STAR Integrated Environment An integrated tool for pricing, routing, billing, traffic analysis and other customer / internal related issues Urs Loosli,

STAR Integrated EnvironmentSTAR Integrated EnvironmentAn integrated tool for pricing, routing, billing, traffic analysis and other customer / internal related issues

Urs Loosli, Yann Loosli & Cédric Dufour

Current issues overviewCurrent issues overview No coordination between routing and price change

two Price change per month / a lot more routing changes More than one numbering plan, used by different

departments / users Many numbering range / digits « min-max »

diskrepancies More than 100 carriers’ price lists to keep up-to-date Current tool allows only 23 carriers Traffic analysis (ASR report) is not 100% reliable and

contains diskrepancies Too many routing refinements in regard with DMS

resources Unaccurate traffic analysis leads to bad management

and planning

High-end / efficient High-end / efficient solution ?!…solution ?!…

Integrate the different aspects and data of our daily work in a single framework, providing… A multi-sites single data source (database)… … easier to maintain and analyze, … … with coherent internal links between data … … and tracking of changes / update Easy import tool for external data Converter / scripting tools for external systems

A new fully integrated environment

Current numbering plan Current numbering plan issuesissues

More than one numbering plan, used by different departments / usersAreas / Destinations diskrepanciesUse a single numbering plan source

Many numbering range / digits « min-max » diskrepanciesRouting, billing and traffic analysis errorsDaily check and update

Solution provided in Switzerland

Current pricing issuesCurrent pricing issuesMore than 100 carriers’ price lists to keep up-

to-dateDelays and errors on prices inputNeed for a fast and error-proof « import » tool

Current tool allows only 23 carriersMissing the 77-odd others…Need for a totally new pricing/target tool

And also… Diskrepancies between prices and areas/destinations (cf. numbering), no

prices history (past and future), no coordination with routing

Solution provided in Switzerland

Current routing issuesCurrent routing issuesToo many routing refinements in regard with

DMS resourcesDMS routing can not reflect the sales/pricing

« optimal » routingImplement the DMS routing differently, using an

automatic « scripting » tool to optimize resources usage

And also… Diskrepancies between routing and areas/destinations (cf. numbering), no

routing history (past and future), no coordination with pricing

Solution provided in Switzerland

Current traffic analysis Current traffic analysis issuesissues

Traffic analysis (ASR report) is not 100% reliable and contains diskrepanciesUnaccurate traffic analysis leads to bad

management and planningHave a new, consolidated traffic analysis tool,

based on billing data (CDRs) and allowing flexible analysis (traffic, quality, costs, revenue)

Solution partially provided in Switzerland

The integrated tool The integrated tool morphologymorphology

I.E. Database(Oracle / SQL

Server)

Customer *1,2

Interconnection *1

Installation *1

Numbering *1

Cost *1

Routing *1 Pricing *1

Services *2

Traffic Analysis *1

Billing System(Oracle)

CDR Billing

DMS Implementation DMS Implementation *1

0800 CSC *2

Wholesale *1

TT, …

*1 Implemented in Switzerland*2 Implemented in STAR Office

Billing Implementation

Customer ModuleCustomer Module Key Data

Customer ID (Debit Nr) Customer type (Carrier,

Retail, Provider, Supplier, …)

Full coordinates Support information (for

non-retail customer) Key information

Key Facts A single data source Customer ID is the single

and only reference used by other modules

Key information (« notes » field) allows to save relevant data about the customer

Customer Module « looks like »Customer Module « looks like »

Numbering ModuleNumbering Module Key Data

Country name & CC Area name & type Numbering range and

digits « min-max » information

Key Facts One single data source Unique country and area

name (in English) Area types allow to easily

identify fixed/mobile destinations, services, customer range, etc…

Area types also indicate the hierarchy level of the refinement (needed for routing/billing)

Verification tools allow to check the refinement hierarchy and numbering

Numbering Module « looks like »Numbering Module « looks like »

