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In the article “Service providers need to stay course in troubled time,” Martin Creaner outlines a strategy for helping telecom companies survive the recession. Creaner, president of TM Forum, thinks that no industry is recession-proof, including telecom. But, he says, telecom is in a better position than other industries because many consumers consider such services to be basic necessities. Still, to make it out alive, they will need to be proactive in three key areas, what Creaner calls the “eternal triangle.”
Creaner asserts that automation can help companies with one leg of this triangle: reducing the cost of running their business. I certainly agree that automation can increase operational efficiency; however, I think that automation—specifically automated testing—can play an even broader role. It also can support the other two legs of his triangle: finding new business opportunities and improving the customer experience.
On most service providers’ Gantt charts, testing remains the critical activity for new service rollouts. Testing, however, is often multi-phased and very costly, making it an ideal area for realizing greater efficiencies. If companies automate even a portion of this process, they can boost productivity and reduce costs. The resulting time savings then allows revenue-generating services to get to market faster, which can help drive new business opportunities. Automated testing also can help increase test coverage and thus quality. Coupled with faster time to market, this adds up to timely, higher quality products and services—and greater customer satisfaction.
With this said, testing organizations should not remain in standby mode as telecom companies slash budgets and undergo reorganizations. Be proactive and demonstrate to management how automated testing can have a positive impact on the top and bottom lines. Through your efforts, quality might finally become a top priority for executive management—and testing teams might find themselves in the spotlight. More importantly, by proving your value to the business, you might stay off the chopping block.
Creaner asserts that automation can help companies with one leg of this triangle: reducing the cost of running their business. I certainly agree that automation can increase operational efficiency; however, I think that automation—specifically automated testing—can play an even broader role. It also can support the other two legs of his triangle: finding new business opportunities and improving the customer experience.
On most service providers’ Gantt charts, testing remains the critical activity for new service rollouts. Testing, however, is often multi-phased and very costly, making it an ideal area for realizing greater efficiencies. If companies automate even a portion of this process, they can boost productivity and reduce costs. The resulting time savings then allows revenue-generating services to get to market faster, which can help drive new business opportunities. Automated testing also can help increase test coverage and thus quality. Coupled with faster time to market, this adds up to timely, higher quality products and services—and greater customer satisfaction.
With this said, testing organizations should not remain in standby mode as telecom companies slash budgets and undergo reorganizations. Be proactive and demonstrate to management how automated testing can have a positive impact on the top and bottom lines. Through your efforts, quality might finally become a top priority for executive management—and testing teams might find themselves in the spotlight. More importantly, by proving your value to the business, you might stay off the chopping block.
 | David Gehringer has served as Fanfare's vice president of marketing since 2006. Learn more about David >> |
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