterprise is able to identify their critical proces ses, thereby enabling process framework acceptance across the enterprise. Brings Fulfillment, Assurance and Billing (FAB) onto the high-level framework view to emphasize the customer priority processes as the focus of the enterprise. Defines an Operations Support & Readiness vertical process grouping, applicable for all functional layers, except Enterprise Management. To ntegrate ebusiness and make customer selfmanagement a reality, the enterprise has to understand the processes it needs to enable for direct, and more and more, online customer operations support and customer self-management. Recognizes three enterprise process groupings that are distinctly different from operations processes by identifying the SIP processes, i. e. , Strategy & Commit, Infrastructure Lifecycle Management and Product Lifecycle Management. Recognizes the different cycle times of the strategy and lifecycle management processes and the need to separate these processes from the customer priority operation s processes where automation is most critical. This is done by decoupling the Strategy & Commit and the two Lifecycle Management processes from the everyday, minute-to-minute cycle times of the customer operations processes. GB921v3. 6 ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 11 Moves from a customer tutorship or service orientation to a customer relationship management orientation that emphasizes customer selfmanagement and control, increasing the value customers contribute to the enterprise and the use of information to customize and personalize to the case-by-case customer. It adds more elements to this customer operations functional layer to represent better the selling processes and to integrate marketing fulfillment within Customer Relationship Management. Note that eTOM Customer Relationship Management is very broadly defined and larger in scope than some definitions of CRM.Acknowledges the need to manage resources across technologies, (i. e. , appli cation, computing and network), by integrating the Network and Systems Management functional process into Resource Management & Operations. It also moves the management of IT into this functional layer as opposed to having a separate process grouping. eTOM is More Than One papers It is intend that the eTOM Business Process Framework will become a order of battle of documents and models. The current view is as follows This document the eTOM The Business Process Framework is structured as a core document that explains the overall framework approach and all its elements.In addition, two Addenda are associated with the core document Addendum D provides process descriptions for the eTOM at Level 0, Level 1, Level 2 and selected Level 3 processes Addendum F provides examples of process flows that use the eTOM Business Process Framework and its component process elements to address high-priority business scenarios The eTOM Overview/Executive Summary is a single sheet document that prov ides an overall view of the eTOM business process framework and highlights key concepts. The eTOM Business Process Framework Model provides a version of the eTOM framework, processes and flows intended for automated processing by modeling tools, etc.This is intended to be available in several formats Tool-based (e. g. XML for import into a process analysis environment) Browsable (e. g. HTML) Using This Document A service providers specific process architecture and organization structure are highly specific and critical aspects of a providers competitiveness. The eTOM provides a common view of service provider enterprise process elements or business activities that can easily translate to an individual providers internal approaches. The document is not intended to be prescriptive some how the tasks are carried out, how a provider ? TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 12 eTOM Business Process Framework r operator is organized, or how the tasks are identified in any one organi zation. It is also not prescriptive approximately(predicate) the sequence of Process Elements that are combined to implement end-to-end business processes. The eTOM provides a starting point for detailed work coordinated through TM Forum that leads to an integrated set of specifications that will provide real benefit to both suppliers and procurers in enhancing industry service provider enterprise management capability. This document is not a specification, in the sense that vendors or operators must comply directly. However, it does represent a standard way of naming, describing and categorizing process elements.It will enable unmistakable communication and facilitate the development of standard solutions and reuse of business processes. It is not intended to incorporate all the detail of eventual process implementation, but is more a guiding reference for the industry. One of the strengths of the eTOM is that it can be adopted at a variety of levels, in whole or in part, depend ing upon a service providers needs. The eTOM can also act as a translator by allowing a service provider to map their distinct processes to the industry framework. As the process examples are developed, service providers can use and adapt these examples to their business environment.The eTOM Business Process Framework can be used as a tool for analyzing an organizations existing processes and for developing new processes. Different processes delivering the same business functionality can be identified, duplication eliminated, gaps revealed, new process design speeded up, and variance reduced. Using eTOM, it is possible to assess the value, cost and performance of individual processes within an organization. Relationships with suppliers and partners can also be facilitated by identifying and categorizing the processes used in interactions with them. In a similar manner, it is possible to identify the all-important customer relationship processes and evaluate whether they are function ing as required to meet customers expectations. Intended AudienceThe eTOM aims at a wide audience of professionals in the Information and Communications Services Industry. For experienced Telecommunications professionals, the eTOM has proven itself to be intuitive and a strong, common framework of service provider enterprise processes. Through TM Forum Catalyst projects and other work, it has been verified that the eTOM framework has strong application in many applications and throughout many companies. More information on use of eTOM within the industry is available at the TM Forum website www. tmforum. org The eTOM is aimed at service provider and network operator decision makers who need to know and input to he common business process framework used to enable enterprise automation in a cost efficient way. It is also an important framework for specialists across the industry working on business and operations automation. The document or framework supports, and is consistent with, many efforts under way in the industry supporting the need to accelerate business and operations automation in the information and communications services marketplace. GB921v3. 6 ? TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 13 The eTOM will continue to give providers and suppliers a common framework for discussing complex business needs in a complex industry with complex technologies.For both service providers and network operators additional complexities arise from Moving onward from developing their own business and operations systems software, to a more procurement and systems integration approach. New business relationships between service providers and network operators The creation of new business relationships and the move away from developing internally are a reaction to market forces. These market forces require service providers and network operators to increase the range of services they offer, reduce time to market for new services, increase speed of service, as well as to drive down systems and operational costs.The eTOM is also aimed at service provider and network operator employees involved in business process re-engineering, operations, procurement and other activities for Understanding the common business process framework being used to drive integration and automation Getting involved in providing processes, inputs, priorities and requirements The eTOM Business Process Framework is also aimed at designers and integrators of business and operational management systems software and equipment suppliers. They can benefit from understanding how management processes and applications need to work together to deliver business benefit to service providers and network operators.An evenly important and related audience is suppliers of management applications, management systems, and networking equipment, who need to understand the deployment environment for their products and solutions. The eTOM Business Process Framework provides a common framework expedient in supporting the significant amount of merger and acquisition activity. Common process understanding and a common process framework can greatly improve integration performance for mergers and acquisitions. eTOM is applicable for an established service provider or a new entrant, green field provider. It is important to note that not all areas defined in the eTOM are necessarily used by all providers.As mentioned earlier, the framework is flexible, so that the process elements the specific service providers require can be selected on a modular basis and at the appropriate level of detail for their needs. Benefits of Using eTOM eTOM makes available a standard structure, terminology and motley scheme for describing business processes and their constituent building blocks eTOM supplies a foundation for applying enterprise-wide discipline to the development of business processes eTOM provides a basis for understanding and managing portfolios of IT applicat ions in terms of business process requirements ? TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 14 eTOM Business Process FrameworkUse of the eTOM enables consistent and high-quality end-to-end process flows to be created, with opportunities for cost and performance improvement, and for re-use of existing processes and systems Use of the eTOM across the industry will increase the likelihood that off-the-shelf applications will be readily integrated into the enterprise, at a lower cost than custom-built applications GB921v3. 6 ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 15 Chapter 2 eTOM Business Process Enterprise Framework The main purpose of this Chapter is to provide a formal description of the eTOM Business Process Framework, with two distinct viewpoints The upcountry Viewpoint, which considers the processes that characterize the internal behavior of a Service Provider The External Viewpoint, which considers the processes necessary for a Service Provider to hand le external interactions (e. g. xecute electronic transactions) with Customers, Suppliers and Partners in a Value Chain. In the following sections both of these viewpoints are presented. The Internal Viewpoint follows the structure of former releases of GB921, the External Viewpoint is new material and a general overview is provided. Internal viewpoint The eTOM Business Process Element Enterprise Framework considers the Service Providers (SPs) enterprise, and