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  • 1.  CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 24, 2022 08:14
    Hi,

    I'm working into a project which we are designing a CPQ Journey. Therefore, we think that, after perform Service Qualification is necessary a reservation of the resources that supports the Service Qualification. However, I'm no sure if the CPQ should use a TMF685 to perform a resource reservation, because CPQ only know the product so, before request a resource reservation, would be needed a orchestration to decompouse a product in service and a service in resources to then invoke Resource Pool Management. It makes me wonder if wouldn't be necessary a component between CQP and Resource Pool Management to perform this orchestration. What do you think and which TMF API should this component exposed?

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    Caui Leal
    Telefonica Brasil S.A.
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  • 2.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 24, 2022 10:35

    Hi Caui

    In TMF language, it seems that BSS (core commerce) is responsible for decomposition of product => service.
    Regarding resource, it's more complex, since products can be aware of resources directly, especially logical resources (e.g. MSISDNs) and devices sold directly to customers (e.g. handsets). For these types of resources, we could expect BSS to take charge of the decomposition.
    For network resources, or hardware resources with no direct customer involvement, probably a SOM (production) component would do the decomposition.

    Does it make sense?



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    Jonathan Goldberg
    Amdocs Management Limited
    Any opinions and statements made by me on this forum are purely personal, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the TM Forum or my employer.
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 24, 2022 12:30
    Thank you,Jonathan.

    Makes sense that it should be handled by OSS layer, thus to complexity. However, I don't have a Service Order created yet, because I'm on CPQ process . Therefore, I don't know if I could use a SOM. I'm prone to create a component, like a microsservice, called "Service allocation" or "Service Reservation", to solve this problem. However I'd like to understand how TM Forum drive this scenario.

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    Caui Leal
    Telefonica Brasil S.A.
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 04:00
    Hi Caui,

    I am just wondering why resource reservation is needed for a CPQ process. I am not an expert in this, but if I consider e.g. the analogy with a car dealer, the latter would not reserve any production capability before an order is issued i.e. before I commit to the purchase. Nevertheless he/she would be able to give me a quote for a car with all the specific options and configurations that I desire.

    Best regards,

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    Roland Leners
    alvatross by SATEC
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 08:21
    Hi Roland,

    Thank you for your post.In my opinion, regarding resource reservation, it can be perform or after product offer accepted by a customer or can be a step in the fulfillment step. However, in order to guarantee that our company will be able to delivery the product selled, after a customer product offer  accepted, the CPQ must "call a API" to perform resource reservation. Just to clarify, possible resource that I'm talking are network ports and numbers (IP and line/mobile).

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    Caui Leal
    Telefonica Brasil S.A.
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 04:31
    Hello,

    I know CPQ for its acronym, Configure, Price and Quote, but how is it a "journey"?

    There are several existing posts dedicated to "resource reservation" in the API community.
    You can use the search box "resource reservation" to find them.
    IG1228 is a TMF asset that shows how to use APIs in use cases.

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    Kind regards,

    Matthieu Hattab
    Lyse Platform
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 08:00
    Hi

    Caui - we could imagine that SOM could allow creation of a Service Order with intent for reservation. 

    Roland - your analogy is interesting, so let's take it to its extreme. The customer is asking for a Rolls Royce, with custom wood interiors and special James Bond defense mechanisms. In such a case, the dealer probably would make some sort of verification and reservations with Rolls Royce (and perhaps RR's suppliers) to see that the order can be delivered. So here also, for complex CPQ (B2B/enterprise) situations we can imagine that the SP would want to reserve network resources (and perhaps also with its connectivity partners for the last mile) to guarantee that the high-capacity VPN and access can actually be fulfilled at the customer premises. Could be that the SP will even request a down-payment for this.

    Matthieu - for complex orders to B2B/enterprise over multiple sites CPQ can definitely be regarded as a multi-month (or even multi-year) journey.

    ------------------------------
    Jonathan Goldberg
    Amdocs Management Limited
    Any opinions and statements made by me on this forum are purely personal, and do not necessarily reflect the position of the TM Forum or my employer.
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 08:37
    Hi, Jonathan

    Thank you to replying my message, the only problem that I can see creating a Service Order to perform resource reservation is that I would also need to create a Customer Order to do Product decomposition (Product>Service), integration to my catalog and then the COM would need to post a Service Order. However, I not sure if what I described above is really needed or if would be possible to CPQ post a Service Order, because I think that I would be a Service Order really simple, but I would need to analyse better that solution.

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    Caui Leal
    Telefonica Brasil S.A.
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 09:03
    Hi again,

    For me the question is whether a reservation is part of a quote or needs an order. I agree that a quote shall be validated against some overall capability or capacity to deliver (e.g. is there connectivity to a specific site, is there CPE inventory available, etc.). However I would argue that a reservation of a specific resource (e.g. a specific port, a specific number, etc.) requires an order.

    E.g. in an airline reservation system, I do not believe that you can reserve a specific seat without starting the ordering process. At quoting stage, the system will of course check whether seats are available on the selected flight. Or if you are an IT service company, you need to make sure that you have the people to deliver a project when you quote it. But you would only reserve specific individuals when you get the order (or are sure that you get it).

    Best regards,

    ------------------------------
    Roland Leners
    alvatross by SATEC
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: CPQ Journey (Service and Resource Reservation)

    Posted Oct 25, 2022 13:53
    Edited by Caui Leal Oct 25, 2022 13:54
    Hi, Roland.

    You are right, perhaps we don't need/have to reserse a specific resource. However, I need to reserve some capacity and a port of a network element to fulfill my customer accepted offer, because I already have a signed contract determines what products we have to delivery, SLAs, contract statements etc. Comparing to a airline company, after the customer select a flight and buy a seat, we need to reserve a seat from a "seat pool" to make sure that we will be able to delivery a seat to this customer.

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    Caui Leal
    Telefonica Brasil S.A.
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    Original Message


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