FAQs ON CDR PROJECT IN BSNL

Transcription

1 FAQs ON CDR PROJECT IN BSNL 1. What will happen to the existing billing system once the CDR Project is implemented? All the existing systems for Commercial, TRA, FRS and DQ will be replaced with the new system. 2. Is the CDR system being implemented only for Landline customers? The CDR Project is going to provide end-to-end customer care and billing systems for Landline customers, as well as CDMA, Broadband, and Leased line customers 3. Is TVARIT system going to be migrated to the CDR Project? Yes. The new system will take care of Leased lines, provisioning and billing and therefore, TVARIT will be completely migrated to the new system. 4. How many zonal systems are provided in the CDR Project? There will be four zonal systems, one for each zone. The Hyderabad Data Centre shall take care of South Zone, Kolkata for East Zone, Chandigarh for North Zone, and Pune for West Zone 5. Who are the vendors implementing this project? There are two System Integrators, M/s.HCL is the vendor for implementing this project in South and East and M/s.TCS is responsible for implementing in North and West. 6.What is the time frame for implementing this project? The Project is going to be implemented in two phases; convergent billing for Zonal customers. ES of Hyderabad will take care of customers having All India presence. 7. Will the GSM billing system continue? Yes. The GSM billing system shall continue in all the four Zonal Billing Centres. At the end of this implementation, BSNL shall have basically two billing systems, one for GSM post paid customers and the CDR Project for all other services. 8. What is the role of CRM software? This is the first time that BSNL is going to implement the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software for providing telecom services to the customers. This is going to be a single platform for all activities like Marketing, Sales, Orders, Service Requests, Analysis for all product lines like Landline, Broadband, Leased lines, etc. This software is going to be a Front-end for taking requests for GSM services also. All customers having a GSM connection on Landline Deposit, are going to be linked through a common data base in this project. The CRM software is going to provide the interface between the two systems. It provides a facility for the customers to manage their accounts/services through Web Self Care (WSC). The Zonal implementation avoids redundancy of data in multiple data bases. With special reference to CRM it is possible for the first time to achieve process standardization in configuration of plans and

2 providing better customer services. It allows Management to take correct business decisions with predictive and historical analysis for managing churn and plan retention campaigns. 9. How are bills going to be printed? The CDR Project has a component called Bill Formatter. This software prepares a print file in a pre-defined format that can support multiple languages, graphics, advertisements, etc. The print file can be used by the SSAs/Circles to print the bills using existing methodology. In future, BSNL plans to have centralized bill printing centres. This will enable BSNL to have a uniform format for issuing the customer bill across the country. The bill printing system is not part of this project. 10. Is Call Centre part of this project? Setting up of Call Centre is not a part of this project. However, the centralized equipment required for a Call Centre like IVRS, CTI (Computer Telephony Interface)ACD, IPEPABX, are part of this project. Each Zone shall have a centralized IVRS connected to the Local TAX and within the Data Centre connected to the IPEPABX. The infrastructure provided for Call Centres in Circles (one for each circle as per the Corporate Office policy) will continue to be used. The Call Centres will get connected to the Data Centres over an IP network. 11. How are the 1500 calls routed? The 1500 calls in future will be routed to the centralized IVRS in each Zone. Depending upon the CLI, the call will be routed through the IP-EPABX to the respective Circle Call Centre. The Call Centre agent shall be provided with one IP phone. The PC at the Call Centre agent also is connected over IP network to the Data Centre. By accessing the data of the customer, the Call Centre agent shall provide necessary service to the customer over the IP phone. IP phones are supplied to Circles as part of this project. 12. What are the IVRS services provided in the CDR Project? The following services are provided :a) All 1500 calls b) All customer complaints calls c). Automatic bill enquiry and payment reminder service d). Automatic changed number information e) Automatic Trunk Call Booking service (Computerized 180 service) f) Other Call Centre services 13. What is the equipment being delivered at SSAs? The SSAs shall get the following equipments: a) Exchange routers - to connect each and every Main exchange to the Zonal Data Centre through an IP network. b) Aggregation router/central router - This router will aggregate all 2 MB links coming from all the exchanges of an SSA and will connect to the nearest MPLS node over one STM1 link. c) Ethernet switch (24 ports and/or 16 ports) - To provide LAN in a Customer Service Centre or any other BSNL office. d) Ethernet extender - 1 pair of Ethernet extender is provided based on the requirement in each SSA to extend the LAN from an exchange router or a remote router to a distant place within 3 to 5 KMs over copper pair, to provide a Customer Service Centre. e) Remote router - A router used to connect a new Customer Service Centre or a BSNL office to the Zonal Data Centre through central router/mpls.

