digital accelerator for faster network infrastructure

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Digital Accelerator for faster

network infrastructure

deployment.

Catalyst Project 2020

Project ID: C20.0.56

Full Story

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Alsalam alaykom

م لايك مٱلسلا عا

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Digitalization of stc working environment

Vision

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Objective

❖ Demonstrate how This Catalyst uses BPMS, AI and Open APIs for

digitalization deployment management of network infrastructure.

❖ Full digitalization management between stc and partners in deployments

which meets business and customer expectations of service.

• stc Journey

• Faster network deployment

• B2B partnership

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Popular Catalyst projects

IoT AI

5G Blockchain

Machine Learning

Big Data

Customer experience

Smart cities

Health care

Personalisation

Analytics

Predictive

billing

Apps

stc Business problemstc Catalyst project focussed on

operational office working environment

Classical OPEX Improvement for a business

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Start of storyGeneral Manager of

network infrastructure deployment

Mohammed M. Albadrani

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Network deployment

Demand

• Marketing• Sales• Financial

New or upgrade

Radio sites

2G3G4G5G

Network coverage

& capacity

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Happy customers

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Saudi Arabia has more than 44 million mobile phone subscribers and an 88 percent rate of smartphone ownership, which is almost double the international average, according to the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC). 2017

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Business Targets Operational Issue

Lets fix it!

KPIDashboards

ComplexityTo deliver

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The hero

Bring your partners

together to solve a problem

Catalyst

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The hero’s

Catalyst Team

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KPI are bad

Complexity of delivering from Demand to customer fulfilment

What is the problem ?

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• Time-to-market delays

• Delays in recognising revenue from consumer end users

• High headcount effort in stc

• Marketing and sales

• Financial forecasts

• OPEX

Impacts

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stc overall Infrastructure Implementation time is significantly longer than international operators

Infrastructure Implementation

International operatorsInfrastructure

Implementation

25-35 days to fulfilment

StartDemand

StartDemand

Min: 68 days to fulfilmentMax: 140 days to fulfilment

Infrastructure ImplementationDeployment and Modernisation of Wireless networks ( 2G,3G,4G,5G)

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Too many approvals, delays in approvals, duplicated documents and lots of Manuel updates

Review and ApprovalsMin: 43+ days

Max: 105+ days

25-35 daysMin: 68 days to fulfilmentMax: 140 days to fulfilment

Start Demand

stc with micro management of partners

25-35 days

Review and Approvals< 3 days

International Operators which embrace “B2B” relationships

Start Demand

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What is the solution ?

B2B Digitalisation

AI

Open APIs

BPMArtificial Intelligence

B2B communication

B2B process

Artificial Intelligence Business Process Management

Application Programming Interface

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Villain

Lots of remote workingFor catalyst Team

Face to faceTeam Work

Saudi Shut Down

Saudi Shut Down

Difficult to progress Catalyst project remotely

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Digitalisation is even more critical in the future working environment

Coronavirus has changed forever working environment in the world.

Remote working and telecom/IT is proven and will be the way of working in future

Brave new word

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Leveraging tmforum Assets

ETOM TAMOpen APIs

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Deployment Process

Partner interaction process

ETOM

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Supplier mgmt. ApplicationsTAM

Deployment Applications

Process Applications

Orchestration Applications

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ETOM Process

TAM Applications

Processes

BackendSystems

ETOM and TAM Mapped to deployment Wireless networks

Nominal Network Design

Site Acquisition

Technical Site Survey

Site Design

Detailed Network Design

Data Build

Construction Work

InstallationCommission &

integrationSite Quality

Audit Acceptance

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Site Acquisition


Site Design

Detailed Network Design

Data Build

Construction Work

InstallationCommission &

integrationSite Quality

Audit Acceptance

ADMS

TAM Applications for Orchestration and Process workflow BPMS

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Learnings from ETOM and TAM

❖ The ETOM was useful for cross checking the process activities

❖ We did not miss anything

❖ The TAM was useful for cross checking Applications functionality

❖ we did not miss anything

The Catalyst process flows for “deployment” are expected to be

Contributing to future “ETOM Resource Capability Delivery processes”

as a reference standard

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TMF681

TMF667

Potential TMF Open APIs for use in Catalyst project


API #TMF701 will be extended to cover process Orchestration and the output will be interlinked with Communication API #TMF681

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TMF701


API #TMF701 will be extended to cover process Orchestration

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What is the solution ?

