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T he expectations of the B2C world are influencing the B2B sector, and customer experi- ence is key. Yet carriers are still operating as if infrastructure and customer experience aren’t part of the same journey. For the customer experi- ence team, the challenge is to start new initiatives or change their company’s mindset. According to Forbes, compa- nies with a customer experience mindset drive revenue 4 to 8 percent higher than competitors. For companies to excel, they must step back and look at the customer experience they are currently delivering first, then transform their systems and processes to meet new expectations. The key is to unify systems and processes with a single software- based platform and eliminate as many manual processes as possible from ordering and provisioning. Carriers’ processes cannot operate in silos and depend on human intervention in data flow. They need to receive, validate and execute orders with full visibility into pricing, product catalogue, service inventory and billing. Carriers must understand that aligning their processes, business support systems and customer experi- ence will create new competitive advantages and allow them to provide a cost-effective, simple and reliable user experience. So how can carriers adapt to this? The first step is to create a fully streamlined process with automated serviceability check. Telco operators should eliminate the use of a manual order manage- ment process and streamline their order capture with a centralized tool that can receive, validate and break down orders from different channels into smaller easily allocated tasks. Generally, an accurate order starts with accurate and validated feasibility checks. For instance, access can represent more than 50 percent of deal value, carrying out 75 percent of the project cost base. When you consider a typical reseller margin of 20 to 30 percent, the access element can decide whether a deal is profitable or not. The sales rep just needs visibility into the services, pricing and costs to make fast and accurate decisions. That speeds up the sales process for both the customer and the carrier. No matter where a carrier is on their transformation journey, automat- ing processes creates new efficien- cies, reduces costs and provides an optimized customer experience. Secondly, an orchestrated order management and provisioning process is critical for a reliable, timely and consistent delivery of services. A properly adopted BSS platform integrated with OSS provides telecom operators with industry-specific order management workflows, enabling them to deliver services in a faster and more efficient way – all with reduced manual overheads. For customers, it provides the foundation for self-service or on-demand procurement and enables them to see what is available and procure the services they need. The next step is to integrate an API-centric solution. Many customers and partners expect telcos to provide an Amazon-like, instant order to provision- ing experience. The integration of such processes through API-based automa- tion can result in significant benefits for both operators and their partners, including reduced manual tasks, accel- erated service delivery, greater opera- tional efficiency and improved customer/ partner experience. An API-centric, fully integrated BSS/OSS solution allows operators to rapidly quote, order, provi- sion and invoice wholesale services across a network footprint. For carriers to not just do business on a commercial level but open their infrastructure to partners to procure services across, they need to be deploying a network of APIs. This means carriers with network APIs can present out their infrastructure and monetize their services with little human intervention. If carriers can meet the changing expectations of both service provider and enterprise customers, they will be able to provide a foundation for long- term innovation and be ready to adapt to on-going changes in the carrier business. It is just a matter of refining internal processes so that when a carri- er looks to orchestrate services across networks, their back office is in order. Customer experience will continue to thrive as a core differentiator for both the consumer and B2B worlds. People will choose Amazon for consumer goods over a less expensive option because the process is simple, reliable and they feel like they are in control. So, the time for businesses to adapt is now. Enxoo can help you to enhance the customer experience, increase productivity and operational efficiency by offering effective solutions and support on your business transforma- tion journey. o Artur Ostrowski is chief commercial officer at Enxoo, a provider of automated business processes for telcos. By Artur Ostrowski CHANNEL MANAGEMENT A Carrier’s Journey Providing an Automated Cu tomer Experience 32 CHANNEL V ISION | July - August 2021