• Mattison Avenue:   http://www.rob-mattison-blog.com/
• Revenue Assurance News and Analysis:   http://revenue-assurance-news.com/
• GRAPA Profiles:   http://revenue-assurance-blog.com/

Para leer en español, por favor ingresa a:

• Noticias de Aseguramiento de Ingresos:   http://revenue-assurance-news-espanol.com/
• Avenida Mattison:   http://rob-mattison-espanol.com/
• El Blog de GRAPA:   http://revenue-assurance-espanol.com/

Dan is the first in a series of guest bloggers GRAPA has chosen to feature due to their knowledge and experience in Revenue Assurance matters. Dan is Research Director and founder of Technology Research Institute (TRI), a market research and analyst firm focused on tracking BSS/OSS and telecom assurance software markets since 1994. Baker has authored dozens of multi-client and single-client research studies in areas that span the breadth of telecom back office systems, including wireless and wireline billing, OSS/provisioning, customer care/CRM, revenue assurance, service assurance and test, as well as telecom analytics.

This is the second in a series of guest blog posts by Dan, read the first part of this article: What’s Driving the Global Revenue Assurance Market? (Part 1 of 2)

The upshot of TRI’s research in our latest report, The Telecom Revenue Management, Mediation, and Analytics Software Market, is that revenue assurance is expanding and maturing as a discipline. We now look at revenue assurance as part of a broader telecom revenue management practice. This combines various assurance and analytic fields that, from an operational point of view, audit and maintain business health. In GRAPA terminology, this would mean the inclusion of fraud and risk management, margin and market assurance, as well as new product assurance within the definition of “Revenue Assurance.” The key functions of revenue management are the blue slices in the below graph.

Source: Technology Research Institute (TRI)

In the late 90′s or early 2000′s, revenue assurance often meant hiring a large accounting firm to come in and conduct a one-time revenue assurance audit. In those days, there were also very few dedicated revenue assurance professionals around. People were simply borrowed from finance, billing, and network ops to do periodic audits.

A decade later, telecoms have finally recognized the value of having continuous controls and dedicated staff to look after revenue assurance problems. And these days, when telecoms look outside for help in automating controls and tracking revenue assurance cases, they usually look to a software company first, and a services firm only second.

That is not to say the rise of the revenue management software business has been easy. It has not. There has been lots of turmoil along the way with numerous mergers and business failures. In fact, in the last few weeks two mergers were announced in the revenue management market. In Israel, cVidya will be acquiring ECTel, and in Canada, Pulse Voice was been bought by Enghouse.

People often equate revenue assurance software with OSS/BSS solutions such as billing, provisioning, or order management, but revenue assurance is quite a different beast.

Revenue assurance software is not operational software, but audit software. It picks up the mistakes and faulty processes of the operational systems. And for that reason it needs to be highly adaptive to the ever-changing mission (and problems areas) of operators.

Audit software can not sit on its laurels and collect annual maintenance revenues as easily as operational software. Audit software needs to constantly "earn its keep" by investigating and solving new problems. One year the hot issue might be broadband and DSL revenue assurance; the next year the hot issue is stopping video content piracy.

Anyway, it is nice to see that revenue assurance software has matured and really come into its own. By constantly adapting itself, it has succeeded in meeting the big challenges the telecom industry has asked it to help solve.

And what about the future of revenue assurance? At TRI we predict a bright one. With mobile data… smartphones… VoIP… advertising… content… video… the telecom industry isn’t getting any simpler. It’s getting more complex. It is this operational complexity that drives the need for better assurance software, smoother processes, and of course GRAPA certified professionals, to make sure it all works together well.

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Dan Baker is the Research Director of Technology Research Institute (TRI), a firm that has followed the BSS/OSS market since 1994. Highlights and a table of contents on TRI’s latest research report, The Telecom Revenue Management, Mediation, and Analytics Software Market, can be found by visiting www.technology-research.com/products/revenue.php.

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GRAPA is looking for qualified and experienced revenue assurance professionals interested in submitting posts or articles on issues relating to the practice of revenue assurance. Send us a draft or proposal, along with a resume, and start a conversation with the entire GRAPA membership.

