We recently attended a webinar delivered by the Huawei Global Consulting BSS/OSS business unit. The event introduced Huawei’s customer experience blueprint, named Delivering the Integrated Customer Experience or “DICE”. At the end of 2012, we noted that Huawei’s current references on the customer experience management (CEM) side seemed slim, and some changes to its messaging were in order. The DICE blueprint goes some way to addressing that.
Huawei’s DICE is an actionable blueprint not a new product
Huawei is looking to develop its value-added solutions. To achieve this, it is trying to identify ways to solve the current challenges facing its customers. In its DICE-based approach, Huawei’s consulting teams engage with the operator to understand business imperatives and objectives.
The approach covers how to implement customer experience based on six key factors: personalization of services; achieving connectivity across multiple channels; easy reach to desired apps and services; being smart in OSS/BSS operations for optimized service delivery to customers; improved timeliness in delivery of improved services; and maintaining the customer attraction to the operator’s “sticky” set of services.
SmartCare, Huawei’s customer experience platform, hosts several customer experience management solutions such as Network Performance Improvement and Management, Service Quality Management, and Customer Experience Management. Although these are presented as different solutions, they do not provide unique services (as explained in our report Vendor Services Review: Huawei Technologies). However, the Huawei DICE blueprint provides a holistic approach to delivering an integrated customer experience across the operator’s business.
A new confidence
Huawei has possessed all the technical components of good customer experience for some time. What was missing was a framework such as DICE to present a joined-up approach to customer experience from the core network through to devices.
In presenting DICE, Huawei reiterates the operator’s business needs: unified experience across touchpoints; personalized communications; customer analytics; IT enablement; business process optimization; and customer-centric realignment, and then offers recommendations which cover these needs. Having made these recommendations, Huawei can then look into its portfolio of customer experience solutions to identify existing solutions that meet these recommendations. Otherwise, DICE proposes to work with the operator to create a customized solution.
In terms of its overall customer experience offer, Huawei has capabilities that can help the operator execute in many of these areas. It rarely acquires companies, as it can draw on 6,500 OSS/BSS employees, 200 business and solution consultants, and 60 senior specialists across four global consulting centers, two architecture centers and three offshore development centers. However, to deliver on operator customer experience initiatives, Huawei may need to partner with other companies in selected areas.
The company can take advantage of its position in the European market, where it serves many tier-1 customers. It can use its significant R&D resources and marketing budget to invest in this program. Huawei will need to maintain a fine balance between its reputation for affordability while delivering quality and sustainable business value through its consulting and professional services functions.
Huawei’s DICE platform could alter the competitive landscape
It is good to see Huawei step up to the customer experience area by clearly specifying its path towards becoming more service-oriented. Huawei is moving towards having a compelling offer for operators that could place it in a good position compared to existing players. Players such as Ericsson and NSN which have been vocal in the customer experience market should expect to see an impact from this introduction from Huawei.
This article was written by an Ovum analyst. For more information, visit www.ovum.com/