positions this within its overall business context i. e. the business interactions and relationships, which allow the SP to carry on its business with other organizations. These wider aspects, together with the implications for an eBusiness and eCommerce world are introduced in Chapter 3.This section introduces the eTOM Business Framework and explains its structure and the significance of each of the process areas within it. It also shows how the eTOM structure is decomposed to lower-level process elements. This interpretation is useful for those who decide where and how an Enterprise will use eTOM, and those who may be modifying it for use in their Enterprise. To assist the reader in locating the process area concerned within eTOM, a graphical icon of eTOM, alongside the text, is provided to draw attention to the relevant eTOM area. This is highlighted in red to indicate the focus of the following text or discussion. eTOM Conceptual View The eTOM Business Process Element Enterprise Framework represents the whole of a service providers enterprise environment.At the overall conceptual level, eTOM can be viewed as having three major areas of process, as shown in Figure 2. 1. Strategy, Infrastructure & Product covering planning and lifecycle management Operations covering the core of operational management Enterprise Management covering corporate or business support management ? TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 16 eTOM Business Process Framework Customer Strategy, Infrastructure & Product Operat ions Market, Product and Customer Service Resource (Application, Computing and Network) Supplier/Partner Suppliers/Partners Enterprise Management Shareholders Employees Other Stakeholders TeleManagement ForumOctober, 2001 Figure 2. eTOM Business Process Framework Conceptual Structure The Conceptual Structure view provides an overall context that differentiates strategy and lifecycle processes from operations processes in two large process areas, seen as the two large boxes towards the top of the diagram, together with a third area beneath which is concerned with enterprise management. It also differentiates the key functional areas in four horizontal groupings across the two upper process areas. In addition, Figure 2. 1 shows the internal and external entities (as ovals) that interact with the enterprise. eTOM is a structured catalogue (a taxonomy) of process elements, which can be viewed in more and more detail.When viewed in terms of the Horizontal useable groupings, it follows a strict hierarchy where every element is only associated with or parented to a single element at the next higher class-conscious level. In a taxonomy, any activity must be unique, i. e. it must be listed only once. Figure 2. 1 shows the top level (Level 0) Groupings that eTOM is decomposed into. Because the purpose of the eTOM framework is to help SPs to manage their end-toend Business processes, the eTOM enhances the TOM practice of showing how process elements have a strong association with one (or several) end-to-end business processes (e. g. Fulfillment, Assurance, Billing, Product Development etc. which are introduced later in this Chapter). These Vertical End-To-End groupings are essentially overlays onto the class-conscious top-level horizontal groupings, because in a hierarchical taxonomy an element cannot be associated with or parented to more than one element at the next higher level. Because eTOM was developed to help build and implement the process elements for a Ser vice Provider, it was decided from the start that the primary top-level hierarchy of process elements would be the functional (horizontal) groupings, rather than the endto-end process (vertical) groupings. GB921v3. 6 ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 17To understand the eTOM Business Process Framework, each process area is analyzed and decomposed into further groupings and processes. For each level of analysis or decomposition, the process area, grouping or process element itself is presented with a brief, summary-level description. At this highest level, the three basic process areas are outlined below. The Operations Process part is the shopping centre of eTOM. It includes all operations processes that support the customer operations and management, as well as those that enable direct customer operations with the customer. These processes include both day-to-day and operations support and tact processes.The eTOM view of Operations also includes sal es management and supplier/partner relationship management. The Strategy, Infrastructure & Product Process Area includes processes that develop strategies and loading to them within the enterprise, that plan, develop and manage infrastructures and products, and that develop and manage the Supply Chain. In the eTOM, infrastructure refers to more than just the IT and resource infrastructure that supports products and services. It includes the infrastructure required to support functional processes, e. g. , Customer Relationship Management (CRM). These processes direct and enable the Operations processes.The Enterprise Management Process Area includes those basic business processes that are required to run any large business. These generic processes focus on both the setting and achieving of strategic corporate goals and objectives, as well as providing those support services that are required throughout an Enterprise. These processes are sometimes considered to be the corporate funct ions and/or processes. e. g. , Financial Management, compassionate Resources Management processes, etc Since Enterprise Management processes are aimed at general support within the Enterprise, they may interface