Seven Reasons How Embracing Automation Enhances Efficiency

Challenges such as revenue erosion, skilled labor shortages, capital intensity, and outdated legacy systems are all contributing to significant transformation in the telecom industry these days. In response, broadband service providers (BSP) are turning to automation as an important strategic initiative to reshape their monetization strategies and operational models.

According to a recent Heavy Reading/Juniper Network study, 81% of Tier 2 and 3 BSPs respondents agree that more network automation is needed to remain competitive and increase customer value, while 75% believe that network complexity is a key reason to invest in automation.  The result is that the conventional strategies of BSPs are no longer adequate in the face of revenue decline, workforce shortages, and technological advancements. Automation has emerged as a compelling solution that optimizes processes, enhances efficiency, and equips operators for the demands of the modern era.

Seven Reasons Why BSPs Need to Automate

The adoption of automation offers a multitude of advantages for service providers in several ways.  They include:

1. Greater efficiency: By minimizing the need for manual tasks and optimizing resource allocation, automation leads to a reduction in expenses and more efficient operations overall.
2. Tighter security: Automation enables advanced security measures, allowing service providers to effectively safeguard against data breaches, ensuring the protection of customer data and maintaining their trust. Additionally, automation guarantees reliable and ubiquitous connectivity, which in turn bolsters customer satisfaction by providing consistent and dependable services.
3. Faster Time-to-Market: The rapid rollout of new services enabled by automation allows service providers to outpace competitors and swiftly adapt to evolving customer needs, thereby maintaining their competitive edge.
4. Data-Driven Decision-making: Automation empowers informed decision-making through data-driven insights. These insights, made readily available through automation, enable strategic decision-making that is backed by accurate and up-to-date information.
5. Scalability: By automating various processes, service providers can smoothly transition their operations to the cloud, benefiting from its flexibility and scalability. Ensuring that automation is scalable is crucial, as it allows networks of varying sizes to leverage its benefits effectively.
6. Personalization and Customer Experience: Centralized logging and proactive alerts made possible through automation provide greater operational visibility, enabling efficient monitoring and issue resolution. This, in turn, translates to improved customer service, as potential problems can be identified and addressed promptly, ensuring a seamless and satisfying customer experience.
7. Increased revenue: Automation supports network expansion, facilitates the introduction of new services, and fosters partnerships — ultimately leading to increased revenues.

ETI at the Forefront

With more than 30 years of experience, ETI is at the forefront of this transformation, driven by a mission to simplify operations, leverage industry standards, and maximize the potential of automation. ETI’s Triad provisioning engine empowers service providers to accelerate network and service deployment, fostering agility and customer satisfaction. A key aspect of ETI’s approach is its commitment to open systems and interoperability, enhancing the industry’s adaptability.

ETI’s approach to automation encompasses a range of strategic elements:

Streamlined Service Orchestration and Fulfillment

• Simplified deployment processes, built on Open APIs and standards
• Billing agnostic
• Integration of next-generation devices
• Minimal upkeep requirements, modular design
• Heightened operational transparency through reporting and analytics
• All contributing to heightened operational efficiency and overall effectiveness

Zero-Touch Provisioning

• Supports FTTH, DSL, video, VoIP telephony, and TR-069; p
• Prevents service fall-out and enables flow-through service activation with less resources
• Easily add controller interfaces via no-code, low-code processes
• Real-time status updates
• Collaborative ventures with industry leaders like Nokia and Calix further enrich this process, ensuring its robustness and reliability

Containerized Provisioning Platform

• Reduced overhead
• Improved portability
• Consistent functionality across diverse platforms
• Heightened efficiency and control
• Reinforces advanced security measures through the application of zero-trust protocols, solidifying the foundation of ETI’s multi-faceted automation strategy

Brandon Ogleby of All Points Broadband, a broadband provider to underserved populations in rural markets, was looking for an innovative solution to streamline the company’s operations. All Points Broadband harnessed ETI’s prowess to foster an environment of automation, efficiency, and enhanced customer satisfaction, according to Ogleby.

“Overhauling backend systems inherently triggers a transformation of business processes and how human interactions intersect with these systems,” he explained.

“ETI’s expertise was crucial in mapping the current business process flows, which subsequently underwent meticulous analysis. Through collaborative efforts with ETI, these processes were optimized to harness the full potential of the system. The cumulative effect of these improvements translated into superior outcomes and an elevated customer experience.” The journey of All Points Broadband exemplifies the tangible outcomes of automation. Their experience with the ETI solution showcases how aligning systems and processes with automation leads to improved efficiency and customer satisfaction.

As the telecom landscape continues to evolve, automation will be a cornerstone of delivering value, innovation, and operational excellence. If you would like to learn more about how ETI can help, reach out to info@etisoftware.com today.