“You must learn to talk clearly. The jargon of scientific terminology which rolls off your tongues is mental garbage.”
Martin H. Fischer.
When implementing an OSS for a CSP, the communications network is the centre of the universe so all assets and their associated attributes and naming conventions revolve around the communications network.
However, in a utility network, the communications network is generally just a support mechanism to achieving their core business. The utility’s staff will be highly cognisant of what the core business is (eg rail), so it is vitally important to get a common understanding of the local terminologies.
I’ve always found that there are terminology mismatches between an OSS vendor and each new CSP so I always look to resolve them early in the implementation of a project. However, I’ve also found that the terminology gap is even bigger on utility projects, so it’s necessary to workshop and clarify for all key stakeholders.