The Digital NOC

The Network Operation Centre or NOC has traditionally handled the difficult task of monitoring the telecom network and minimizing service disruptions. This role of manning the network and ensuring service quality & stability has become even more crucial in recent Covid times. In addition, advancement in technology such as 5G, IOT are opening new revenue streams and driving investment in upgrading networks and further raising expectation from network operations. The NOC therefore is becoming the focal point of business transformation for telecom operators and must shift its role from a support function to a strategic enabler. 

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Making this change happen would require network leaders to re-determine their priorities, evaluate how operations is structured and cultivate skill sets that can make the shift possible. Network operations will need to become more agile and customer centric, embrace new capabilities & technologies and deliver clear outcomes. An important first step includes, defining a clear & comprehensive transformation roadmap addressing adoption of new technologies, enhancing people skill sets and re-organizing the operational structure. 

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Deploy New Tools

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Technology is playing a major role in shaping the way things are done and NOC is no exception. Network operations must modernize and move away from legacy applications that mandate manual monitoring of network alarms and provide limited insights & co-relation capabilities to assess business impact. The problem is compounded with large organization having multiple legacy tools running in silos with no integration. 

It is therefore imperative for NOC to invest and implement modern tools to cultivate a digital culture and automate processes. Some of the technologies relevant for network operations include Robotic Solutions, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML), Big Data and Work-flow Orchestration & Automation solutions. Big data tools for example can capture and process huge amount of network event data and feed into AI/ML based algorithms that can identify service degradation patterns and automatically trigger corrective action. Implementation of the modern tools can result in significant benefits including zero-touch data driven processes, pro-active and predictive analysis, intelligent reporting and free up resources to focus more on strategic initiatives.

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Upskill Workforce 

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Driving transformation requires organization to upskill employees on new knowledge & technology areas. Digital evolution is increasingly widening the skill gap making traditional learning obsolete. Addressing the skill gap is crucial and requires re-training of existing resources and hiring of new talent. It is advisable to benchmark against the market to assess the real skill gap and comprehensively assess current employee pool to understand learning requirements. Most importantly, a change in mind-set towards transformation and willingness to take new roles within the teams must be established. A ‘Digital Mindset’ based culture must be encouraged and be made part of the employee performance evaluation. Formal learning goals should be assigned, and employees should be encouraged to take cross-functional roles in order to new skills. In case of niche skills such as AI/ML, it is advisable to hire new talent and build connected teams.  

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Re-design Operating Model

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Telcos typically have a 3 layered structure in the NOC comprising of large workforce. Each layer is responsible for overlapping tasks including monitoring, incident handling and resolution. However for future success, the NOC must be organized differently with thin boundaries and with high automation & digital capabilities.

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Tier 1 – Thin layer, automated alarm monitoring, automated classification of operational or actionable alarms, auto ticket creation, pro-active customer communication, real time data and dashboards 

Tier 2 – Automated root cause analysis & decision making, data enrichment & co- relation, shared services-based model across network services 

Tier 3 – Support network strategy, policy & processes, configuration management, change management, auto roll backs 

 

Conclusion

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The shift towards a Digital Network Operator requires a robust vision which reflects the future business needs and provides NOC the right capabilities to make the change. The scale of transformation needed would vary for each organization and depends on the current digital maturity. The transformation roadmap should be divided in phases with measurable outcomes and should be adjusted regularly to remain relevant with changing technology and business needs.