3 f) IP phones - For Call Centres one for each call centre position. g) MTE for E10B Exchanges - This equipment is meant for E10B Exchanges to collect CDRs for all the calls for all the customers. The MTE will be connected to the Exchange router which is in turn connected to MPLS network through the Central router. h) CES for CDOT Exchanges - This equipment designed by CDOT shall provide theinterface to pull the CDR files from all CDOT Exchanges. 14. Are PCs provided to SSAs in this project? PCs are provided in a limited quantity to SSAs in this project through this tender. However, it is envisaged to re-utilize the existing PCs as much as possible. SSAs must therefore upgrade the existing PCs, if possible with 256 MB RAM minimum or 512 MB RAM (recommended). All the PCs must be loaded with WINDOWS XP latest Version and Internet Browser. 15. Can we use the PCs which are not upgradable and are more than 5 years old? No. Such PCs must be replaced with new PCs. The new PCs must be procured by the SSAs, if the number of PCs provided in this tender are not sufficient. The new PCs must have a minimum of 512 MB RAM in case Windows XP is the Operating System(OS) and 1GB RAM in case Windows Vista is the OS. 16. Where are the PCs required for this project? All the locations that are providing Commercial, TRA, DQ, and FRS functionalities will henceforth access the new applications, and therefore are the locations where the PCs for the CDR Project have to be provided. The new applications will all be browser based and no client software is required to be loaded. 17. Who will procure anti-virus software for the PCs? Anti virus software for PCs procured through this tender shall also come along with the PCs. TCS/HCL shall deliver the same. However for PCs already existing in SSAs and those procured new by SSAs should have anti virus software. This must be procured by SSAs. 18. Can the SSAs use the existing Dot matrix printers at Online counters? Yes. They can continue to use the existing Dot matrix printers. 19. Any other item the SSA has to procure? SSA has to procure, if necessary, Bar code Scanners for all Online counters (if not already present) and normal scanners (A4 size) for scanning the customer application at all Customer Service Centres and Commercial Officers. UPS required for CSR locations (if the present UPS are not sufficient) and for new locations planned must be procured by SSAs. 20.Can I re-use the IVRS systems? Yes; Although a centralized IVRS system is being procured for applications as listed above the existing IVRS rendered spare in SSAs can be reutilized for applications not dependent on live database of the zonal data centre. For example, as soon as the bills are generated, a bill dump file can be taken in the local IVRS system and a bill issue/payment

4 reminder service can be continued from the local IVRS system itself. There are many other IVRS services introduced in some SSAs which are not dependent on live customer data such as dial-in for knowing user-id-password for broadband connection; all such services can continue. 21.What should be the switch level preparedness in order to ensure CDR file pullingfrom all the switches? For E10B exchanges MTE is being provided. It will be installed in the OMC room. For CDOT exchanges CES will be connected to IOP. For NEAX & FETEX exchanges MTE shall be used. For all other New Technology exchanges, Circles have to procure (if not available)the items as indicated below: REQUIREMENT OF HARDWARE FOR CDR COLLECTION AND PROVISIONING IN NT SWITCHES SWITCHCARD CABLE OCB ACV 11 3BW01585 GL cable(acv11 to IRP BOX3BL01939 HL cable or 3BL02204 JA Cable (IRP to Router)5 ESS UN 582 B FTAM CABLE (CARD TO ROUTER)AXE LIU 4 TSR (Card to Router)EWSD LAU B & LAU C S38228Z77A150 (Card to Router)POC SSAs to ensure availability of the above by coordinating with respective Circle Office/Corporate Office (Switching Cell) with a copy to IT Circle. Level -1 TAXs are not taken in the WAN diagram for POC. Card and cable requirement is not taken into consideration. Instructions are required in this regard. Only 4 metros shall be covered in IOBAS in POC stage; Additional routers required for the L1 TAXs in the four metros shall be procured by IT circle 22.E-10B exchange having 75% loading, is not capable to store 100% CDR. How tohandle it in the CDR project? Yes; Such exchanges are to be identified and MCU based billing will continue. Preferably and if possible it is better to migrate customers to other NT switches and reduce the loading so that 100% CDR generation is possible and a true CDR based billing system is implemented. 23. Power, PCM Cable, MCB etc are required for connectivity of exchange router, MTE,CES. Who will provide the Power, PCM Cable, Switches? They shall be provided by SSAs. Exchange in-charges are authorized to provide the space, power etc. and are requested to co-operate with the representatives of M/sHCL who will come to install the routers. Whether existing 64 kbps links (via MPLS) in the CSR network will be sufficient or higher bandwidth is required as E1 ports are not available in MPLS node. Each CSR location should be preferably linked on 2 MB bandwidth. But if any CSR location is already on 64 kbps and is not up-gradable due to any reason, then in such exceptional circumstances it will continue. All CSR locations must be aggregated to a central location and then connected to the Central Router of the CDR project over FE (if co-located) or on STM1 link. This will in turn be connected to MPLS over FE/STM1 link. No CSR location will be individually and directly connected to MPLS. Requirement of cards and cables for Cordect and other WLL switches. For all V 5.2 switches - CDRs will be taken from main PSTN switches; For MSC based WLL