Installation ModuleInstallation Module Key Data

Links (external circuits) ID, end-points, provider, service dates

Circuits ID, end-points, service dates, constituing links

Key Facts New tool allowing to track

down every cables, ports & circuits provisioned, commisionned and/or uninstalled, along with IDs, wiring and support information

Historic allows to keep track of updates/changes

Makes installation, trouble-shooting and de-installation easier, quicker and more error-proof

Installation Module « looks like »Installation Module « looks like »

Interconnection ModuleInterconnection Module Key Data

Interconnection information (headquarter, contacts, status)

Switch specifications (type, point codes, equipment, dialing, …)

IOT list and status Dialing specifications Routesets, linksets and

trunkgroups (SS7/PRI) parameters…

… with full historic

Key Facts New tool allowing to track

down all interconnection-related information (partners information, IOT, interconnection parameters, trunkgroups, …)

Historic allows to keep track of updates/changes

Makes capacity analysis and commissioning easier

Makes DMS implementation and status survey easier and quicker

Interconnection Module « looks Interconnection Module « looks like »like »

Routing ModuleRouting Module Key Data

Translation systems definitions

Choices’ definitions (trunkgroups)

Numbering plan subgroup (routing areas)

Area/company-specific information (quality, capacity, blocking, …)

Routing specifications… … with full historic

Key Facts New user-friendly tool

allowing easy management of routing implementation

Historic allows to keep track of changes/updates

Consolidate tools allow to check routing against quality, blocking or missing areas

Allows easy implementation of company/service-specific routing

Routing Module « looks like »Routing Module « looks like »

Routing Import ModuleRouting Import Module Key Data

Area names equivalences Choices name

equivalences

Key Facts Allows easy and fast

import of external routing data (such as the one provided by M.Hosseini team)

Routing Import Module « looks like »Routing Import Module « looks like »

DMS Routing Script ModuleDMS Routing Script Module Key Facts

Fully automatic routing script generation, based on the information contained in the routing module…

… with automatic blocking management (to avoid loop-around routing)

… and redundancies filtering (script complexity reduction) Historic allows to keep track of implementation in the DMS Optimal usage of DMS resources (no more 1’024

routes/area/range limit) Update scripts allow fast, easy and « as often as needed »

updates of the routing in the DMS, while full routing scripts (several thousand lines) defines the core

DMS Routing Script Module « looks DMS Routing Script Module « looks like »like »

Cost ModuleCost Module Key Data

Customer « buy » price lists…

… with full historic Area names equivalences

(cf. price lists import) SWAP Agreements… Cost calculation policies

(standard rule, crown-jewel rule, mobile margin rule, manual input, …)

Key Facts Easy, fast and error-free

price lists import Optimal and error-free

automatic routing calculation (to be used in the routing module)

Automatic and flexible cost calculation (based on optimal routing)

Allows easy, quick and efficent cost survey, along with fast, reliable routing management

Cost Module « looks like »Cost Module « looks like »

Pricing ModulePricing Module Key Data

Customer « sale » price lists…

… with full historic

Key Facts Automatic and flexible

price lists calculation (based on cost module data)

Easy and flexible margin calculation

Fast and efficient market prices survey

Pricing Module « looks like »Pricing Module « looks like »

Billing Script ModuleBilling Script ModuleKey Facts

Fully automatic billing script generation (CSV files), based on the information contained in the pricing module…

… allowing fast, efficient, error-free and « as often as needed » billing system update for customer price changes

Traffic Analysis ModuleTraffic Analysis Module Key Data

CDR compiled data (currently ASR data)

Key Facts Easy, fast and reliable

traffic analysis, with choices-wise …

… traffic quantity survey (minutes)

… ASR survey (quality) … Cost, prices and margin

survey Allowing easy network

management, provisioning and commissioning…

… as well as traffic and revenue forecast

Traffic Analysis Module « looks like »Traffic Analysis Module « looks like »

High-end / efficient High-end / efficient solution !!!solution !!!

A new fully integrated environment