Dan is the first in a series of guest bloggers GRAPA has chosen to feature due to their knowledge and experience in Revenue Assurance matters. Dan is Research Director and founder of Technology Research Institute (TRI), a market research and analyst firm focused on tracking BSS/OSS and telecom assurance software markets since 1994. Baker has authored dozens of multi-client and single-client research studies in areas that span the breadth of telecom back office systems, including wireless and wireline billing, OSS/provisioning, customer care/CRM, revenue assurance, service assurance and test, as well as telecom analytics.

In the last several years, operating a telecom company has become a rather risky business.

Yes, the slowdown in the world economy has brought more risks, but I was referring to a more elemental factor driving risk: the sheer competitive nature of today’s communications business.

Not only have governments around the world permitted numerous operators to compete in the same wireline/mobile/cable markets, but industry outsiders from internet (i.e. Google), consumer electronics (LG and Apple), IT companies (Microsoft), and media companies (BBC) are all aiming for their own slices of the communications revenue pie.

In a climate that competitive, it is hard to accurately predict which telecom services will win the gold medals and which will drop out of the race.

So what can a telecom do to assure its future? I think the secret is to keep trying something new — keep experimenting. Telecoms need to constantly innovate to stay ahead of the pack. They need to continually launch new network services, then bill for them creatively, provision them accurately, and market them wisely.

And to do all that, frankly, means making lots of mistakes along the way. Services fail, revenue drops through the floor, and processes get entangled in a big bowl of spaghetti. Get used to it! Having lots of revenue assurance operational problems is perfectly normal. It is the natural process of remaining a competitive company. In fact, if you are not finding plenty of revenue assurance problems to investigate, you either; 1) work for a telecom company who is playing too conservative, or 2) you need invest in tools that will give you greater visibility into the problems you have not seen yet.

Here is the irony of all this: while life has become much more complex for the telecom company you work for, the same tough problems your employer faces may actually boost your career as a revenue assurance professional!

As the delivery, ordering, and billing for new services gets more complex, auditors and process experts are needed to straighten things out and keep revenue operations running smoothly. In other words, there is a big need for smart people and problem solvers in the back office. And I think the worldwide growth of the GRAPA organization is a good indicator of that trend. Frankly I was a little surprised to discover there are over 3,100 GRAPA members worldwide, given how specialized the revenue assurance function is. Those numbers suggest GRAPA’s membership represents between half and a third of the revenue assurance professionals in the world.

And is not it reassuring that in a fiercely competitive telecom industry, there are organizations such as GRAPA where issues can be freely aired and people can help each other succeed? In many ways, revenue assurance has long since become a professional function, like internal audit, where sharing information and opinions benefits the community as a whole.

But discussion needs to be based in facts and data. Most of you have no doubt already downloaded (as I have) GRAPA’s internationally ratified standards book, as well as their mediation benchmark. In addition, Technology Research Institute (TRI), the market research organization I run, also has some experience looking at trends in the revenue assurance market, particularly on the software side, trends that are often of great interest to revenue assurance professionals. In fact, we have published four industry reports on revenue assurance software and services since 2001, including our most recent one completed in September 2009. I will talk more about my findings from that report in my next blog post, coming soon.

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Dan Baker is the Research Director of Technology Research Institute (TRI), a firm that’s followed the BSS/OSS market since 1994. Highlights and a table of contents on TRI’s latest research report, The Telecom Revenue Management, Mediation, and Analytics Software Market, can be found by visiting www.technology-research.com/products/revenue.php.

Subscribe in a reader

GRAPA is looking for qualified and experienced revenue assurance professionals interested in submitting posts or articles on issues relating to the practice of revenue assurance. Send us a draft or proposal, along with a resume, and start a conversation with the entire GRAPA membership.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 19, 2009 – In signs that the global market for revenue assurance (RA) professionals is expanding in line with carriers’ interest in RA, the Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) has added an astounding 500 members just in the past 3 months, bringing their number of registered members to over 3000.

