eTOM Process Framework (Enhanced Telecom Operations Map)

I have work on a couple of Telecom and Electricity providers projects and have found the eTOM framework very useful. This model suites any organisation that provides a service and where customer service and revenue assurance is a particular issue.

The Framework is organised around seven end -to-end processes grouped into two groups of activities:

1. Strategy Infrastructure and Products
1. Strategy & Commitment
2. Infrastructure Lifecycle Management
3. Product Lifecycle Management
2. Operations
1. Operations Support & Readiness
2. Fulfillment
3. Assurance
4. Billing

This is underpinned by a group called Enterprise Management that covers all the Resource Management processes.

Strategy Infrastructure and Product

The Strategy, Infrastructure & Product Process Grouping includes processes that develop strategy, commit to the organisation, build infrastructure, develop and manage products, and that develop and manage the Supply Chain. In the eTOM, infrastructure refers to more than just the IT and resource infrastructure that supports products and services. It includes the infrastructure required to support functional processes, e.g., CRM, HR, Marketing. The Strategy, Infrastructure and Product processes direct and enable Operations.

These processes are not day-to-day processes that interact with the customer on a regular basis.  They are processes that plan, commit, build, develop, assess and determine direction.

Operations     

The Operations Process Area is the heart of eTOM. It includes all operations processes that support the customer operations and management, as well those that enable direct customer operations with the customer.  These processes include both day-to-day and operations support and readiness processes. The eTOM view of Operations also includes sales management and supplier/partner relationship management.

The Operations (OPS) process area contains the direct operations vertical process groupings of Fulfillment, Assurance & Billing, together with the Operations Support & Readiness process grouping.  The "FAB" processes are sometimes referred to as Customer Operations processes.     

Enterprise Management

This process area includes those processes that manage enterprise-wide activities and needs, or have application within the enterprise as a whole. They encompass all business management processes that are:

• necessary to support the whole of the enterprise, including processes for financial management, legal management, regulatory management, process, cost and quality management, etc.;
• responsible for setting corporate policies, strategies and directions and for providing guidelines and targets for the whole of the business, including strategy development and planning, for areas such as Enterprise Architecture, that are integral to the direction and development of the business;
• that occur throughout the enterprise, including processes for project management, performance assessments, cost assessments, etc.
• Many process groupings within Enterprise Management will contain elements that relate to both policy setting and support of the enterprise. For example, Human Resources Management is concerned with both strategy and direction as well as supporting the management of Human Resources throughout the enterprise.

These processes are sometimes collectively considered as the “corporate” functions and/or processes.

 

For more information on the eTOM Process Framework please visit their web site at http://www.tmforum.org/ .