Linking Business Processes and Data using

TMF eTOM and SID Frameworks

Abstract:

Competition in the telecom services sector is immensely

fierce, and Communication Service Providers must
continuously introduce newer products and services for
survival. Most service providers manage it by using
multiple, complex Operational Support Systems (OSS).
Different products require different OSS which results in
multiple data requirements across the enterprise.
Historically, these requirements tend to grow without any
standardized enterprise data structure. TM Forum’s SID
provides an excellent standard to manage this requirement
across various systems. This document elaborates
Infosys’s pioneering attempt to define NGN processes and
implement SID from Conceptualization (Process Definition)
to Implementation (Systems Data Design).

For more information, Contact [email protected]

January 2006
Overview
Competition in the telecom services sector is immensely fierce, and Communication Service
Providers (CSP) must continuously introduce newer products and services for survival. Most
service providers manage this by using multiple, complex Operational Support Systems (OSS).
Different products require different OSS which results in multiple data requirements across the
enterprise. Historically, these requirements tend to grow without any standardized enterprise data
structure. TM Forum’s (TMF) Shared Information/ Data (SID) provides an excellent standard to
manage this requirement across various systems. This document elaborates Infosys’s pioneering
attempt to define Next Generation Network (NGN) processes, and implement SID from
Conceptualization (Process Definition) to Implementation (Systems Data Design).

During discussions between Infosys’ Process Designers and OSS Enterprise Data Architects of a
leading European CSP, it was decided that the Data Model(s) identified for the NGN, the
processes for next generation services and the operations groups must all be aligned. While
Next-Gen Processes can be aligned with eTOM, the best way to make them Next Generation
OSS effective and measurable is by using SID to link processes with measurable data identities.

Accordingly, an exercise being carried out by Infosys and the CSP is to define eTOM compliant
NGN processes, and use SID to map data across the various processes being modified/
developed for the NGN. This approach will deliver the benefits of:

¾ Better “customer and market focus” due to well-aligned processes and systems at the
back-end

¾ Faster “Concept-to-Market” capabilities

¾ Lesser OPEX

o Reduced redesign activity, resulting in ramp-down of design teams for multiple

instances
o “Operations-Friendly” systems that enable scalability of operations teams across
the product spectrums, thus reducing the costs of acquiring and maintaining
specialized operations skill sets

¾ Product and service agnostic business data that expedite deployment of new products
and services

¾ Service-Oriented Architecture-enabled environment

Business Problem
When the client embarked on the enterprise-wide NGN program, migration of existing assets and
services, along with next generation services posed the following issues/problems:

¾ Multiple and broken data dictionaries

¾ Lack of a common understanding (definition) of data across systems/domains made data

exchange between the various systems inefficient and costly

¾ Multiple ownership of data, duplicate records across the systems and lack of a single
point of information

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 ¾ Proliferation of multiple design conventions in various databases

¾ Lack of transparency in business processes and systems at the actual implementation

level due to imperfect mapping of data at procedural levels

¾ Incompatible data and insufficient communication between Process Modelers and Data
Designers

Infosys Approach
The exercise was carried out in two phases:

Phase 1: Define eTOM compliant NGN Processes

Phase 2: Map SID data with processes and systems

Define eTOM aligned NGN Processes

The NGN Processes were defined using the following approach:

Phased Approach to Define

Study AS-
IS Process eTOM aligned NGN Process

Identify & Define

BT Wholesale Domain

BT Wholesale BT Wholesale BT Wholesale BT

CEMC BOU Frames Wholesale

Scenarios Handle
Order
Configure
Network
Frames
Activity
Field
Activity
(Close Order)

BT Wholesale BT Wholesale
BOU Frames

Frames Exception
Handlling

BT
Wholesale

Monitor
Order

Define NGN
Processes

BT Wholesale Domain

BT Wholesale BT Wholesale BT Wholesale BT

CEMC BOU Frames Wholesale

Field
Handle Configure Frames
Activity
Order Network Activity
(Close Order)

Gap Analysis with BT Wholesale BT Wholesale

BOU Frames

eTOM Processes Frames Exception

Handlling

BT
Wholesale

Monitor
Order

eTOM aligned NGN

Process
Figure 1: Infosys phased approach to define eTOM aligned business processes

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The key steps in defining eTOM compliant NGN processes:

