Content for TS 32.101 Word version: 18.0.0
6.6 Service Management and Operations (SM&O) Processes
6.6.1 SM&O Support and Readiness
6.6.2 Service Configuration and Activation
6.6.3 Service Problem Management
6.6.4 Service Quality Management
6.6.5 Service and Specific Instance Rating
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6.6 Service Management and Operations (SM&O) Processes |R8| p. 32
Service Management and Operations (SM&O): This horizontal functional process grouping focuses on the knowledge of services (Access, Connectivity, Content, etc.) and includes all functionalities necessary for the management and operations of communications and information services required by or proposed to customers.
The focus is on service delivery and management as opposed to the management of the underlying network and information technology. Some of the functions involve short-term service capacity planning for a service instance, the application of a service design to specific customers or managing service improvement initiatives.
These functions are closely connected with the day-to-day customer experience.
The processes in this horizontal functional process grouping are accountable to meet, at a minimum, targets set for Service Quality, including process performance and customer satisfaction at a service level, as well as Service Cost.
The eTOM framework differentiates day-to-day operations and support from planning and development and other strategy and lifecycle processes. This better depicts the structure of an enterprise, especially in an e-business era.
![Copy of original 3GPP image for 3GPP TS 32.101, Fig. 6.6: Service Management and Operations decomposition [114]](../img/tinv-32-101-6.6.gif)
6.6.1 SM&O Support and Readiness p. 32
SM&O Support and Readiness processes manage classes of services, ensuring that the appropriate service capacity is available and ready to support the Fulfilment, Assurance and Billing processes in instantiating and managing service instances. This includes but is not limited to:
- Managing the Service Inventory;
- Applying service capacity rules from Infrastructure Lifecycle Management processes;
- Analysing availability and quality over time on service classes, including trend analysis and forecasting;
- Demand balancing in order to maintain service capacity and quality;
- Maintaining rating and tariff information for service classes.
6.6.2 Service Configuration and Activation p. 33
Service Configuration and Activation processes encompass the installation and configuration of the service for customers, including the installation of customer premises equipment. They also support the reconfiguration of the service (either due to customer demand or problem resolution) after the initial service installation. This can include modifying capacity and reconfiguring in response to requests from other providers.
6.6.3 Service Problem Management p. 33
The purpose of the Service Problem Management processes is to respond immediately to customer-affecting service problems or failures in order to minimize their effects on customers, and to invoke the restoration of the service, or provide an alternate service as soon as possible. They encompass the reporting of problems, making a temporary fix or work-around, isolating the root cause and finally recovering the complete functionality of the service and providing information for future enhancements.
6.6.4 Service Quality Management p. 33
The purpose of the Service Quality Management processes encompasses monitoring, analysing and controlling the performance of the service perceived by customers. These processes are responsible for restoring the service performance for customers to a level specified in the SLA or other service KQI descriptions as soon as possible.
6.6.5 Service and Specific Instance Rating p. 33
Service and Specific Instance Rating processes manage service events by correlating and formatting them into a useful format. These processes include the service level rating of usage information. Investigation of service related billing event problems is also part of these processes. These processes provide information on customer-related and Service-related events to other process areas. This includes reports on non-chargeable Events and overcharged Events and analysis of Event records to identify fraud and prevent further occurrences.
