TM Forum Community

Dear Community,

I have been studying several TM Forum Autonomous Networks assets, including IG1218, IG1292 (VOF), IG1409 and IG1457 Autonomous Networks Journey.

My understanding is that these provide:

• ·         a target vision,
• ·         maturity and value assessment,
• ·         and guidance for AN transformation programs.

However, in our practical transformation work, we are facing a different challenge. Today, operators are being approached by different AN solution strategies:

• ·         integrated Autonomous Network platforms from traditional telecom vendors,
• ·         more open and AI-native approaches from cloud and AI ecosystem providers,
• ·         and a growing number of modular automation capabilities.

One question that continues to arise in our transformation discussions is whether AN maturity alone is sufficient to guide transformation priorities.

Two operators may both assess themselves at AN Level 3, yet have fundamentally different transformation objectives:

• One may be focused on network efficiency and operational automation.
• Another may be focused on customer experience assurance.
• A third may prioritize new business models and monetization outcomes.

In such cases, AN maturity appears to describe "how autonomous" an operator is, but not necessarily "what the operator is trying to optimize."

Has TM Forum explored any frameworks, methodologies, or workstreams that complement AN maturity by helping operators identify and prioritize different transformation objectives across network, service, customer, and business domains?

Or is this still considered a gap to be addressed by individual CSPs?

The question from our management is often not "What is AN Level 5?", but rather "Given our current situation, what should we do next, and how should we prioritize our investments?"

For example:

• ·         Which capabilities should typically be established first?
• ·         Which capabilities can evolve in parallel?
• ·         How should operators balance the evolution of network autonomy with the evolution of business and operational models?
• ·         Is there any TM Forum asset that helps support these transformation sequencing and decision-making activities?
• ·         Have other operators developed their own transformation decision frameworks to bridge the gap between TM Forum standards and real investment decisions?

In other words, I am not looking for another maturity model or value framework. I am looking for a practical decision-support or transition framework that helps operators translate TM Forum standards into actionable transformation roadmaps.

I am particularly interested in understanding whether other CSPs use an additional classification dimension beyond AN maturity when building transformation roadmaps, investment priorities, or operating model evolution plans.

I may simply have overlooked an existing asset, so I would greatly appreciate any references, workstreams or implementation experiences from the community.

Best regards,

Linh Nguyen

HR Expert / VNPT

#DigitalTransformationMaturity

------------------------------
Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)
------------------------------

We did develop a Transformation Project Framework in 

GB1011 Transformation Project Framework (TPF) v4.0.0 – TM Forum

This focused on planning transformation from an 'as-is' state to a desired 'to-be' state and driven by either maturity improvements or changes with economic benefits e.g. operational and financial metrics. However the decision and success criteria depend on the specific  metric chosen for a transformation project which is a project decision. e.g maturity metrics or benchmarking metrics as described in GB988 TM Forum Metrics Definitions v26.0 – TM Forum

------------------------------
Dave Milham
TM Forum, Chief Architect
------------------------------

Hi Ngoc Linh Nguyen

We have plans to tackle this exact issue. As you say we have developed AN maturity measurement tools (ANLET and ANLAV) which are aligned to the various scenarios associated with AN, with an initial focus on the scenarios that the members selected as being the highest value to them and had a feasible technical solution pattern from the work done to date. These are around fault management, service assurance, energy efficiency etc. in the different network domains e.g. Mobile access (RAN), IP, transport etc. AN maturity is currently measured per scenario and as you say different operators will have different priorities and different maturity levels. We have been approached by several operators to construct the "AN Playbook" to help our members plan their transformation journey to becoming an Autonomous Enterprise - where both the IT and the network exhibit high levels of autonomy, working seamlessly together to create the desired Zero-X and Self-X experience. We will distill best practice from our members on viable and effective transformation roadmaps to enable them to "join up" the various scenarios in a consistent manner, that also ensure the necessary architectural foundations are in place such as timely access to the correct data which is in the right format to support the AI models and agents that will deliver autonomy, as well as the necessary decoupling of the applications and resources to enable "brown field" incremental transformation based on clear business needs and return on investment. It would be great if VNPT could become part of the team creating the AN Playbook - watch out for the launch of this exciting new project.

