OSS/BSS are not the cost-centre that some people believe them to be. OSS and BSS are the profit engine of every telco. They help to manage almost every element of a telco business model (refer to the diagram below).

Done well, OSS/BSS deliver a significant competitive advantage to your organisation. Done poorly, OSS/BSS can hand the advantage back to your competitors.
There are many aspects of an OSS/BSS solution that can (and should) be optimised, including applications, workflows, data flows, usability and more.
Audit Tool Summary
There are a range of different audit and optimisation techniques that we’ve helped carrier and vendor clients with, including:
- Digital Maturity Audit:
Assesses the alignment of digital strategies and transformation progress with current industry benchmarks using an enhanced version of TM Forum’s Digital Maturity Model (DMM) (GB997). This assessment shows current and proposed future state, highlighting the areas where upgrades are required to digital infrastructures and practices - OSS/BSS Functionality & Capability Coverage Mapping:
Evaluates the completeness and efficacy of OSS/BSS in supporting business objectives, identifying underutilised functionalities or areas needing enhancements. Utilises TM Forum’s TAM (or our Simplified TAM) or WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) models as a basis for heat-map visualisation. - Process Mapping:
Analyses the alignment of operational processes with established frameworks like TM Forum’s eTOM and ITIL, pinpointing inefficiencies or deviations - Process Efficiency Audits:
Identifies bottlenecks and inefficiencies within existing processes, focusing on streamlining operations to boost productivity and reduce costs - Workload Backlog Prioritisation:Reviews the backlog of items your team is working on (or will soon be working on), assessing their impact on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Ultimately, it asks the question of whether the backlog activity and deliverables will move the needle for clients
- UI/UX/CX Audit:
Evaluates the user interface (UI), user experience (UX), and overall customer experience (CX) delivered by your OSS. All of these human factors directly impact customer satisfaction, loyalty and operational efficiency by ensuring systems are intuitive, engaging and customer-centric. For carriers, this makes your OSS/BSS more likely to be used and used efficiently. For vendors, this makes your OSS/BSS more likely to be purchased by clients - Data Quality Improvement:
Assesses and ensures the accuracy, consistency and reliability of data across OSS/BSS platforms and workflows. High-quality data is the cornerstone of effective decision-making, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction and regulatory compliance - Operations Model & Skills Matrix:
Evaluates the Operations Model and Stakeholder engagement / governance approaches to determine how well the current ops model supports the organisation’s current and future goals. It also reviews the skills matrix to assess whether the combined stakeholder capabilities provide suitable support coverage
For each of these audit models, we also provide an:
- Audit summary
- Findings
- Recommendations (or suggested interventions such as workflow refinements, application reconfiguration, digital transformation projects, etc)
The following sections provide further information about each of the audit techniques.
1. Digital Maturity Audit
- Objective: To benchmark the organization’s current digital maturity against industry standards and best practices.
- Methodology: Utilizes the TM Forum’s Digital Maturity Model (DMM) (GB997) to provide a comprehensive evaluation across multiple dimensions, including technology, processes, and people.
- Outcome: Identifies specific areas where digital capabilities need to be developed or enhanced to support future growth and competitiveness. Offers a roadmap for digital transformation, prioritizing initiatives that align with strategic objectives.
- Sample visualisation / deliverable:

2. OSS/BSS Functionality & Capability Coverage Mapping
- Objective: To ensure that the OSS/BSS architecture fully supports all critical business functions and objectives.
- Methodology: Employs the TM Forum’s Telecom Application Map (TAM) or a Simplified TAM/WBS model for a visual heat-map analysis of system functionalities and capabilities.
- Outcome: Highlights underutilized functionalities and capabilities gaps. Recommends enhancements or optimizations to better align OSS/BSS functionalities with business strategy and customer needs.
- Sample visualisation / deliverable:

3. Process Mapping
- Objective: To align operational processes with industry-standard frameworks for optimal efficiency and effectiveness.
- Methodology: Analyses processes against frameworks like eTOM and ITIL, identifying misalignments, redundancies, or inefficiencies.
- Outcome: Proposes re-engineering or optimisation of processes to improve workflow efficiency, reduce costs and enhance service quality.
- Sample visualisation / deliverable:
eTOM Heatmap
ITIL Heatmap:

4. Process Efficiency Audits
- Objective: To identify and eliminate bottlenecks and inefficiencies in operational processes.
- Methodology: Conducts a thorough review of existing processes to identify areas of waste, delay, or underperformance. Turns existing log files into quantified process maps, identifying every flow, action and associated benchmark data

- Outcome: There are different phases of this audit, ranging from just visualising log data is BPMN-style diagrams through to recommending specific interventions to streamline processes, enhance productivity and reduce operational costs.
- Sample visualisation / deliverable:

5. Workload Backlog Prioritisation
- Objective: To ensure that your team’s workload is aligned with the organisation’s strategic priorities and customer satisfaction goals.
- Methodology: Assesses current and upcoming workload against strategic importance and impact on customer satisfaction.
- Outcome: Provides a prioritised backlog that focuses team efforts on high-impact activities, ensuring efficient use of resources and alignment with business objectives.
6. UI/UX/CX Audit
Whether you like it or not, OSS Buyers and Users do judge a book by its cover – or an OSS by its UI. If you’re a vendor who wants their solution purchased or an operator who wants efficient outcomes from your OSS, then UI/UX/CX is of vital (but often underestimated) importance:
- Objective: To evaluate and enhance the interface and experience provided by OSS/BSS to users and customers.
- Methodology: Examines the usability, accessibility, and satisfaction levels associated with the OSS/BSS interfaces and workflows.

Within these 5 phases, there are many UI / UX / CX considerations, including the 13 friction continuums that your offerings are evaluated against below

- Outcome: Identifies areas for improvement in UI/UX design, recommending changes to enhance user satisfaction, efficiency, and overall customer experience.
7. Data Quality Improvement
- Objective: To ensure the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of data across OSS/BSS systems.
- Methodology: Evaluates data management practices and systems for data quality issues.
- Outcome: Recommends measures to improve data quality, including enhancements to data collection, processing, and governance practices, ensuring reliable decision-making support and regulatory compliance.
8. Operations Model & Skills Matrix
- Objective: To evaluate the suitability of the current operations model and the skills matrix in supporting organizational objectives.
- Methodology: Reviews the operational model and stakeholder engagement approaches, alongside an assessment of team capabilities and skills distribution.
- Outcomes: The outcomes of the Operations Model & Skills Matrix audit provide a roadmap for organisational and operational optimisation.
Summary
As you undoubtedly know already, each OSS challenge is unique. They’re all complex, they’re all different. If you’re seeking further assistance, let’s start with a simple three-step plan:
- Schedule an Appointment with us
- Collaborate and create a customised audit and optimisation plan together
- Execute the plan together
To discuss ways you can optimise the effectiveness of your OSS/BSS solutions, start with Step 1 and Request an Appointment: