Service Fulfillment Process : OSS

The "fulfillment" process embodies a range of OSSs — including
order management,
inventory,
provisioning,
service activation.

Order Management :

The order management and provisioning processes is the key OSSs involved in configuring the network to deliver the service desired by the customer (i.e., fulfillment).

The aim of an order management system (OMS) is to order the service the customer requests, support changes when necessary, keep the customer informed with meaningful progress of their order, and track and manage to successful and on-time completion.

The process begins with an order or, in some cases, pre-sale activity. The process ends with a completed order, a delighted customer and sufficient information to build or update a customer account record in trouble/problem handling, performance reporting and billing processes and systems.

Benifits of Order Management :

Time-to-market for new services is minimized
Failed orders is reduced to zero
Time to deliver services is minimized
Labor-intensive manual processes are eliminated
Reliable service to customers

Features of Order Management :

Accepting orders
Pre-order activity
Integration with Inventory database
Integration with SLA to know whether the customer is eligible for the service ordered and also to estimate the price for the service.
Reserve available facilities to support the order.
Initiate service installation
Notifying the customer
Initiate billing process
Order plan development
Request customer deposit
Issue order and tracking order status
Integration with workflow management system to dispatch a technician to install a service
Web ordering
Data-driven Architecture
API Support
Workflow engine
Notification for new ticket assignments or escalations to appropriate personnel, individuals or teams
Multi Platform Support
Quote service price
Payment engine
Integration with CRM

Core Business processes in Order Management:

Accepting orders
Pre-order activity and Credit Check
Price estimates
Order plan development
Request customer deposit
Reserve number
Initiate service installation
Notifying the customer
Initiate billing process

Order Manager:

The order manager coordinates all aspects and processes related to fulfilling an order — including validation, service decomposition, inventory update, provisioning, billing and testing

Provisioning Process:

The provisioning OSS works with the order manager to activate the service within the corresponding network element(s).The provisioning OSS also handles configuring the network for dynamically-oriented transactions — such as authentication, accounting, authorization, roaming, etc.

OMS Detailed Business Processes[Generic]:
(1) validate the order whether it is completed or not
(1 A)Determine which services create the product offering/Product Bundling

(1 B)Determine key configuration/design attributes for the service

(1 C)Steps required to configure the service.

(2)For each service , check whether inventory is available and assign.

(3)If additional infrastructure is required schedule the installation via the WFMS[Work Force Management System] or any partner.

(4)Schedule any internal configuration CPE installation etc.

(5)Provisioning Commands to the network subsystems or the network elements.

(6)Update Inventory [Logical and Physical]

(7)Perform Testing

(8)Start Billing

(9)Update customer management ,service assurance.

Service Fulfillment flow:
•Sales process caters for the customer queries, for the various available services.

•Customer places the service order directly to the order management system or through sales process.

•Order management process hands over this order to Service Configuration process to activate the service.Customer related details are saved in the OMS, which can be used by the assurance and billing processes.

•Service Configuration system assigns this service request to Network Provisioning System , that in turn sends this request to its sub-process “Network Configuration and Routing” to actually configure the service at Network Element Level.

•Network Configuration and Routing system checks the validity and availability of the network data through Network Inventory Management sub-process and then configures the service on Network Element Management and network elements .

•After configuration of Service, Security sub-process checks for the network access on the configured elements .

•Network Configuration and Routing sub-process requests the Test Management sub-process to check the configured service . This test sub-process checks whether configured service is working or not . Test completion results are sent back to the Network Configuration and Routing sub-process .

•Network Configuration and routing sub-process sends the network completion status to the Network Provisioning process . If the Service is successfully configured, Network Inventory Management sub-process is updated with data used for assigning the service.

•Network provisioning system updates the Service Configuration process after assignment of service is completed .

•Service Provisioning process informs the Order Management about the result of Service Request . It also updates billing system to start the billing for the given customer.

•Sales process or Order Management system informs the Customer about the activation of service it has asked for.