Background: A leading telecom company in Africa , embarked on a transformative journey to upgrade network from 3G to LTE, OSS and BSS systems change and conversion, implement new ERP and CRM solutions and enhance the billing process. This project aimed to align with the company’s corporate strategy, adopt new technologies, and improve customer experience. The project duration was set at 10 months, and it represented a significant change and shift towards new technology adoption

Challenges: The telecom company faced several challenges in executing the USD 100m transformation program:

• Ensuring completion within the 10-month timeframe (limited time)
• Coordinating and controlling multiple projects simultaneously (cross project coordination)
• Balancing the integration of agile and traditional project management approaches (hybrid project approach)
• Ensuring smooth OSS and BSS upgradation without disrupting ongoing operations (operational risk)
• Successfully implementing ERP and CRM solutions while minimizing system downtime (smooth transition)
• Enhancing the billing process to improve accuracy and efficiency (user experience)

Approach: To overcome these challenges and deliver the project successfully, company engaged SUPRA Partners to employ a comprehensive approach – focusing on the following key factors

• Strict project management principles, including milestone planning, regular progress tracking, and proactive risk management, ensured adherence to the 10-month timeline
• By utilizing both agile and traditional project management methodologies, company maintained flexibility and adaptability while maintaining clear project scope, objectives, and deliverables
• Careful planning thorough testing and efficient change management processes were implemented to minimize service disruptions during the upgrade for OSS and BSS applications

Achievements: Successful control and delivery of the USD 100m telecom transformation project resulted in the following achievements:

• 90% project targets was delivered within the 10 month timeframe – meeting all predefined milestones and objectives
• Utilizing agile and traditional methodologies company achieved a 15% increase in project efficiency and a 20% reduction in project overruns
• Company experienced only minimal service disruptions, within a targeted and anticipated downtime of less than 1% during the upgrade process of OSS and BSS
• Deployment of ERP and CRM solutions led to a 40% improvement in data accuracy and a 30% increase in user productivity
• Billing process resulted in a 30% reduction in billing errors, contributing to a 25% increase in customer satisfaction

Conclusion: By effectively controlling and delivering the USD 100M telecom transformation project, SUPRA Partners demonstrated its ability to navigate complex projects, leverage agile and traditional project management approaches, and successfully embrace new technologies. The achievements, including timely completion, controlled projects, smooth system upgradation, and enhanced billing processes, showcase OpCo’s commitment to change and transformation – resulting in improved operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and overall project success