5 switches - separate routers to be procured by ITPC and cards and cables are to be provided by SSAs/circles. 24.CDMA BSCs are parented to Jallandhar MSC which is not covered in the POC phase.so, how CDRs will be collected for Chandigarh WLL Numbers? To cover the Chandigarh WLL numbers, the concerned Jallandhar switch also must be connected to the CDR project. Necessary routers etc. shall be procured by IT circle. 25. CDMA billing is shifted to GSM billing system. What is the necessity of collecting thecdrs for CDMA in the CDR project? The decision to migrate the billing of CDMA customers (especially MSC based) to the GSM billing system was taken because the CDR project was getting delayed. The CDMA billing is part of the scope of the CDR project. This project also covers the commercial, FRS and other service assurance matters of CDMA customers along with the land line customers. Hence ultimately the CDMA customers shall be handled only in the CDR project. 26. Who will provide the racks for the routers in the SSAs? They will be provided by the SI. How the Call centre is integrated when - (i) CC is located at a different place (-Gurgaon) (ii) CC distributed at multiple locations (- UP(W)) (iii) CC in a different Circle (- HP)?(i) wherever be the location, CC will be connected to data centre; (ii) Multiple locations will be connected; calls distribution to be configured in the system (iii)same as (i); As long as agent is able to access data and answer the call of customer, connectivity only remains to be finalized. The call centre agent is connected over IP network to the data centre. Calls are routed through IP-EPABX and IP phones are provided in the call centres. The PC at the call centre agent accesses the database over the IP network. The CRM software is used by the call centre agent through a browser. 27. CDOT 256 exchanges are still pending for conversion to AN-RAX. Can they continue? No. All CDOT exchanges must be converted to AN-RAX. All SBMs must be converted to RSUs. Meter based billing for exchanges shall continue only in exceptional cases. Circle should take up with MS/Switching/ TX cell of corporate office for any equipment requirement. 28. Connections closed in exchanges are still present in the TRA systems. Will they betransferred to the new system? No. As far as possible, for all closed connections account settlement must be completed in the old system and maximum efforts will be made to transfer only the working numbers and temporarily disconnected numbers not reaching the permissible closure period at the time of migration. Many software licenses are customer based. So SSAs should try not to transfer customer data of old closed cases into the new system. NE number format in the data migration document posted on the portal is not fitting for OCB. It may vary from switch to switch. Yes; The format will vary from switch to switch. The SI shall finalize it in the new system. The data migration document posted on the portal is only for guidance and to highlight the issues involved and is not an instruction manual for data migration.

6 Circles are requested to use the document to start cleaning the existing data as far as possible. 29. Who will provide UPS at CSR locations? SSAs have to procure UPS systems required for PCs, printers, scanners and other equipment located at CSR locations. UPS at SSAs is not part of the deliverables of the CDR project. It is not a line item in the CDR tender. 30. If the present UPS at a location being used for dumb terminals is not sufficient,should the SSAs procure new one? Yes; UPS/inverters wherever required must be procured immediately by SSAs. 31. Should the TAXs record all CDRs for all calls? Yes. BSNL has to submit reports to TRAI (and for its own corporate accounting) regarding segmentation of traffic as Basic, NLD and ILD operator. At level II, Tandem and all local exchanges, all CDRs must be recorded. At level I TAX and levelii TAX, all CDRs except for intra Circle intra BSNL landline and intra SSA intra BSNL landline calls shall be recorded. Intra circle traffic will not be treated as NLD traffic. In the case of WLL, if it is fixed WLL, it will be treated as landline and if it is mobile, it shall be treated as GSM. The trunk groups will be configured accordingly in the IOBAS for getting necessary reports. 32.What shall we do with the Interconnect billing system which is part of the GSM billing system? It shall be migrated to the CDR project. Other operators will be given a single invoice service area wise including the direct connectivity POI traffic. In addition, the trunk groups carrying traffic between BSNL landline and BSNL CMTS will be identified and configured separately in the IOBAS for necessary reports.