------------------------------
George Glass
TM Forum
------------------------------

Thank you David and George for your valuable responses.

David, your explanation helped me better understand the role of TPF. I can see that TPF provides a structured approach for planning and managing transformation initiatives from an as-is state to a target state, while allowing each operator to define the success criteria and metrics that are most relevant to their business objectives.

George, I am particularly encouraged to hear about the planned AN Playbook initiative.

It is reassuring to learn that several operators have raised similar concerns and that TM Forum is planning to address them through the AN Playbook.

VNPT would certainly be interested in following and potentially contributing to this initiative. We would be happy to share some of our practical observations and transformation planning approaches if they can be useful to the workgroup.

Thank you again for the insights and for pointing me in the right direction.

Best regards,

------------------------------
Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Jun 18, 2026 11:41
From: George Glass
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

Hi Ngoc Linh Nguyen

We have plans to tackle this exact issue. As you say we have developed AN maturity measurement tools (ANLET and ANLAV) which are aligned to the various scenarios associated with AN, with an initial focus on the scenarios that the members selected as being the highest value to them and had a feasible technical solution pattern from the work done to date. These are around fault management, service assurance, energy efficiency etc. in the different network domains e.g. Mobile access (RAN), IP, transport etc. AN maturity is currently measured per scenario and as you say different operators will have different priorities and different maturity levels. We have been approached by several operators to construct the "AN Playbook" to help our members plan their transformation journey to becoming an Autonomous Enterprise - where both the IT and the network exhibit high levels of autonomy, working seamlessly together to create the desired Zero-X and Self-X experience. We will distill best practice from our members on viable and effective transformation roadmaps to enable them to "join up" the various scenarios in a consistent manner, that also ensure the necessary architectural foundations are in place such as timely access to the correct data which is in the right format to support the AI models and agents that will deliver autonomy, as well as the necessary decoupling of the applications and resources to enable "brown field" incremental transformation based on clear business needs and return on investment. It would be great if VNPT could become part of the team creating the AN Playbook - watch out for the launch of this exciting new project.

------------------------------
George Glass
TM Forum
------------------------------

In addition to George and Dave's responses, there are a few more other things for you to consider:

1. Any change in IT/Operations/Network must be linked back to a positive change in the Capability and Value that the business can offer to the marketplace - there's no point spending millions on the network if it's not going to have demonstrable positive change or if there's a software solution that costs thousands of dollars and has the same effect - check out Mauritius Telecom here.
2. For any such AI/AN change to be effective throughout the business, it must be based on a structured foundation, e.g. not on spaghetti but on lasagne, and this is precisely what AI-enabled ODA is for - a practical approach to creating an Autonomous Enterprise, not just bolting on AI.  ODA used in its lifecycle mode enables Business/IT/Operations/Networks to decide and deliver together the most appropriate way to improve the capability and value of the enterprise/business.
3. This means that an organisation must be comfortable using ODA across its business functions and the TM Forum people certification program helps this to happen. Indeed, if you look at all the Digital Transformation Tracker survey reports you'll see that 70%+ of transformation projects fail to deliver to expectations because of people-based reasons.  So it makes sense to make sure that your C-suite is aligned, your people have the appropriate certifications demonstrating they have the right level of skills, and you have good governance internally and across your delivery partners, doesn't it?  Only once you have "raised the floor" - the average level of skill/expertise in your workforce - will you consistently see more value from your transformation projects.
4. Because transformation is a company-wide responsibility you need to know where the gaps are across your business because having the best network is pretty useless if you can't provide a good customer experience or collect revenue from your customers.  This is where the Digital Maturity Model, GB997, comes into play.
5. When you know where your Business/IT/Operations/Networks each have gaps (DMM Assessment, AOMM, ANL Assessments) you're then in a position to look at which gaps will give you the best and quickest returns.
6. You can then use AI-enabled ODA across the business to close the chosen gaps - but only if your workforce knows how to use it
7. For each chosen gap, there will be tools/solutions in the ODA library that are specific to that gap, e.g. Customer Journeys, Risks and Controls, High Value Scenario Solution sets

