Ban on mobile notice period post switch date.
Following on from my blog last week about mobile switching code and value behind the codes, I wanted to write about the second rule Ofcom set as part of its new mobile switching regulation.
The second biggest hurdle Ofcom wanted to overcome was banning network providers who charge customers for the notice period post their switch date. What this means is after a customer’s contract period ends, telecom providers are banned from charging for notice periods. Ofcom says that this will save the UK mobile customers £10m each year. In recent years we have seen news of Ofcom imposing fines when overcharging customers.
This regulation meant that telecom firms need to look at their OSS and BSS integration more closely than ever before. Integration between OSS and BSS is a pressing topic in the telecoms industry. With the sheer volume of services from different vendors, how does one make sure that as a customer leaves, the billing is in line with the provisioning? Before I talk about OSS and BSS, the diagram below shows the components in each (image courtesy: Ericsson)
It is quite possible that all the components above are serviced from different vendors, and at times, despite being with the same vendor, the data may be stored in different schemas/databases. One way to ensure integrity between OSS and BSS is to have proper data quality alignment checks between the two systems. These checks can then be used to deliver quality insights. It is the use of this data that helps to answer the key performance questions both from an operational and financial perspective.
As the diagram displays, there are multitudes of data checks one can undertake to make sure the operational and financial sides are aligned. For this blog, I would like to focus on the second regulatory ban that Ofcom has put in place and what a telecoms provider could do in order to rectify any situation of overcharging that may occur.
Depending whether you bill in advance or arrears, your business rules or logic might change but the fundamental concept remains the same. A regular automated reconciliation of a customer’s Early Termination Charges/Discounts/Billing/Contract dates and service usage will give you an indication of misalignment. Any deviation above a certain threshold needs to be highlighted to the billing team to ensure whether a customer needs a refund, or to the operational team to inform them of a change of service that didn’t happen as expected. This check may showcase that your OSS / BSS are aligned however, the threshold of tolerance might need to be adjusted. Either way it ensures efficiency and correctness in process.
No organisation likes to overcharge customers, let alone be fined for it. Implementing an automated reconciliation check, to avoid the possibility of overcharging, will ensure the irregularities between OSS and BSS are highlighted at an appropriate time for action.
About the Author: Sarbani is Managing Director of ei²® a consultancy specialising in #data #insights #performance