PDF of this tutorialDefinition
A customer-centric or customer-aware service management system represents a new approach for network service providers to create and manage services such as digital subscriber line (DSL), virtual private networks (VPNs), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and Internet protocol (IP) services. A customer-aware system enables the sharing of information about the network, customers, and services between several areas of an operations support system (OSS). The system embeds information about the network, customers, and services into the service management features and includes awareness of a customer’s equipment, services, problems, and service quality. The result is a service management system that yields superior end-to-end control and visibility of services, with a greater understanding of the customer experience.
Overview
Providers of telecommunications and data networking services are recognizing that they must make customer service and responsiveness to customer needs a top priority. This awareness stems from increased competition to deliver the most advanced, flexible, and useful services. It reflects the rising demand for services such as VPNs, integrated access for voice and data, DSL, managed routers and integrated access devices (IADs), and service self-provisioning.
At the same time, for customers to rely on these services for critical business functions, the services must have carrier-grade availability and reliability. They must also have highly responsive customer service.
Adaptation to these new rules of competition requires a significant shift in the existing business model, as well as the OSS that supports the model. Service providers must have greater visibility into individual customer’s service experience and how network performance issues impact that experience. For example, customers want service level agreements (SLAs) that are meaningful and enforceable. Service providers who can couple strong SLAs with proactive, comprehensive customer service will have higher customer loyalty, less customer churn, and higher profitability.
To enhance customer loyalty, many service providers are enhancing their use of items such as customer-care systems and customer-relationship management packages.
However, a much stronger link must be established between customer information and the service management tools than typically exists in today’s network operations center (NOC). Service providers will face even greater challenges providing adequate customer support with fragmented, network-centric OSSs.