Why not get in touch with Chinh, your engagement manager, and we can talk further about these? 

I leave you with this quote from Dr. Lester Thomas, Head of New Technologies, Vodafone Group,  "My experience is that real transformation happens through people. Focusing on people and skills and giving that focus visibility and recognition is key to improving customer experiences and driving meaningful industry change"

------------------------------
Dave Riches
TM Forum
Director, Member Solutions
+44 774 811 8071
driches@tmforum.org
------------------------------

Thank you David, George and Dave for the detailed responses.

My takeaway is that TM Forum already provides a strong set of assets covering:

- Transformation governance and planning (TPF)
- Maturity assessment (DMM, ANLET, ANLAV)
- Target architecture and operating model design (ODA)
- Value measurement and business metrics (VOF, Business Value Metrics)

These assets help operators understand:

- Where they are today
- What good looks like
- How progress can be measured
- How transformation programs can be governed

However, I am still trying to understand whether there is currently any framework that explicitly supports transformation decision-making between the current state and the target state.

For example, many operators are simultaneously dealing with different operating realities (network-centric, service-centric, customer-centric, and increasingly value-centric) while progressing through different AN maturity levels.

The practical questions we face are not only:

- How mature are we?
- What should the target architecture be?

but also:

- What should be the next transformation step?
- Which AN initiatives should be prioritized first?
- How should different AN scenarios be sequenced?
- How do we avoid investing too far ahead in autonomy without business readiness?
- How do we avoid launching business ambitions that exceed operational readiness?

In other words, I am trying to understand whether TM Forum already provides a framework that helps operators navigate the transformation journey itself, rather than assess maturity or define the destination.

From George's description, the planned AN Playbook appears very close to this challenge.

Is this understanding correct?

------------------------------
Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Jun 19, 2026 05:03
From: Dave Riches
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

In addition to George and Dave's responses, there are a few more other things for you to consider:

1. Any change in IT/Operations/Network must be linked back to a positive change in the Capability and Value that the business can offer to the marketplace - there's no point spending millions on the network if it's not going to have demonstrable positive change or if there's a software solution that costs thousands of dollars and has the same effect - check out Mauritius Telecom here.
2. For any such AI/AN change to be effective throughout the business, it must be based on a structured foundation, e.g. not on spaghetti but on lasagne, and this is precisely what AI-enabled ODA is for - a practical approach to creating an Autonomous Enterprise, not just bolting on AI.  ODA used in its lifecycle mode enables Business/IT/Operations/Networks to decide and deliver together the most appropriate way to improve the capability and value of the enterprise/business.
3. This means that an organisation must be comfortable using ODA across its business functions and the TM Forum people certification program helps this to happen. Indeed, if you look at all the Digital Transformation Tracker survey reports you'll see that 70%+ of transformation projects fail to deliver to expectations because of people-based reasons.  So it makes sense to make sure that your C-suite is aligned, your people have the appropriate certifications demonstrating they have the right level of skills, and you have good governance internally and across your delivery partners, doesn't it?  Only once you have "raised the floor" - the average level of skill/expertise in your workforce - will you consistently see more value from your transformation projects.
4. Because transformation is a company-wide responsibility you need to know where the gaps are across your business because having the best network is pretty useless if you can't provide a good customer experience or collect revenue from your customers.  This is where the Digital Maturity Model, GB997, comes into play.
5. When you know where your Business/IT/Operations/Networks each have gaps (DMM Assessment, AOMM, ANL Assessments) you're then in a position to look at which gaps will give you the best and quickest returns.
6. You can then use AI-enabled ODA across the business to close the chosen gaps - but only if your workforce knows how to use it
7. For each chosen gap, there will be tools/solutions in the ODA library that are specific to that gap, e.g. Customer Journeys, Risks and Controls, High Value Scenario Solution sets

Why not get in touch with Chinh, your engagement manager, and we can talk further about these? 

