Challenges for Communication Service Providers (CSP)/Operators
Telecommunication service providers/operators and service providers in other verticals are facing challenges when producing and deploying new products or upgrading existing products. The time-to-market is very slow because of the complexity and volume involved in the enterprise catalogue.
Sigma Software Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC)
Sigma Software Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC) solution is designed to help Communications Service Providers (CSPs) to deliver innovative, profitable products at a lower cost and in less time. Other industries like utilities, water, retail etc can implement the same solution as their key enterprise catalogue management application integrated with their core billing application.
The Catalogue Management feature of the solution allows flexible hierarchical structure to suite any vertical, and has a powerful rules engine to dynamically differentiate product properties such as price, presentation etc., and to enforce overall product selection rules. Sophisticated cross product or cross vertical bundling can be achieved using the hierarchical structure and the rules engine.
The flexible hierarchical structure has base building blocks such as the below, which the catalogue owner can configure from scratch to suit their vertical:
- Node – Similar to a directory folder
- Element – Any object that is under a Node (Folder)
- Billing Element – Any Object that can have a charge (note: A Node can also optionally have a charge)
- Rules – Applied to any Node or Element
- Rules can be chained
The Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC) solution helps CSPs create and maintain their product catalogues in a user-friendly and cost effective way. The solution ensures the accuracy and quality of the product catalogues and significantly reduces time to market.
Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC) Functionalities
Flexible Tree Structure
- Accelerated Time to Market (rapidly define/modify products)
- Multiple Business Verticals – catalogue management is flexible to support multiple product types/models
Packages/Bundles
- Convergence (Multi-Play)
- Complex Offerings – either as part of a Package/Bundle or as part of the EPC Tree.
EPC Tree Navigation Rules
Some EPC Rule examples:
- Eligibility Rules – Only display Product based on attributes of the subscriber, such as location
- Presentation Rules – Presentation of the Product based on attributes of the subscriber, such as location
- Price Selection Rules – Select a Price based on attributes of the subscriber, such as location
- Channel Rules – Select any Catalog attributes based upon the requesting channel (i.e. IVR, CSR etc.)
- 3rd Party Rules – Rules to interact with any 3rd party System
- Reporting Rules – Set up reports using a rules based interface
- Discounting – Apply Discounts based upon feature purchases, subscriber attributes, time periods
- Attributes on Features for reporting – Revenue for all DSL where Line Speed > x as an example
- Interface is REST API (HTTP) – Easy Integration with 3rd party systems
- Templates for Catalog creation and Product Creation – Quick Set up
- Wholesale/Resale Model – Support multiple Business Models
- Security – Role Based authorization
Benefits
Sigma Software offers a flexible EPC structure that allows for:
- Creation of Folders (Nodes) and Elements (Features) as required by various EPC owners. The Folders (Nodes) would have an optional link to data defining Bill Presentment and data defining the Marketing View (Customer view) on various UI’s.
- Mandatory/Optional designations from Folders (Nodes) to Elements (Features).
- Re-use of the same one Billing Element ID and its immutable attributes in different parts of the EPC, but with optionally different mutable attributes.
- Creation of Bundles with mandatory/optional choice as an inherent part of the EPC Structure. (Node will just have a type = Bundle)
Resources
Sigma Software Did You Know series – What is the core of the Enterprise Product Catalog (EPC)?