as needed with almost every other process in the Enterprise, be they operational, strategy, infrastructure or product processes.The conceptual view of the eTOM Business Process Framework addresses both the major process areas as above and, just as importantly, the supporting functional process groupings, depicted as horizontal groupings. The functional groupings reflect the major expertise and focus required to pursue the business. The four functional groupings are described below The Market, Product and Customer processes include those dealing with sales and channel management, marketing management, and product and offer management, as well as Customer Relationship Management and ordering, problem handling, SLA Management and billing. The Service processes include those de aling with service development and configuration, service problem management, quality analysis, and rating. The Resource processes include those dealing with development nd management of the enterprises infrastructure, whether related to products and services, or to supporting the enterprise itself. The Supplier/Partner processes include those dealing with the enterprises interaction with its suppliers and partners. This involves both processes that manage the Supply Chain that underpins product and infrastructure, as well as those that support the Operations interface with its suppliers and partners. ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 18 eTOM Business Process Framework Additionally, in the diagram (Figure 2. 1), the major entities with which the enterprise interacts are shown. These are Customers, to whom service is provided by means of the products sold by the enterprise the focus of the businessSuppliers, who provides products or resources, bought and used by the enterpri se directly or indirectly to support its business Partners, with whom the enterprise co-operates in a shared area of business Employees, who work for the enterprise to pursue its business goals Shareholders, who have invested in the enterprise and thus own stock Stakeholders, who have a commitment to the enterprise other than through stock ownership. eTOM CEO Level View Below the conceptual level, the eTOM Business Process Framework is decomposed into a set of process element groupings, which provide a first level of detail at which the entire enterprise can be viewed. These process groupings are considered the CEO level view, in that the performance of these processes determines the success of the enterprise. The eTOM Business Process Framework is defined as generically as possible, so that it is independent of organization, technology and service. The eTOM is basically intuitive, business driven and customer focused. To reflect the way usinesses look at their processes, the eTOM s upports two different perspectives on the grouping of the detailed process elements Horizontal process groupings, which represent a view of functionallyrelated processes within the business, such as those involved in managing contact with the customer or in managing the supply chain. This structuring by functional groupings is useful to those who are trustworthy for creating the capability that enables the processes. The IT teams will look at groups of IT functions which tend to be implemented together e. g. the front-of-house applications in the Customer Grouping, back-of-house applications which focus on managing information about the services sold to customers, the network management applications which focus on the technology which delivers the services.For processes delivered by people there is a similar separation of workgroups the front-of-house workgroups in the Customer Grouping, back-of-house workgroups which focus on managing information about the services sold to custom ers, the network management workgroups which focus on the technology which delivers the services. Vertical process groupings, which represent a view of end-to-end processes within the business, such as those involved in the overall billing flows to customers. This end-to-end view is important to those people who are responsible for changing, operating and managing the end-to-end processes. These people are more interested in the outcomes of the process and how they support customer need rather than worrying about the IT or the workgroups that need to work together to deliver the result. GB921v3. 6 ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 19 The overlay of the Functional (horizontal) groupings of process elements and the endto-end process (vertical) groupings forms the inherent matrix structure of eTOM. This matrix structure is the core of one of the innovations and fundamental benefits of eTOM it offers for the first time a standard language and structure for the process elements that are understood and used by both the people specifying and operating the end-to-end business, as well as those people who are responsible for creating the capability that enables the processes (whether automated by IT or implemented manually by workgroups).The integration of all these processes provides the enterprise-level process framework for the information and communications service provider. This is the Level 0 view of the enterprise and shows the vertical and horizontal process groupings that are the decompositions of the process areas introduced above. These groupings are Level 1 process groupings in the parlance of the eTOM business process model, e. g. Customer Relationship Management, Fulfillment. The Level 0 view, which reveals the Level 1 process detail, is shown in Figure 2. 