I leave you with this quote from Dr. Lester Thomas, Head of New Technologies, Vodafone Group,  "My experience is that real transformation happens through people. Focusing on people and skills and giving that focus visibility and recognition is key to improving customer experiences and driving meaningful industry change"

------------------------------
Dave Riches
TM Forum
Director, Member Solutions
+44 774 811 8071
driches@tmforum.org
------------------------------

The maturity levels evaluation tools ANLET/ANLAV  give a starting point for evaluating specific parts of your organization's current capabilities.

However target 'to-be' may vary by domain e.g. customer, network and needs your organization to evaluate business benefit of a particular  proposal against against the cost of change. I.e. you need to create your business cases. And this can be quite demanding especially for Networks where one has to consider sunk costs and amortization cost of existing networks. 

George's proposal is the correct approach but there as you might expect some interim results to review specifically toolkits at: 

How to use ODA - TM Forum

especially the AN and AI series . 

There are examples of AI/AN transformations in the AI Success Cards which can provide some inspiration - see 

AI4X Success Card List - AI4X Pathway to Production Project - TM Forum Confluence

For networks ODA Production has looked at some of the technical options for moving to AN/ Intent based interfaces . these are documented in TR 313 A TR313B and TR313C. The latter is comprehensive but complex and we are currently refactoring and updating into a number of parts TR 313D /E/ F and addressing solely  the most common use cases.

Take-outs for the network include:

• complexity of transforming and integrating Yang based standards into open models that support e2e network management ( also being worked on in IETF and BBF) with partial success.  Current active topic with NBN Co as a contributor to ODA Production and requiring addition of integration methods using semantic web approaches on top of existing APIs. Topic under discussion by team in TR 325. 
• Need to introduce closed loop controllers behind Intent management /AN APIs.
• Need to integrate fulfilment and assurance stack underneath the Controllers that often requires changes to systems stacks and operations methods  and possibly organizational structure - which can be costly for some use cases. 

The business case usually rests on the use case and desire to introduce new network equipment type that are inherently Intent based ( which is most of the newer equipment from the major IP networking equipment suppliers).

In these cases the benefits are about the newer equipment types and the features they bring and then AN intent interfaces become part to the cost of bring in new equipment  and is focused solely on a single networking operational domain.

Dave Milham

------------------------------
Dave Milham
TM Forum, Chief Architect
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Jun 22, 2026 22:36
From: Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

Thank you David, George and Dave for the detailed responses.

My takeaway is that TM Forum already provides a strong set of assets covering:

- Transformation governance and planning (TPF)
- Maturity assessment (DMM, ANLET, ANLAV)
- Target architecture and operating model design (ODA)
- Value measurement and business metrics (VOF, Business Value Metrics)

These assets help operators understand:

- Where they are today
- What good looks like
- How progress can be measured
- How transformation programs can be governed

However, I am still trying to understand whether there is currently any framework that explicitly supports transformation decision-making between the current state and the target state.

For example, many operators are simultaneously dealing with different operating realities (network-centric, service-centric, customer-centric, and increasingly value-centric) while progressing through different AN maturity levels.

The practical questions we face are not only:

- How mature are we?
- What should the target architecture be?

but also:

- What should be the next transformation step?
- Which AN initiatives should be prioritized first?
- How should different AN scenarios be sequenced?
- How do we avoid investing too far ahead in autonomy without business readiness?
- How do we avoid launching business ambitions that exceed operational readiness?

