A Multifaceted view: Beechwood looks through PRISM for OSS planning

Piecing together a complete and appropriate operations support system is a complicated task for any carrier, particularly a new one with limited experience and funding. To address that, Beechwood is introducing a new methodology that it hopes will serve as a road map.

Beechwood's Phased Rapid Implementation Solutions Methodology, or PRISM, draws on the company's collected OSS integrationexperience and is specifically designed to answer issues telecom carriers face.

"All systems integrators have methodologies, but most are generic across industries," said Jason Donahue, vice president of marketing and new business development at Beechwood. "Ours is unique in that it's specifically tailored to the implementation of telecom software solutions."

Beechwood is applying the methodology to all the major service categories it provides to carriers, including OSS interconnection, post-merger OSS consolidation, new carrier systems integration, Internet protocol network OSS integration and OSS automation. PRISM itself is made up of six processes (see figure).

"Each one of those components requires a different set of skill sets and best practices," Donahue said. "In PRISM we've developed sub-methods for each of the different components."

Beechwood's goal is not only to establish a framework that draws on its own experiences and those of its carrier customers, but also to provide flexibility within the framework to allow every carrier's individual needs to be addressed. Therefore, each application of PRISM starts with a thorough evaluation of a carrier's business plan, objectives and existing infrastructure to determine if its OSS needs would be better served by custom or off-the-shelf packages.

An approach such as PRISM is clearly suited to carriers that must address OSS issues immediately to be competitive.

"The 'R' in PRISM is very important," Donahue said. "We've done a lot of things that allow us to ensure rapid implementation."

One such carrier that is using Beechwood's PRISM approach for a portion of its OSS needs is OnSite Access, an integrated communications provider that focuses on the in-building portion of the network for small and medium-sized businesses.

"They used the PRISM methodology to begin a whole series of steps," said Scott Jarus, president and chief operating officer of OnSite Access. "We've just authorized them to begin the systems integration work for a new billing platform."

One of the main advantages of PRISM is that it requires early identification of needs, Jarus said. "Part of the challenge systems integrators have is to try to get the businesses to articulate and define exactly what they want to do," he said. "Beechwood requires us to define a set of problems and solutions so that they're not-and we're not-floundering around."

Beechwood also believes its software consultation experience sets its methodology apart from those of larger systems integrators that are not specific to the telecom industry.

"They don't have the breadth PRISM provides and the specificity and level of telecommunications best practices," Donahue said.

Donahue also sees the introduction of PRISM as a way to leverage further relationships with developers of software applications for components across the OSS category.

"We believe PRISM will make Beechwood an even more attractive option for those companies to come to us as an integrator," he said.

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