Combining BPMS, AI and Open API for delivering Digital excellence for deployment

AI MachineAuditing

Best in class“B2B”BPM flow

B2B communication

AI

Technical Architecture

BPM

Open APIs

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Leveraging subject matter experts

Working with key partner HEROs

AI MachineAuditing

Best in class“B2B”BPM flowB2B communication

AI


BPMOpen APIs

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Human checking“every document” • Document reviews• Approvals/RejectionsLots of different departments

AI Auditing “Weekly/Monthly”

• Document reviews• Approvals/Rejections

Heavy OPEX Effort Optimised OPEX Effort

Micro management B2B Trust

PAST FUTURE

Penalties to partnerfor incorrect/wrong data/documents

based on AI auditing

System ApprovalsBPMS Rules

• Approvals/Rejections

Optimised OPEX Effort

B2B Trust

FUTURE

System Approvals

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Documentuploads

Data Updates

AS-IS Visual design of architecture

Design Rollout Acceptance

stc Back end SystemsDesign Rollout Acceptance

Deployment System

Approvals Milestone updates

Invoicing

• Communication: Emails• Manuel Data Updates in office• Manuel reviews• Manuel approvals

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Documentuploads

Data Updates

Open APIs

Open APIs

TO-BE Visual design of architecture


Integrated Workflow Engine

stc Back end SystemsBPM

basedDASHBOARD(actionable)



Site Acquisition


Site DesignDetailed Network Design

Data Build Construction Work

Installation

Commission &

integration

Site Quality Audit

AcceptanceOrchestration

BPMS Workflow

Deployment System

SystemApprovals

Approvals Milestone updates

Invoicing

AI Enginefor auditing

• AI Random document auditing

• AI Random data auditing

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Microwave DesignCivil Engineering Design databaseCivil DesignAccess

Finance

stc BPMS (Integrated Workflow Engine)

Business Process Management

Rollout tool

tmforum Open APIs

Acceptance


NDPdBusiness Process Management

Open APIs

Service Bus

stc Back end Systems

NEW

REST Framework

Message processor

RouterMonitoring reporting Security

repository

Management UI

Business Process

Human Workflow

Business rules

Monitoring Management

Securityrepository

Events

Timers

Faults

Private Cloud

iSDPBusiness Process Management

others

API Gateway

AI Enginefor auditing

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(Middleware)

Deployment tool

stc Back end Systems

Workflow ( BPM )

stc BPMS: Integrated Workflow Engine

Open API Library

Open API Library

Cloud

BPM based

DASHBOARD(actionable)

Design Rollout Fulfilment

stc have flexibility to change any back end systemOr add new partners, without having to connectSystems to other systems directly ( point to point)

Now the Backend/new partners just interface with Open API to the Integrated workflow (decoupling)

Design Rollout Finance Acceptance

Design Rollout Fulfilment

TMForum Open APIs

Upd

ate

Fo

reca

st D

ate

of

Ta

sk C

om

ple

tio

n

Su

bm

it T

ask

Ap

pro

va

l

Uplo

ad

Docu

me

nt

Site

Acce

pta

nce

Pro

ject /

Site

initia

tio

n

Upd

ate

Actu

al d

ate

of

Ta

sk C

om

ple

tion

Ta

sk a

pp

rove

d o

r

reje

cte

d

TO-BE Visual integration B2B

NEW

NEW

NEW

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Interaction diagram: Updating stc back-end Database

Document uploads, data updates, update milestones, etc

API Proxy

BPMS stc Back end

Systems

BPMS API Proxy

Request Request Request

Ack

Update API

Update API

stc Service Bus

Start

Response

Ack Ack

Request

Ack

Response

Ack

Response

Ack

Request

Response

Request

Response

asynchronous

synchronous synchronous

Response

Ack Ack

Process Update

ProcessUpdate

asynchronous asynchronous asynchronous

TMF667

TMF681

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Interaction diagram: System Approvals

API Proxy

BPMS stc Back end

Systems

BPMS API Proxy

Request RequestNotify

Ack

Approval API

Approval API

stc Service Bus

Start

Response

AckAck

Notify

Ack

asynchronous

Response

AckAck

SystemRule

Approval

Approval

asynchronous

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Interaction diagram: BPMS and Backend System Updates