2. As process decomposition proceeds, each level is decomposed into a set of constituent process elements at the level below.Thus, Level 0 is decomposed into Level 1 proce sses, Level 1 into Level 2,and so on. The Enterprise Level 0 view decomposes into seven Vertical (or end-to-end) Level 1 process groupings as well as eight Horizontal (or functional) Level 1 process groupings in four layers. These Vertical and Horizontal process groupings represent alternative views relevant to different concerns on the way that processes should be associated. Note that we will see that these alternatives have been selected to yield a single, common view of the Level 2 processes defined at the next level of decomposition, and hence do not represent a divergence in the modeling.In addition, there are eight additional enabling and support Level 1 process groupings within Enterprise Management. This full view of the Level 1 processes is shown in Figure 2. 2. Customer Strategy, Infrastructure and Product Operations Strategy Commit Infrastructure Lifecycle Mgmt Product Lifecycle Mgmt Operations Support Readiness Fulfillment Assurance Billing Marketing and Offer Managem ent Customer Relationship Management Service Development Management Service Management Operations Resource Development Management Resource Management Operations Supply Chain Development Management Supplier/Partner Relationship Management Enterprise Management Strategic Enterprise PlanningBrand Management, Market Research Advertising Enterprise Quality Mgmt, Process R esea rch D evelo p m en t IT Planning Architecture T ech n o lo g y A cq u isistio n Human Resources Management Disaster Recovery, Security Fraud Management Financial Asset Management TeleManagement Forum October, 2001 Stakeholder External Relations Management Figure 2. 2 eTOM Level 0 View of Level 1 Process Groupings ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 20 eTOM Business Process Framework eTOM Operations Processes To be useful to a Service Provider, the eTOM Process Element Framework must help the SP to develop and operate their business processes.This sections shows how the matrix structure of eTOM offers for the first time a standard language and structure for the process elements that are understood and used by both the people specifying and operating the end-to-end business, as well as those people who are responsible for creating the capability that enables the processes (whether automated by IT or implemented manually by workgroups). OPS Vertical Process Groupings The Operations (OPS) process area contains the direct operations vertical process groupings of Fulfillment, Assurance Billing, together with the Operations Support Readiness process grouping (see Figure 2. 3). The FAB processes are sometimes referred to as Customer Operations processes. Customer Operations Operations Support and Readiness Fulfillment Assurance Billing Figure 2. eTOM OPS Vertical Process Groupings The TOM was focused only on the direct customer processes represented by FAB. However, FAB processes were not on the TOM framework map, they were rather an overlay. In an ebusiness world, the focus of the enterprise must be enabling and supporting these processes as the highest priority. Therefore, in the eTOM, Fulfillment, Assurance Billing are an integrated part of the overall framework. Fulfillment this process grouping is responsible for providing customers with their requested products in a timely and correct manner. It translates the customers business or personal need into a solution, which can be delivered using the specific products in the enterprises portfolio.This process informs the customers of the status of their purchase order, ensures completion on time, as well as a delighted customer. Assurance this process grouping is responsible for the writ of execution of proactive and reactive maintenance activities to ensure that services provided to customers are around-the-clockly available and to SLA or QoS performance levels. It performs continuous resource status and performance monitoring to proactively detect possible failures. It collects performance data and analyzes them to identify potential problems and resolve them without impact to the customer. This process manages the SLAs and reports service performance to the customer.It receives trouble reports from the customer, informs the customer of the trouble status, and ensures restoration and repair, as well as a delighted customer. GB921v3. 6 ? TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 21 Billing this process grouping is responsible for the production of timely and accurate bills, for providing pre-bill use information and billing to customers, for processing their payments, and performing payment collections. In addition, it handles customer inquiries about bills, provides billing inquiry status and is responsible for resolving billing problems to the customers satisfaction in a timely manner. This process grouping also supports prepayment for services.For a high-level view of how the eTOM Process Elements can be used to create Fulfillment, Assurance Billing pr ocess flows, please see document GB921 v3. 5 Addendum f, Process Flow Examples. In addition to these FAB process groupings, the OPS process area of the eTOM Framework contains a new, fourth vertical process grouping Operations Support Readiness (see Figure 2. 