In telecom, Business Support Systems (BSS) play a critical role in managing essential business functions such as billing, customer relationship management (CRM), regulatory compliance, order management, and customer analytics.
In this article, we’ll explore the crucial functions of BSS in telecom and highlight its importance for mobile service providers. We’ll also examine how advances in automation and AI are transforming BSS, enabling telecom operators to lower costs, streamline operations, and deliver exceptional customer experiences more efficiently than ever before.
The difference between OSS and BSS in telecom
While Operational Support Systems (OSS) focus on the technical side of telecom operations, such as network performance and uptime, BSS is responsible for customer-facing services. A well-functioning BSS can streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction, while OSS provides the maintenance and configuration of network infrastructure.
If you run a telecom business, your engineers and developers will manage the OSS, while your business, marketing, and customer service teams will handle the BSS.
The history of BSS in telecom
The evolution of BSS in telecom has mirrored the industry's advancements:
1980s-1990s: Early BSS focused primarily on billing systems for voice calls.
2000s: With the rise of mobile and data services, BSS expanded to include CRM and more complex billing.
2010s: Cloud computing and big data analytics transformed BSS capabilities.
Present: AI, machine learning, and automation are revolutionizing BSS, enabling real-time analytics and automated customer service.
Key components of BSS
BSS is an umbrella term for the systems that enable the business and customer-facing side of a telecom company. This includes:
1. Order Management
BSS facilitates subscription activations, upgrades, cancellations, and SIM/eSIM provisioning. The best systems allow customers to activate plans online with a single tap.
2. Billing
BSS includes telecom billing software which automates billing, making it easy for telecom companies to handle recurring payments, refunds, chargebacks, disputes, top-ups, and upgrades across multiple currencies.
Telecom taxes and fees add an extra layer of complexity to the telecom billing process. Telecom services are subject to a variety of local, state, and federal taxes that vary by region. The right BSS ensures regulatory compliance by automatically applying the correct taxes and fees to each bill. Without the right software, managing these taxes would be extremely complex.
3. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Telecom CRM allows providers to monitor accounts, send product updates, and manage customer requests and complaints.
4. Regulatory compliance
BSS ensures companies meet industry standards by capturing and reporting data for regulatory compliance.
5. Customer analytics
BSS offers insights into payments, device usage, renewals, and churn, helping identify opportunities for upselling and optimizing customer retention.
Advances in automation and AI
Ongoing advances in automation and AI are revolutionizing BSS, allowing mobile service providers to deliver exceptional customer experiences while reducing operating expenses.
AI-powered tools provide instant customer support, reducing workload and improving response times, while advanced automation streamlines everything from billing adjustments to number porting.
Meanwhile, the rise of eSIMs has dramatically improved the customer onboarding experience, enabling customers to sign up for mobile plans and get connected instantly. This makes it much easier for customers to switch networks, opening up opportunities for new telecom players to win customers from incumbents.
Common BSS implementation challenges
Implementing BSS often comes with several challenges. One of the primary hurdles is legacy system integration, where companies must find ways to merge new BSS with their existing infrastructure. This process is often complex and requires careful planning.
To avoid these challenges, operators should choose a BSS provider that is API-driven, highly programmable and integrates seamlessly with other systems. APIs should be meticulously documented with terminology based on modern payment and SaaS APIs, and boast 99.99% uptime.
BSS and OSS integration
Modern telecom operations demand seamless integration between BSS and OSS. This integration enables real-time data exchange, where network events captured by OSS can trigger immediate actions in BSS.
The integration of BSS and OSS also provides a holistic customer view. By combining data from both systems, telecom operators can gain a 360-degree perspective of their customers, leading to improved service delivery and customer satisfaction.
This integration also enables unified analytics. With access to comprehensive data from both BSS and OSS, companies can perform more accurate business intelligence analyses and optimize their service more effectively. This data-driven approach helps telecom operators make informed decisions and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape.
Avoiding operational fragmentation
Operational fragmentation is a common challenge in telecom. Relying on multiple vendors for CRM, billing, and network management often leads to inefficiencies and compatibility issues. For example, a change in the billing system might disrupt customer service, causing delays and frustration. This lack of cohesion also makes it difficult for telecom operators to remain agile and respond quickly to market changes.
By adopting an end-to-end solution, such as Gigs, telecom providers can unify operations, minimize inefficiencies, and accelerate innovation, ultimately improving customer experience and business performance.
The Gigs advantage
By combining wholesale connectivity, BSS, OSS and multiple telecom functions in a single platform, Gigs provides businesses with everything they need to run a world class mobile service - all in one place.
With unparalleled automation, market-leading UX, and superior conversion rates, Gigs not only minimizes launch costs but also ensures you offer the best service to your users.
With our multi-network API, you can embed connectivity services - including local phone plans in multiple markets and travel eSIMs - seamlessly into your product in a matter of weeks.
To find out why leading tech companies like Nubank choose Gigs to launch connectivity services to their millions of users, get in touch.