1. Study and analyze as-is processes

2. Understand the NGN requirements for products/services/processes

3. Develop scenarios for NGN processes

4. Define the NGN processes in process designer. Infosys used the following process
hierarchy:

Figure 2: Process Hierarchy: Five Levels

5. Perform gap analysis between TO-BE processes and eTOM processes. The exercise
helped identify the following issues in the existing process:

¾ Inappropriate process definitions

¾ Out-of-sequence process functions

¾ Process steps that could be combined (Optimization)

¾ Duplicate/redundant process steps to be removed (De-duplication)

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Based on the outcome of the gap analysis, processes were altered and aligned with eTOM
processes. This “process alignment” with eTOM made it possible for the service provider to
purchase COTS applications that fitted the process without significant customisation.

Map SID with NGN Processes

After the eTOM compliant NGN processes were defined, the identified processes were mapped
to SID using the following approach:

eTOM Compliant NGN Study Feasibility of

Process applying SID

Identify SID v/s

Process mapping

Iterative

Upto
PROCESS
Classify Data –
Input/Acted Upon/Output

Obtain agreement on Add Data Categories

prepared data model to processes

Prepare Data Dictionary Handover data Model/Dictionary to

OSS Designers

Figure 3: Infosys Approach to map SID with Business Processes

Broadly, Infosys adopted the following approach to map SID data identities to the service
provider’s next generation business processes:

1. Took business processes that were eTOM compliant as input to this stage and modeled
those as EEPC (Extended Event Process Chain) using process designer tool.

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 2. Identified data requirements and mapped data with the process. Data mapping in
Process Support gives more information along with the Action & Actor. This was done by
addressing questions like – What is the data required in the process?, Where can one get
the data?, What is the exact meaning of data?, Which are the systems using this data?..

3. Mapped SID on the NGN processes at high level using following activities –

¾ Identify Aggregated Business Entities (ABEs) with respect to the Data Model
¾ Map Level 1 ABEs with Level C & D processes
¾ Map Level 2 ABEs with Level C & D processes
¾ Map Level 3 ABEs with Level C & D processes
¾ Identified Entities of SID and mapped them at Level E processes

The following figure shows the sample mapping of the process with the SID data:

Figure 4: Example of SID mapping to a specific business process 1

1
This Business Function is mapped onto level 1 ABEs of the SID model as shown in the figure. The level 2 & 3 ABEs are
similarly identified and mapped to some of the level D and/or level E process/ sub-process functions.

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 4. Made the Enterprise Data Model “Process Aligned”.

There still was one major area to be addressed − an interface between the existing
systems, COTS and the proposed Next Generation OSS / processes. For this, an online
web-based Data Dictionary was designed and implemented. This dictionary provides the
following major functions:

a) Maps the SID attributes to existing Data labels in various OSS applications, thus
providing a cross reference between Master (SID) Data and Operational/ Real
life Data

b) Provides a search utility, so that any Data Modeller can easily find a Data Label
in existing system for a SID data term while reading the Processes

c) Also provides a standard and universal definition (description) of all Data Items
being used in processes, transport and systems

d) Ensures standard and universal naming conventions (nomenclature) for all Data
Items.

Results
Benefits

This approach adopted by Infosys will benefit all major stakeholders involved:

¾ Business Analysts
¾ OSS Designers
¾ Process Design Communities
¾ Operations Teams

SID was essential to align the multiple databases in the complex system environment of the
Service Provider. This key benefit was realised by:

1. Adapting a scalable approach so that the data dictionary can be extended to other
domains (Infrastructure/Supplier-Partner)
2. Enabling the cross-mapping of data used under various names in different systems
3. Providing a common language across various data structures
4. Serious data de-duplication across the multiple systems and within systems as well
5. Preparing a multi-user shared repository
6. Enabling efficient and reliable data exchange between systems through
consistent data formats
7. Easy-to-implement processes because of proximity to real-world data

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© 2006 Infosys Technologies Limited.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Copyright in whole and in part of this document “Linking Business Processes and Data using TMF eTOM and SID Frameworks”
belongs to Infosys Technologies Limited. This work may not be used, sold, transferred, adapted, abridged, copied or reproduced in whole
or in part in any manner or form or in any media without the prior written consent of Infosys Technologies Limited.

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