3). Operations Support Readiness this process grouping is responsible for support to the FAB processes, and for ensuring operational readiness in the fulfillment, assurance and billing areas. In general, the processes are concerned with activities that are less real-time than those in FAB, and which are typically concerned less with individual customers and services and more with groups of these.They reflect a need in some enterprises to divide their processes between the immediate customer-facing and real-time operations of FAB and other Operations processes which act as a second-line in carrying out the operational support tasks. Not all enterprises will choose to employ this split, or to position the persona in exactly th e same place, so it is recognized that in applying the eTOM Business Framework in particular scenarios, the processes in Operations Support Readiness and in FAB may be merged for day-today operation. Nevertheless, it is felt important to acknowledge this separation to reflect a real-world division that is present or emerging in many enterprises.The separation, definition and execution of the Operations Support Readiness processes can be critical in taking advantage of ebusiness opportunities, and is particularly important for successful implementation of Customer Self Management. OPS Horizontal Process Groupings In the OPS process area of the eTOM Framework, there are four OPS functional process groupings that support the operations processes discussed above, and also the management of operations to support customer, service, resource and supplier/partner interactions (see Figure 2. 4). The original TOM Process Framework used the ITU-T TMN Logical Business, Service, and Network La yers to organize the core business processes. This facilitated mapping of the Management Functions defined in TMN, to the TOM processes.As the eTOM Business Process Framework is an evolution of the TOM Process Framework and because the TMN layering approach is still relevant, the TMN Logical Layers continue to be loosely coupled to the functional process groupings. The TM Forum is working with ITU-T to harmonize the eTOM and TMN models. See reference 3 for further information on ITU-T TMN. ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 GB921v3. 6 Page 22 eTOM Business Process Framework Cu stome r Oper ati ons C usto mer R el ation ship Manag emen t Serv ice Man ag ement Op eration s R eso urce Man ag em ent Op erat ion s (Applicati on, C om puting a nd N etwor k) Sup plier/Partn er R elat ionsh ip Man ag em en t Figure 2. eTOM OPS Functional Process Groupings Customer Relationship Management (CRM) this process grouping considers the fundamental knowledge of customers needs and includes all functiona lities necessary for the acquisition, enhancement and retention of a relationship with a customer. It is about customer service and support, whether storefront, telephone, web or field service. It is also about retention management, cross-selling, up-selling and direct marketing for the purpose of selling to customers. CRM also includes the collection of customer information and its application to personalize, customize and integrate delivery of service to a customer, as well as to identify opportunities for increasing the value of the customer to the enterprise.CRM applies to both conventional retail customer interactions, as well as to wholesale interactions, such as when an enterprise is selling to another enterprise that is acting as the retailer. The introduction of CRM is a key feature of eTOM over TOM. At the highest, most general level, the TOM Business Process Framework included two process groupings to manage relations with customers, Customer Interface Management and Cust omer Care. In the TOM, it is explicitly mentioned that Customer Interface Management may effectively be a distinct process within Customer Care or may be performed as part of the lower level Customer Care processes. However, eTOM advances the TOM in several key ways It expands Customer Care to Customer Relationship Management (CRM), which is management approach to supporting and interacting with customers, that enables enterprises to identify, delineate and increase retention of profitable customers. CRM focuses on collection and application of customer data and managing relationships with customers to improve customer retention and customer value contribution to the enterprise. CRM is more than Customer Care or Customer Interface Management, it is the integration of customer acquisition, enhancement and retention through managing the customer relationship over time. For eTOM, CRM also represents the integration of Sales and Service processes and ensuring a consistent customer inte rface across all CRM functional processes. GB921v3. 6 ?TeleManagement Forum 2003 eTOM Business Process Framework Page 23 eTOM integrates Customer Interface Management for Fulfillment, Assurance Billing across all the CRM functional processes and with customer processes. Customer Interface Management represents any type of contact, e. g. , phone, email, face-to-face, etc. It expects an integration and coordination across these different interface types, to provide a consistent interface and highlights the requirement for customer process control and customer self management. eTOM also encourages the design of solutions so that systems interfaces used within the enterprise are the same as those used by customers.TOM CRM processes include an expansion of TOM Customer Care processes to Focus on customer retention Improve enterprise process exception customer response Integrate marketing fulfillment execution Better represent the billing function at the customer level and the need t o assure revenue. Service Management Operations (SMO) this process grouping focuses on the knowledge of services (Access, Connectivity, Content, etc. ) and includes all functionalities necessary for the management and operations of communications and information services required by or proposed to customers. The focus is on service delivery and management as opposed to the management of the underlying network and information technology. Some of the