“It is clear from the dramatic growth in our membership that the pool of revenue assurance practitioners is growing worldwide. But this growth did not just happen during the downturn when telcos were painfully re-learning why revenue needs to be top-of-mind. Before emerging from the recession, many telcos had to face their own mortality and realize how fragile their revenue models were—so they’re determined not to make the same mistakes again as the recovery gathers pace,” says Rob Mattison, GRAPA’s President.

“Telco’s are realizing that what was good business practice during tough economic times remains crucial even after a return to profits and growth. Many telcos had put aside revenue assurance in the last boom because they wrongly assumed it would slow down the pace of innovation. But the recession proved them dead wrong. Revenue assurance in fact encourages telcos to pioneer new technologies and continue rapid expansion, but do so in a way that keeps a firm eye on potential risks and exposures. This way, failures become far less expensive and successes get even more lucrative,” said Louis Khor, GRAPA’s Director of Research and Industry Analysis.

To find out more about the makeup of GRAPA’s 3000 members, drawn from 160 countries and 1300 operating companies, please visit: http://www.grapatel.com/A-GRAPA/01-Home/Home8.asp

To register as a GRAPA member, and download a free copy of GRAPA’s 200+ page internationally ratified revenue assurance standards book detailing GRAPA’s forward vision for revenue assurance: http://www.grapatel.com/A-GRAPA/07-Library/library.asp

About GRAPA:

The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) was created to serve the interests of revenue assurance professionals throughout the world. As the leading standards, certification and professionalizing body in revenue assurance, GRAPA is committed to core principals of consensus, rationalization and integrity in all its endeavors. GRAPA’s goal is to further the professional stature of those working in revenue assurance, and to have their essential functions recognized at the core of efficient and effective telecommunications industry practice. GRAPA believes that this can only be achieved through the rigorous application of ratified global standards, the certification of trained and qualified professionals, and the continuous education of those who work in such an essential, demanding and constantly evolving discipline.

Revenue Assurance—The Profit in Keeping What’s Yours.

Learn more about GRAPA at www.grapatel.com

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The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) is a not-for-profit organization created to serve the interests of revenue assurance professionals throughout the world.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 12, 2009 – Following the success of training classes in Amsterdam, Madrid and Luxembourg, and as part of its ongoing ‘Certification Tour of Europe,’ the Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association’s (GRAPA’s) London event unveiled the latest and greatest ‘Revenue Assurance to the Xtreme’© Training Class. The London event also kept up the pace of certifications within GRAPA’s 500 member European Chapter, with the 50th graduate completing a European training class.

“In Europe, we had previously only certified Masters level candidates—either in Revenue Assurance Management (CM-RAM) or Revenue Assurance Information Technology (CM-RAIT)—so this time round in London we are proud to announce the certification of ten new members at the intermediate Bachelors level,” said Rob Mattison, GRAPA’s President.

The proud graduands who attended GRAPA’s ‘Revenue Assurance to the Xtreme’© training event in London certified either as Bachelors of Revenue Assurance (CB-RA), Bachelors of Internal Audit for Telecom Revenues (CB-IATR) or Bachelors of Telecoms Fraud Management (CB-TFM)—depending on previous work experience and having taken tests specific to their specialization.

“GRAPA’s ‘Revenue Assurance to the Xtreme’© training class has been lauded as a paradigm changing experience—and it has been so successful in re-aligning the mindsets of telecoms professionals because it is based on the first-hand practical implementation of GRAPA’s internationally ratified standards, to unprecedented effect, across scores of telecom operating companies,” said Louis Khor, GRAPA’s Director of Research and Industry Analysis.
For more information on GRAPA’s ‘Revenue Assurance to the Xtreme’ training program, please visit: http://www.ra-academy.org/Workshops/CoreCurriculum/main/ …
For more information on GRAPA’s certification programs, including information on how to certify as a Bachelor of Revenue Assurance (CB-RA), Bachelor of Internal Audit for Telecom Revenues (CB-IATR) or Bachelor of Telecoms Fraud Management (CB-TFM), please visit: http://www.grapatel.com/A-GRAPA/02-Certification/certifi …

About GRAPA:

The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) was created to serve the interests of revenue assurance professionals throughout the world. As the leading standards, certification and professionalizing body in revenue assurance, GRAPA is committed to core principals of consensus, rationalization and integrity in all its endeavors. GRAPA’s goal is to further the professional stature of those working in revenue assurance, and to have their essential functions recognized at the core of efficient and effective telecommunications industry practice. GRAPA believes that this can only be achieved through the rigorous application of ratified global standards, the certification of trained and qualified professionals, and the continuous education of those who work in such an essential, demanding and constantly evolving discipline.
Revenue Assurance—The Profit in Keeping What’s Yours.
Learn more about GRAPA at www.grapatel.com

# # #

The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) is a not-for-profit organization created to serve the interests of revenue assurance professionals throughout the world.

To embed this press release, copy and paste the following HTML code into your webpage-

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The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) presented telecoms luminaries at Communique ’09 with a forward-looking vision of revenue assurance—one relevant to Asian, Indian and developing markets. The presentation was delivered by Louis Khor, GRAPA’s Director of Research and Industry Analysis, at the annual Asian Telecoms Seminar organized by the Symbiosis Institute of Telecoms Management (SITM) in Pune, India.

“GRAPA is proud to partner with such an august academic institution as SITM, and to participate in an international conference that truly addresses regional issues. The diversity of telecoms operations around the world demands unique focus on the needs of local markets, and having high level professional conferences like these where giants in the industry meet and talk about the current state of regional affairs is invaluable—not only for corporate delegates, but the presenters and panelists,” said Rob Mattison, GRAPA’s President.

The presentation focused on the special role played by revenue assurance professionals in helping telcos weather the financial storms that have battered much of the world. With revenue assurance departments having grown throughout the downturn, and with them continuing to do so even as the recovery gathers pace, it has become clear that revenue assurance as a profession has gained prominence in telco operations independent of the global business cycle—in no small part due to GRAPA’s efforts to professionalize the industry and develop internationally ratified revenue assurance standards.

For more information on revenue assurance, internationally ratified revenue assurance standards as well as to download a free copy of GRAPA’s 200+ page standards book, please visit: http://www.grapatel.com/A-GRAPA/07-Library/library.asp

For more information on Communique ’09 and to download their forecast for the 2010 telecoms market Prevision ’10, please visit http://www.seminar.sitm.ac.in/

About SITM:

Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM), established in 1996, is the pioneer in the field of Telecom Management in entire SAARC region. The institute endeavors to develop World-Class Telecom Business Leaders who can address the needs of a constantly changing business scenario in a technical field, such as telecom, with ease. The institute embraces the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" which focuses on bridging distances among the members of the world and facilitates cultural exchange amongst the students. The Institute in its 13th year of existence commits itself towards realizing the vision of its founding forefathers.

About GRAPA:

The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) was created to serve the interests of telecommunications and revenue assurance professionals throughout the world. As the leading standards, certification and professionalizing body in revenue assurance, GRAPA is committed to core principals of consensus, rationalization and integrity in all its endeavors. GRAPA’s goal is to further the professional stature of those working in telecommunications revenue assurance, and to have their essential functions recognized at the core of efficient and effective industry practice. GRAPA believes that this can only be achieved through the rigorous application of ratified global standards, the certification of trained and qualified professionals, and the continuous education of those who work in such an essential, demanding and constantly evolving discipline.

Revenue Assurance—The Profit in Keeping What’s Yours.

Learn more about GRAPA at www.grapatel.com

However, since the vast majority of what interests telecoms auditors relates, more often than not, to fraud as well as the integrity of revenue generation and tracking processes, there is a great deal that GRAPA–as a revenue assurance organization–can offer internal auditors. As such, GRAPA has expanded the scope of our internationally ratified training and certification program to meet demand from internal auditors.

The GRAPA internal audit certification provides internal auditors with a comprehensive understanding of how telecommunications revenue management works, and provides a framework for internal auditors and revenue assurance professionals to understand how they can work as a team to provide telcos with an optimum containment of loss and risk.

The internal audit certification has met with strong support from many internal auditors, audit committees and audit organizations.

