How to select the right BSS and OSS?

How to select the right BSS and OSS

To select the right Business Support Systems (BSS) and Operational Support Systems (OSS) is a pivotal decision for your Mobile Brand (MVNO). Together these systems form the backbone of efficient operations, customer satisfaction, and business growth. In this article, we explore essential points of attention to guide you in identifying the right BSS and OSS solutions to select that align with your business’s unique requirements.

By working out the 25 points below, you can systematically evaluate and select the right BSS and OSS solutions that fit the best for your Mobile Brand. You will be well-equipped to make informed decisions when selecting BSS and OSS solutions that align seamlessly with your business objectives and evolving needs. This comprehensive approach ensures that your chosen solutions optimize operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive sustainable business growth. It will help you to select the right vendor for you. Of course, you need to match the selection to your business, marketing, and financial plan.

 

The 25 points which help you select the right BSS and OSS:

Business Needs Assessment

MVNO Index - business needs assessment - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Understand your specific business requirements, including the services offered and operational challenges. Identify pain points that necessitate BSS and OSS solutions.

Why to Find It Out

This assessment forms the foundation of your decision-making process, helping you pinpoint exactly what your business needs from these systems.

How to Find It Out

Conduct interviews and surveys with stakeholders to collect insights. Analyze historical data, customer feedback, and operational reports to identify areas that need improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement

MVNO Index - Stakeholder Engagement - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Involve key departments like IT, finance, marketing, and customer service to gather diverse insights and requirements related to BSS and OSS solutions.

Why to Find It Out

Involving stakeholders ensures a holistic perspective and better alignment of the chosen solutions with organizational goals.

How to Find It Out

Organize cross-functional meetings, workshops, and discussions to gather input and requirements from different departments.

Clear Objectives

MVNO Index - Clear Objectives - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Define precise objectives for implementing BSS and OSS solutions, such as streamlining operations, enhancing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, or increasing revenue.

Why to Find It Out

Clear objectives provide a roadmap for evaluating potential solutions and measuring their impact on your business.

How to Find It Out

Collaborate with stakeholders to clearly define objectives, ensuring they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Vendor Research

MVNO Index - Vendor research - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Research and evaluate the reputation, reliability, market presence, and customer satisfaction of potential BSS and OSS solution providers.

Why to Find It Out

Vendor selection significantly impacts your project’s success. Assessing their credibility helps you make an informed choice.

How to Find It Out

Read reviews, conduct online research, and reach out to industry peers for recommendations. Request references from vendors to directly contact their clients.

Detailed Proposals

MVNO Index - Detailed Proposals - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Request comprehensive proposals from vendors, ensuring they include detailed system specifications, pricing models, and implementation timelines.

Why to Find It Out

Detailed proposals provide a clear picture of what each vendor offers, making it easier to compare options.

How to Find It Out

Prepare a Request for Proposal (RFP) that outlines your requirements and expectations. Evaluate vendor responses for completeness and alignment with your needs.

Functionality Assessment

MVNO Index - Functionality Assessment - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Evaluate the features and functionalities of each solution with a focus on scalability, customization options, and alignment with your business needs.

Why to Find It Out

Functionality directly impacts system performance and its ability to meet your specific business requirements.

How to Find It Out

Create a feature checklist based on your requirements and use it to assess each solution’s capabilities. Engage with vendor demos and explore their documentation.

Scalability Analysis

MVNO Index - Scalability Planning - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Determine if the solutions can seamlessly scale with your business growth to ensure adaptability to evolving demands.

Why to Find It Out

Scalability is crucial to prevent the need for frequent system replacements as your business expands.

How to Find It Out

Engage in discussions with vendors about their solutions’ scalability. Request case studies or references that demonstrate successful scalability.

Integration Capability

MVNO Index - Integration Capability - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Confirm compatibility with your existing systems, including CRM, billing, and network infrastructure.

Why to Find It Out

Seamless integration ensures data flow between systems and minimizes disruptions to your operations.

How to Find It Out

Consult with your IT department to assess the technical feasibility of integrating the BSS and OSS solutions with your existing systems.

Deployment Options

MVNO Index - Deployment Options - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Choose between cloud-based and on-premises solutions, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Why to Find It Out

The deployment option impacts your IT infrastructure, cost structure, and accessibility.

How to Find It Out

Consult with your IT team to evaluate the pros and cons of each deployment option, considering factors like security, maintenance, and scalability.

Compliance and Security

MVNO Index - Compliance and Security - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Ensure that the solutions comply with industry-specific regulations and meet your organization’s security standards for data protection and privacy.

Why to Find It Out

Compliance and security are non-negotiable, especially in industries with stringent regulations.

How to Find It Out

Engage with the vendor’s security and compliance teams to understand their protocols. Conduct a security assessment or request third-party audits if necessary.

Total Cost Analysis

MVNO Index - Total Cost Analysis - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Conduct a comprehensive cost analysis, considering both upfront expenses and long-term operational costs. Assess potential return on investment (ROI).

Why to Find It Out

Understanding the total cost of ownership helps you make financially sound decisions.

How to Find It Out

Develop a detailed cost breakdown that includes acquisition, implementation, training, maintenance, and ongoing operational costs.