In other words, I am trying to understand whether TM Forum already provides a framework that helps operators navigate the transformation journey itself, rather than assess maturity or define the destination.

From George's description, the planned AN Playbook appears very close to this challenge.

Is this understanding correct?

------------------------------
Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: Jun 19, 2026 05:03
From: Dave Riches
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

In addition to George and Dave's responses, there are a few more other things for you to consider:

1. Any change in IT/Operations/Network must be linked back to a positive change in the Capability and Value that the business can offer to the marketplace - there's no point spending millions on the network if it's not going to have demonstrable positive change or if there's a software solution that costs thousands of dollars and has the same effect - check out Mauritius Telecom here.
2. For any such AI/AN change to be effective throughout the business, it must be based on a structured foundation, e.g. not on spaghetti but on lasagne, and this is precisely what AI-enabled ODA is for - a practical approach to creating an Autonomous Enterprise, not just bolting on AI.  ODA used in its lifecycle mode enables Business/IT/Operations/Networks to decide and deliver together the most appropriate way to improve the capability and value of the enterprise/business.
3. This means that an organisation must be comfortable using ODA across its business functions and the TM Forum people certification program helps this to happen. Indeed, if you look at all the Digital Transformation Tracker survey reports you'll see that 70%+ of transformation projects fail to deliver to expectations because of people-based reasons.  So it makes sense to make sure that your C-suite is aligned, your people have the appropriate certifications demonstrating they have the right level of skills, and you have good governance internally and across your delivery partners, doesn't it?  Only once you have "raised the floor" - the average level of skill/expertise in your workforce - will you consistently see more value from your transformation projects.
4. Because transformation is a company-wide responsibility you need to know where the gaps are across your business because having the best network is pretty useless if you can't provide a good customer experience or collect revenue from your customers.  This is where the Digital Maturity Model, GB997, comes into play.
5. When you know where your Business/IT/Operations/Networks each have gaps (DMM Assessment, AOMM, ANL Assessments) you're then in a position to look at which gaps will give you the best and quickest returns.
6. You can then use AI-enabled ODA across the business to close the chosen gaps - but only if your workforce knows how to use it
7. For each chosen gap, there will be tools/solutions in the ODA library that are specific to that gap, e.g. Customer Journeys, Risks and Controls, High Value Scenario Solution sets

Why not get in touch with Chinh, your engagement manager, and we can talk further about these? 

I leave you with this quote from Dr. Lester Thomas, Head of New Technologies, Vodafone Group,  "My experience is that real transformation happens through people. Focusing on people and skills and giving that focus visibility and recognition is key to improving customer experiences and driving meaningful industry change"

------------------------------
Dave Riches
TM Forum
Director, Member Solutions
+44 774 811 8071
driches@tmforum.org
------------------------------

Dear David, George, Dave, and everyone,

First of all, thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my original question and for pointing me to several valuable TM Forum assets. Although the discussion did not immediately answer the practical decision-making question that motivated me, it encouraged me to read much more deeply into the Autonomous Networks guidance, especially the more recent Operational Innovation white papers.

Looking back, I now realize that my original question was probably not about AN maturity itself. What I was really trying to understand was:

How can a CSP translate the various TM Forum assets into a practical transformation roadmap that helps decide what to prioritize next?

After spending some time studying the materials you recommended, I have come to appreciate that TM Forum already provides many important building blocks-Autonomous Network maturity, ODA, Closed-loop Automation, Intent-driven interaction, Value Operations Framework, and more recently the Operational Innovation perspectives. However, these assets have been developed for different purposes and at different stages of TM Forum's evolution.

Trying to connect these pieces together has helped me organize my own understanding into two working hypotheses. I would like to share them here, not as conclusions, but simply as a conceptual model that has helped me answer my own original question.

