From Idea to Install With Catalog-Driven Automation

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A defining feature of Sigma's portfolio is that is architected to enhance key processes by integrating into legacy back office systems.

Unified catalog in action

By relying on a catalog-driven platform, CSPs can achieve the velocity they need to become digital-services retailers. Belgacom recognized this reality in September, selecting Sigma Systems to converge its processes around a unified product catalog.

“The concept of a central ‘product catalog’ system was identified as [a] critical new component for an improved selling and order-management process,” said Joost Pinnoy, Belgacom’s director of BSS transformation, in a news release. “The EPM and CPQ products deliver an agile product platform and integrate that product information directly into our ordering system. This means we can bring our services to market faster to keep pace with the dynamic and advanced needs of our customers.”

Michel of Sigma has seen first-hand the increase in velocity experience by CSPs who embrace a catalog-driven, idea-to-install platform. “EPM and the newly launched CPQ have a successful history with operators around the world, with some experiencing reductions in product delivery and fulfillment times of up to 75 per cent.”

Sigma’s platform also delivers significant reductions in order fallout and its attendant costs. A large cable company in Brazil was struggling with this problem, so it turned to Sigma, whose platform performed so well that it paid for itself in three months—a full year ahead of schedule. How? Order fallout was tied to costly truck rolls and call-center support; by getting orders right the first time, the number of calls fell 60 percent, while the number of truck rolls was cut in half.

One catalog to rule them all

Today, CSPs are looking for ways to both lower costs and grow top-line revenue in a dramatically changing landscape. Their future in the digital-services economy will be predicated on their ability to function as high-volume digital retailers. Unfortunately, most lack the tools and processes to support thousands of products with the complexity of communications solutions. Simply put, CSPs can’t bring their old systems and processes to the party and expect to compete in the new digital-services economy.

We are no longer living in a world where a service provider can afford to take several months, if not years, to launch a new product. “Speed to market” with new offerings requires pervasive visibility of the product portfolio as well as the network resources and interdependencies of each product offering. It also requires consistently accurate order-capture and quoting processes and the ability to quickly push orders into provisioning and activation.

Sigma Systems, with its innovative Idea to Install platform, is one vendor with a proven ability to fast-track entry into the digital-services economy and enable CSPs to become digital-services retailers. I can guarantee that a keynote speaker at the next industry trade show will talk about speed to market, but only in the abstract. Sigma Systems, on the other hand, offers a tangible solution today.