Account for Training

MVNO Index - Account for Training - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Budget for employee training to ensure efficient system utilization and a well-trained workforce.

Why to Find It Out

Proper training minimizes downtime and maximizes the benefits of your BSS and OSS solutions.

How to Find It Out

Collaborate with vendors to create a training plan tailored to your organization’s needs and schedule.

Vendor Support Evaluation

MVNO Index - Vendor Support Evaluation - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Evaluate the level of customer support, training, and responsiveness provided by the vendor, as effective support is essential for issue resolution.

Why to Find It Out

Quick and reliable support minimizes disruptions and keeps your systems running smoothly.

How to Find It Out

Engage in discussions with the vendor’s support team. Request information on support processes, response times, and escalation procedures.

Proof of Concept

MVNO Index - Proof of Concept - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Consider running a pilot test or proof of concept with the selected solutions to assess real-world performance.

Why to Find It Out

Practical testing allows you to identify potential issues and validate that the solutions meet your requirements.

How to Find It Out

Collaborate with the vendor to plan and execute a limited-scale deployment for testing purposes.

Reference Checks

MVNO Index - Reference Checks - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Contact vendor-provided references to gain insights from other clients’ experiences and their feedback on system performance and vendor support.

Why to Find It Out

References provide firsthand knowledge of working with the vendor and their solutions.

How to Find It Out

Reach out to provided references with prepared questions about their experiences, challenges, and successes.

Contract Negotiation

MVNO Index - Contract Negotiation - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Negotiate contract terms, pricing structures, service-level agreements (SLAs), and exit clauses with the selected vendor to ensure alignment with your business objectives.

Why to Find It Out

A well-negotiated contract protects your interests and defines the vendor-client relationship.

How to Find It Out

Collaborate with your legal and procurement teams to review and negotiate contract terms. A Wholesale and Roaming agreement might be included.

Develop an Implementation Plan

MVNO Index - Develop an Implementation Plan - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Create a comprehensive implementation plan outlining timelines, responsibilities, and milestones for a smooth deployment.

Why to Find It Out

A well-structured plan minimizes implementation risks and ensures that the project stays on track.

How to Find It Out

Collaborate with stakeholders and the vendor to develop a detailed implementation plan that covers all aspects of the project.

Team Training

MVNO Index - Team Training - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Ensure adequate training for your team to proficiently operate the new BSS and OSS systems.

Why to Find It Out

A well-trained team maximizes the efficiency and effectiveness of your systems.

How to Find It Out

Work with the vendor to schedule and execute training sessions tailored to your team’s needs.

Performance Monitoring

MVNO Index - Performance Monitoring - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Implement systems for continuous monitoring of the performance of your BSS and OSS solutions.

Why to Find It Out

Performance monitoring ensures that your systems consistently meet your business needs and service levels.

How to Find It Out

Set up monitoring tools and processes to track system performance and establish clear metrics for evaluation.

Feedback Collection

MVNO Index - Feedback Collection - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Gather feedback from users and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement and maintain customer satisfaction.

Why to Find It Out

Regular feedback helps you make necessary adjustments and enhancements.

How to Find It Out

Implement feedback collection mechanisms, such as surveys and regular meetings with stakeholders.

Optimization

MVNO Index - Optimization - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Regularly optimize your BSS and OSS solutions based on feedback and evolving business requirements, staying aligned with industry trends.

Why to Find It Out

Optimization ensures that your systems remain effective and efficient over time.

How to Find It Out

Collaborate with your IT and business teams to prioritize and implement optimizations as needed.

Scalability Planning

MVNO Index - Scalability Planning - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Plan for future scalability and resource requirements to accommodate business growth and changing demands.

Why to Find It Out

Scalability is essential to avoid limitations as your business expands.

How to Find It Out

Engage in discussions with your IT team to project future resource needs and ensure that the solutions can scale accordingly.

Compliance Maintenance

MVNO Index - Compliance Maintenance - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Stay updated on regulatory changes and ensure ongoing compliance with industry standards to avoid legal issues.

Why to Find It Out

Compliance is crucial, particularly in highly regulated industries.

How to Find It Out

Establish processes for monitoring regulatory changes and conducting regular compliance audits.

Regular Updates

MVNO Index - Regular Updates - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Keep your BSS and OSS solutions up-to-date with software patches and upgrades to maintain system security and performance.

Why to Find It Out

Regular updates ensure that your systems remain secure and efficient.

How to Find It Out

Work with the vendor to establish a schedule for applying updates and patches.

Adaptation to Trends

MVNO Index - Adaptation to Trends - How to select the right BSS and OSS

What to Find Out

Continuously adapt your systems to industry trends and emerging technologies to stay competitive and future-proof your business operations.

Why to Find It Out

Adapting to trends ensures that your business remains relevant and competitive.

How to Find It Out

Stay informed about industry developments, attend conferences, and engage with industry experts to identify emerging trends and technologies such as AI and a Mobile APP.

Summary on how to select the right BSS and OSS

There are, of course, more points (e.g. local legislation, GDPR, delivery time, costs for changes, etc.) which you should look at when you want to select the right BSS or OSS. However I’m sure that above points will already help you a lot with making the right decision.

OSS & BSS