Observation #1

The transition from Telco to Techco is not simply an evolution from Network-centric to Customer-centric operations. Rather, Network, Service, Customer and Value represent different Operational Contexts that coexist within the same enterprise. They provide the business context in which automation should be designed.

From this perspective, Autonomous Network maturity (L0-L5) should not be viewed as a single enterprise-wide roadmap. Instead, automation maturity should evolve within each Operational Context according to its own business priorities, data readiness, operational capabilities and KPIs. In other words, Operational Context helps answer "What are we trying to optimize?", while AN maturity answers "How autonomously can we achieve it?"

Observation #2

I also realized that Automation Use Cases may provide the missing link between Operational Context and Autonomous Maturity.

Rather than viewing Automation Use Cases simply as technical implementations, I now see them as the practical units through which business objectives are translated into autonomous capabilities. Each use case can be implemented with different levels of autonomy, orchestrated through ODA Components, Closed-loop Automation, Intent-driven interaction and AI capabilities. From this perspective, transformation planning becomes less about pursuing a target maturity level, and more about deciding which Automation Use Cases should be prioritized first within each Operational Context.

This interpretation has helped me answer the question that originally motivated my post: not "How do we reach AN Level 5?", but rather "Given our current business priorities, which automation capabilities should we develop first, and how should they evolve over time?"

I do not know whether this way of connecting Operational Contexts, Automation Use Cases and AN maturity is already being discussed elsewhere within TM Forum or by other CSPs. If so, I would be very grateful for any references that I may have missed.

Otherwise, I hope these observations may contribute, in a small way, to the ongoing discussion about how CSPs can translate TM Forum standards into practical transformation roadmaps.

Once again, thank you all for helping me continue this learning journey.

Best regards,

Linh Nguyen
VNPT

------------------------------
Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Jun 23, 2026 03:08
From: David Milham
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

The maturity levels evaluation tools ANLET/ANLAV  give a starting point for evaluating specific parts of your organization's current capabilities.

However target 'to-be' may vary by domain e.g. customer, network and needs your organization to evaluate business benefit of a particular  proposal against against the cost of change. I.e. you need to create your business cases. And this can be quite demanding especially for Networks where one has to consider sunk costs and amortization cost of existing networks. 

George's proposal is the correct approach but there as you might expect some interim results to review specifically toolkits at: 

How to use ODA - TM Forum

especially the AN and AI series . 

There are examples of AI/AN transformations in the AI Success Cards which can provide some inspiration - see 

AI4X Success Card List - AI4X Pathway to Production Project - TM Forum Confluence

For networks ODA Production has looked at some of the technical options for moving to AN/ Intent based interfaces . these are documented in TR 313 A TR313B and TR313C. The latter is comprehensive but complex and we are currently refactoring and updating into a number of parts TR 313D /E/ F and addressing solely  the most common use cases.

Take-outs for the network include:

• complexity of transforming and integrating Yang based standards into open models that support e2e network management ( also being worked on in IETF and BBF) with partial success.  Current active topic with NBN Co as a contributor to ODA Production and requiring addition of integration methods using semantic web approaches on top of existing APIs. Topic under discussion by team in TR 325. 
• Need to introduce closed loop controllers behind Intent management /AN APIs.
• Need to integrate fulfilment and assurance stack underneath the Controllers that often requires changes to systems stacks and operations methods  and possibly organizational structure - which can be costly for some use cases. 

The business case usually rests on the use case and desire to introduce new network equipment type that are inherently Intent based ( which is most of the newer equipment from the major IP networking equipment suppliers).

In these cases the benefits are about the newer equipment types and the features they bring and then AN intent interfaces become part to the cost of bring in new equipment  and is focused solely on a single networking operational domain.

Dave Milham

------------------------------
Dave Milham
TM Forum, Chief Architect
------------------------------


Original Message:
Sent: Jun 22, 2026 22:36
From: Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

Thank you David, George and Dave for the detailed responses.