The certification GRAPA offers is in "the auditing of telecom revenues"–GRAPA is not an auditor’s organization nor a certification body for auditors–however, many auditors have submitted this training to their certification organizations and received credit for continuing education, helping them remain in good standing. Currently we have a group working on making that designation official in the US and other key areas.

In order to fulfill the training requirement of the certification, internal auditors will sit in the same classroom and experience the same training as those working towards revenue assurance certification, which is especially helpful in clarifying the boundaries between the two functions. Internal auditors should rest assured though, that the training covers both the RA and I/A perspectives in depth, alongside coverage of IFRS and GAAP issues relating to revenue recognition, as well as the proper allocation and reporting of revenues. The training will also address regulatory compliance and management accounting – especially when it comes to the materiality, accuracy and completeness of reported information.

Internal auditors are however expected to take and pass an additional "internal audit" test – 60 questions, which reviews the course material specifically from an audit perspective.

To fulfill the work experience requirement for certification, you need to have at least 6 months experience as a telecoms auditor.

To pass the special internal audit test, you will need to have a working knowledge of GAAP and IFRS in relation to telecom revenues.

If you do not have the experience or wish to defer testing, you can be awarded the certification "pending – experience" or "pending – testing" and cover that requirement only when you feel you are ready.

If you have more questions about GRAPA’s Bachelors of Internal Audit for Telecom Revenues Certification, please contact us at info@grapatel.com.

“Telco internal auditors tend to be skilled finance professionals, but they often lack formal education in the unique networks, systems and processes they are tasked with auditing. However internal auditors do not need a PhD in Engineering to understand how networks function, especially since most systems have audit trails embedded in their logic. All internal auditors need is some focused training on how network processes function. Acquiring this intimate knowledge of telco environments quickly transforms shallow generalists into true telecommunications professionals” said Rob Mattison, GRAPA’s President.

“Internal auditors and revenue assurance are natural partners within the telco. Both are on the same team, especially when it comes to eliminating fraud and revenue risk. However GRAPA’s training also helps clarify boundaries and responsibilities, allowing I/A and RA to work together effectively as a team. Both sides have to remember that I/A is the telco’s independent check, while revenue assurance is I/A’s (operationally responsible) enforcement arm. Internal audit is the strategic brains guiding the tactical brawn of revenue assurance” said Louis Khor, GRAPA’s Director of Research and Industry Analysis.

Telco Internal Auditors will be able to certify as Bachelors of Internal Audit for Telecom Revenues (CB-IATR) by attending GRAPA’s intensive ‘Revenue Assurance to the Xtreme’ training program, taking a series of tests and providing proof of experience working in telco internal audit.

For more information on GRAPA’s certification program for telecommunications internal auditors, please visit:

http://www.grapatel.com/A-GRAPA/02-Certification/auditor_certification.asp

For more information on GRAPA’s ‘Revenue Assurance to the Xtreme’ training program, please visit:

http://www.ra-academy.org/Workshops/CoreCurriculum/main/main.htm

About GRAPA:

The Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association (GRAPA) was created to serve the interests of telecommunications and revenue assurance professionals throughout the world. As the leading standards, certification and professionalizing body in revenue assurance, GRAPA is committed to core principals of consensus, rationalization and integrity in all its endeavors. GRAPA’s goal is to further the professional stature of those working in telecommunications revenue assurance, and to have their essential functions recognized at the core of efficient and effective industry practice. GRAPA believes that this can only be achieved through the rigorous application of ratified global standards, the certification of trained and qualified professionals, and the continuous education of those who work in such an essential, demanding and constantly evolving discipline.

Revenue Assurance—The Profit in Keeping What’s Yours.

Learn more about GRAPA at www.grapatel.com

“John Doyle has owned a prepaid cell phone for nine years.

He rarely uses it…

This was no problem until Doyle decided to upgrade his [phone] and tried to transfer the accumulated 7,833 minutes.”

What the article describes is a fascinating case study in what happens when revenue assurance teams are put in the middle of a difficult situation – one where the threat of criminal fraud gets in the way of preserving the telco’s brand reputation and retaining loyal/lucrative customers.