API Proxy

BPMS stc Back end

Systems

BPMS API Proxy

Approval API

Update process

Notify

Ack

Notify

Ack

RequestUpdate

APIAck

Request

Ack

Response

Ack

Response

Ack

Request

Response

Request

Response

asynchronous

synchronous synchronous

asynchronous

stc Service Bus

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AI Artificial Intelligence “Powerful auditing”

• System Approvals and Rejections will be audited against the documentation submitted

• Golden Reference documents will be used to check all incoming documents from partners ( Nokia / Huawei)

AI Engine will leverage a combination of• NLP - Natural Language ( Text )• OCR- -Optical Character Recognition (text)• CV – Computer Vision ( images)• CNN-Convolutional Neural Network (image )

2 Use Cases Studies focus areas

Network Roll-outNetwork Design Service fulfilment

Use Case 1:Design process ( Civil, Radio, Transmission) ❖ Approvers ❖ Lead time

Assets Dismantling Management System

▪ BPM suites▪ Nokia (NDP) ▪ Huawei (ISDP)

Use Case 2:ADMS process❖ Too many approvers.❖ Too long lead time.

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TO-BE: Visual design of workflow ( Design)

Civil Design

Monthly: AI Auditing

Automated System approvals

RF Design

Power Design

Complete Civil Design

Complete RF Design

Complete Power Design

StandardSite design ( MOP )

Pre-approved

Request Site Design

Assign DesignTeam Lead

AllocateSite Design Eng

Finalise Site Design

Upload final Site design

Request Ordering withLogisticsDesign

Team

SitesMgmt

stcBPMS Flow

• Milestone update• Documentation

stcBack End Systems

Design

Civil Design Design databaseMicrowave DesignCivil Engineering


Site Acquisition



Data Build Construction

WorkInstallation

Commission & integration

Site Quality Audit

Acceptance

Design completed

Expected: 0 Days for approvals


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Golden reference

FDED document

Perfect

FDED document x

FDED document y

FDED document b

FDED document c

FDED document d

FDED document e

FDED document f

AI• Does it have enough

text• Text missing?• Does it have drawing

similar The reference

Design document

Site X

Site y

Site b

Site c

Site d

Site e

Site f

FDED: Set FIELD Set template Digits different Its word doc 4 pages only

High level concept of AI on document random checking

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NLP

Classify

Trained Model

CV

CNN Trained Model

Key&

Text

Validate

Accepted

Classify

OCRCNN Trained Model

Filter

Input

Diagram

Text

NER(key text validation)

AI System validation result

Diagram

NLP - Natural Language Processing understand and derive meaning from Text.

CV – Computer Vision enabling computers to see, identify and process images in the

same way that human vision does.

CNN-Convolutional Neural Network take in an input image, assign importance to

various aspects in the image and be able to differentiate one from the other.

OCR- -Optical Character Recognition is a technology that recognizes text within a digital image.

NER-Named entity recognition, it is used to extract the specific entities from text that are more informative

Rejected

AI Solution for Random auditing to support system approvals and document verification

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To-Be : Visual design of workflow (ADMS ) 99.5% approved of batches sent to ADMS committee (2017,18,19)

0.5% rejected over 3 years.

Dismantle Plan based on

technology modernise

requirements


1. Scrap

2. Re-deploymentPlanning

Schedule ProjectManager

Dismantle WarehouseSubcon

stcBack End Systems

Design

Asset database update


Site Acquisition



Data Build Construction

WorkInstallation

Commission & integration

Site Quality Audit

AcceptancestcBPMS Flow

Expected: 0 daysFor approvals

Monthly: AI Auditing

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AI System result

Threshold

Key& value

Input

Classify

Time

amo

un

t

stc asset database

10 sheet form

X > Threshold

X < Threshold

Manual checking

Automatic Checking

Rejected

AI Solution for Random auditing to support Asset management

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Why is it unique ?

Lead time

improvement

leveraging

Digitalisation

technology

Leverage

combined

Global Nokia

and Huawei

Experience

1st time any operator uses combination of AI, BPM and Open APIs

For basic classical OPEX

improvement

Leader in

Digitalisation

In Saudi.

The attendees of the showcase perception were well received, with

•50% of participants acknowledged they had long lead times in network deployment.

•93% of all participants believing the Solution is useful for their business.

Catalyst Show case - Part 1: July 14th 2020

Very positive feedback from attendees at virtual showcase

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stc Sponsor

“I am very excited about the potential improvement to be

realised which will accelerate our overall time to market”

Mohammed Albadrani: stc Infrastructure Implementation General Manager

digital accelerator for faster network infrastructure

Documents