My takeaway is that TM Forum already provides a strong set of assets covering:

- Transformation governance and planning (TPF)
- Maturity assessment (DMM, ANLET, ANLAV)
- Target architecture and operating model design (ODA)
- Value measurement and business metrics (VOF, Business Value Metrics)

These assets help operators understand:

- Where they are today
- What good looks like
- How progress can be measured
- How transformation programs can be governed

However, I am still trying to understand whether there is currently any framework that explicitly supports transformation decision-making between the current state and the target state.

For example, many operators are simultaneously dealing with different operating realities (network-centric, service-centric, customer-centric, and increasingly value-centric) while progressing through different AN maturity levels.

The practical questions we face are not only:

- How mature are we?
- What should the target architecture be?

but also:

- What should be the next transformation step?
- Which AN initiatives should be prioritized first?
- How should different AN scenarios be sequenced?
- How do we avoid investing too far ahead in autonomy without business readiness?
- How do we avoid launching business ambitions that exceed operational readiness?

In other words, I am trying to understand whether TM Forum already provides a framework that helps operators navigate the transformation journey itself, rather than assess maturity or define the destination.

From George's description, the planned AN Playbook appears very close to this challenge.

Is this understanding correct?

------------------------------
Ngoc Linh Nguyen
Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT)
------------------------------



Original Message:
Sent: Jun 19, 2026 05:03
From: Dave Riches
Subject: Is there a TM Forum Framework for transformation decision-making, not just Maturity Assessment?

In addition to George and Dave's responses, there are a few more other things for you to consider:

1. Any change in IT/Operations/Network must be linked back to a positive change in the Capability and Value that the business can offer to the marketplace - there's no point spending millions on the network if it's not going to have demonstrable positive change or if there's a software solution that costs thousands of dollars and has the same effect - check out Mauritius Telecom here.
2. For any such AI/AN change to be effective throughout the business, it must be based on a structured foundation, e.g. not on spaghetti but on lasagne, and this is precisely what AI-enabled ODA is for - a practical approach to creating an Autonomous Enterprise, not just bolting on AI.  ODA used in its lifecycle mode enables Business/IT/Operations/Networks to decide and deliver together the most appropriate way to improve the capability and value of the enterprise/business.
3. This means that an organisation must be comfortable using ODA across its business functions and the TM Forum people certification program helps this to happen. Indeed, if you look at all the Digital Transformation Tracker survey reports you'll see that 70%+ of transformation projects fail to deliver to expectations because of people-based reasons.  So it makes sense to make sure that your C-suite is aligned, your people have the appropriate certifications demonstrating they have the right level of skills, and you have good governance internally and across your delivery partners, doesn't it?  Only once you have "raised the floor" - the average level of skill/expertise in your workforce - will you consistently see more value from your transformation projects.
4. Because transformation is a company-wide responsibility you need to know where the gaps are across your business because having the best network is pretty useless if you can't provide a good customer experience or collect revenue from your customers.  This is where the Digital Maturity Model, GB997, comes into play.
5. When you know where your Business/IT/Operations/Networks each have gaps (DMM Assessment, AOMM, ANL Assessments) you're then in a position to look at which gaps will give you the best and quickest returns.
6. You can then use AI-enabled ODA across the business to close the chosen gaps - but only if your workforce knows how to use it
7. For each chosen gap, there will be tools/solutions in the ODA library that are specific to that gap, e.g. Customer Journeys, Risks and Controls, High Value Scenario Solution sets

Why not get in touch with Chinh, your engagement manager, and we can talk further about these? 

I leave you with this quote from Dr. Lester Thomas, Head of New Technologies, Vodafone Group,  "My experience is that real transformation happens through people. Focusing on people and skills and giving that focus visibility and recognition is key to improving customer experiences and driving meaningful industry change"

------------------------------
Dave Riches
TM Forum
Director, Member Solutions
+44 774 811 8071
driches@tmforum.org
------------------------------