Every day, the world generates an astounding 2.5 quintillion bytes of data. With over 8 billion mobile connections, there are now more mobile phones than people. The adoption of 5G is expected to drive mobile data traffic to nearly 330 exabytes per month by 2028. Nothing demonstrates telecommunications companies’ need for efficient, scalable, and resilient processes better than the immense volume of data and the intricate network complexity they need to manage.
Telecos need to address network complexity, legacy systems, and regulatory requirements while integrating automation, AI, ML, and RPA technologies and still enhancing user experience. This underscores the urgency to swiftly adapt to ongoing changes and secure IT investments for the future.
Organizations with advanced digital maturity are already leveraging end-to-end process orchestration as the essential framework for this transformation. In this blog post, we discuss the current state of process orchestration, drawing insights from a survey of over 800 participants, of which 162 participants are from the telecommunications industry.
Survey results highlight increasing process complexity and regulatory challenges
83% of telecommunications providers feel that customer expectations are increasing the complexity of processes. For instance, customers now expect real-time updates on service outages and resolutions via mobile apps or social media, rather than just being informed through a single email or phone call.
Companies fear that endpoint growth can lead to digital chaos
Digital transformation and the growing API ecosystem bring more connected applications, adding to the overall complexity of processes. For telcos, this means managing a vast array of network components, customer data systems, and service platforms, which can be particularly challenging given the scale and speed of the telecommunications industry.
86% of survey participants from telecommunications said the volume and diversity of components and endpoints are increasing exponentially. Telcos now average about 45 different types of components and endpoints, a significant increase over the past five years.
These endpoints include core systems and enterprise applications, such as SAP, Oracle, and Salesforce (60%), task automation tools, RPA, iPaaS (63%), AI and ML solutions (54%), and APIs (43%). Many enterprise applications have been around for decades and are often highly customized. This means a variety of technologies have been used over many years, making integrations and processes fragile.
For telecommunications companies, the surge in connected devices and services further contributes to this growth. This unprecedented complexity makes it challenging to streamline—and gain visibility over—operations. This is amplified by the need to integrate various network management tools, billing systems, and customer service platforms. Customer-facing applications are becoming increasingly complex too, due to the need to meet changing expectations and anticipate the demands of customers.
Additionally, the rise of emerging technologies and the threats posed by digital natives and OTT service providers further complicate this landscape. Telcos must not only integrate and optimize new technologies but also stay vigilant against competitive pressures from more agile and innovative players.
Ensuring compliance and managing risk is a growing challenge for telcos
As processes become more digital and interconnected, managing compliance and risk becomes increasingly challenging. For telcos, regulatory compliance is critical due to stringent data privacy laws and industry-specific regulations.
Effective risk management is essential to avoid fines and reputational damage. For example, GDPR in Europe mandates strict data privacy measures, with noncompliance fines up to 4% of annual global turnover or €20 million. In the US, FCC regulations require telcos to ensure network security and protect consumer data, with significant penalties for noncompliance.
90% of respondents mentioned that regulations have increased process complexity for their organization. 81% worry if this risk is left unchecked, it could lead to what some are calling “automation Armageddon.”
AI improves efficiency but adds complexity—unless it’s well-integrated
AI is transforming the telecommunications industry. Its applications include network optimization, predictive maintenance, and customer service automation. By forecasting network failures, AI helps prevent outages, saving time and resources while ensuring seamless operations.
But scaling AI technologies also adds to complexity and leads to compliance issues:
- 86% of telecommunications providers say a lack of transparency into how AI applications and services are being used within business processes is leading to regulatory compliance problems.
- 94% agree that AI must be integrated across business processes to maximize benefits.
Legacy and new technologies need to be seamlessly integrated to overcome inefficiencies
91% of telecommunications providers said legacy systems and a lack of IT agility mean they can’t always meet business demands for new automated business processes or even changes to existing ones.
Integrating legacy infrastructure with new technologies is essential for seamless operations and innovation. For example, integrating a legacy billing system with a new CRM platform can streamline billing and improve customer service. Similarly, combining old network management systems with AI-driven analytics enhances network performance and reliability.
87% agree that large monolithic enterprise applications such as ERP systems, that dictate business process design within individual companies, need to become a thing of the past.
Business and IT alignment is crucial for growth
Aligning business and IT teams in telecommunications companies ensures that technological advancements are effectively integrated into business strategies, leading to faster service delivery and improved operational efficiency.
For example, launching a 5G network demands close collaboration between business and IT teams. The business side must define the service offerings and market strategies while the IT department ensures that the necessary infrastructure, such as network towers and data centers, is in place to support these services. This collaboration helps deliver a seamless 5G experience to customers.
Yet, most organizations reported misalignment between business and IT teams can slow down go-to-market time.
77% said that the time it takes to design and agree upon process changes is a bottleneck in their organization. 82% say miscommunication between teams leads to the wrong thing being built and/or rolled out to customers.
Telcos can significantly improve the developer experience through effective process orchestration. By adopting open standards like BPMN and DMN, teams can visualize and simulate processes, thereby improving collaboration and alignment. Standardization is crucial for maintaining and protecting the intellectual property of processes, especially in the face of talent turnover.
Another vital aspect is composability: 96% of telcos emphasize the importance of a composable architecture for the flexible integration of best-of-breed solutions. By reusing proven process components and securely sharing them across different business units and teams, telecom companies can customize these components to meet their specific needs and accelerate go-to-market time.
Process orchestration: essential for future-proofing, but there’s still room for improvement
According to our survey, 91% of telecommunications providers are already practicing process orchestration. However, the extent and maturity vary significantly, indicating significant potential for further improvement.
About 52% of organizations have incorporated process orchestration for a single use case, while 41% have applied it across multiple use cases in various functional areas or departments. Only 7% have managed to implement it across an entire organization.
Process orchestration is essential for coordinating various endpoints of a business process, helping organizations manage complexity and improve efficiency.
Most respondents (87%) agree that hyperautomation cannot be achieved without proper process orchestration. 81% think that without it, the goal of an autonomous enterprise will remain unattainable.
The biggest benefits of process orchestration survey participants mentioned are:
- Improved customer service and experience
- Increased process standardization, resulting in higher efficiency
- Faster decision-making
- Process integration and reuse
- Increased employee satisfaction
Leading telecommunications providers recognize that embracing process orchestration is no longer optional—it’s essential for thriving in the modern telecom ecosystem. Companies like AT&T, Vodafone, and Deutsche Telekom have already adopted Camunda’s process orchestration to coordinate complex processes across people, systems, and devices, enhancing efficiency.
By adopting a robust orchestration platform, telecom organizations can future-proof their operations, meet evolving customer expectations, and maintain a competitive edge in an increasingly challenging landscape.
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