Overcoming Challenges in Network Lifecycle Management: From Manual to Automated

In this article, we explore the key challenges of ALM / NLM and discuss how OSS are essential tools to empower telecom operators to overcome these obstacles, especially through the use of advanced automation capabilities.

What is Network Lifecycle Management

Network Lifecycle Management (NLM) is the strategic process of overseeing a network’s evolution from its initial design to its eventual decommissioning. It ensures that networks remain reliable, secure, and adaptable to changing demands. Instead of focusing solely on maintenance, NLM takes a proactive approach, helping organizations optimize performance, minimize disruptions, and control costs. As technologies like 5G, cloud computing, and software-defined networking continue to evolve, effective NLM becomes essential for ensuring seamless connectivity and long-term network efficiency.

Key Challenges in Network Lifecycle Management

NLM is an important tool in the toolkit of network operators due to the following challenges:

1. Increasing Network Complexity: The sheer scale and complexity of communications networks have always posed significant logistical challenges. With the advent of network virtualisation and other modern technologies, telecom infrastructures are becoming increasingly intricate. This complexity makes it difficult to maintain an accurate inventory of network assets, track dependencies, track status changes and predict network behaviour under various conditions

2. High Cost and Resource Intensity: The deployment and maintenance of modern networks require substantial planning, capital and human resources. Inefficient design, processes or a lack of coordination anywhere along the asset lifecycle can lead to delays and cost overruns. For example, poorly executed network rollouts may cause rework, further straining resources. Due to the size and scale of telco networks, even small efficiency gains can make a significant difference to operational costs

3. Limited Real-Time Visibility and Awareness: Operational decisions often depend on up-to-date and accurate data about the network. Missing data or lack of data connectedness due to information silos can cause a variety of problems. These include delayed responses to outages, inefficient resource allocation, lack of maintenance and missed revenue opportunities. One of the prime examples of this is what’s known as stranded assets. These are devices that an operator has purchased (and may even be paying ongoing licencing costs for) but is not utilising because it’s not identified in the OSS as being an available resource

4. Regulatory Compliance: Telecom operators must navigate a complex web of regulations, which can vary significantly across regions of operations. Compliance requires precise documentation and reporting, adding another layer of complexity to network management.

5. Complexity in Lifecycle Management: Each phase of asset lifecycle management-design, bill of materials (BOM) creation, procurement, delivery tracking, warehouse storage, site deployment, commissioning, and ongoing operations-presents unique challenges. For example:

 

·       Tracking asset movement (and/or status change) across locations and time, first from the supplier and then to the operator’s warehouses and field sites, is labour-intensive and error-prone without proper tracking and automation

·       Creating accurate BOMs to ensure procurement aligns with design specifications is challenging in the absence of integrated systems

·       Acceptance of materials on site can be challenging where internal components (within a router for example) are listed on the BOM but not readily identifiable for site acceptance

6. End-of-Life Management: Decommissioning and scrapping aging assets require careful planning to comply with environmental regulations, avoid resource waste, ensure data synchronisation with other systems (e.g. for accounting purposes) and minimise downtime during swap-out / replacement.

 

Purpose-Built OSS Software to Overcome These Challenges

Only the most advanced OSS solutions are designed to provide end-to-end visibility, automation and control over the entire lifecycle of network assets. There are typically a number of different modules, within the OSS/BSS and even adjacent systems, that are involved throughout the lifecycle of any network asset. Here’s how these tools address specific phases of asset and network lifecycle management:

 

1. From Design to BOM Creation: Smart Service Designer integrates design tools (including sophisticated automated design tools such as AI NET Planner) with operational systems like Network Inventory, allowing operators to create network designs that are algorithmically optimised to reduce costs. These platforms also automatically generate accurate BOMs from the design, ensuring seamless transitions to procurement. This reduces errors and ensures materials align with network requirements

2. Procurement and Delivery Tracking: SunVizion streamlines procurement workflows by integrating BOMs with supply chain processes. These tools synchronise with adjacent systems like asset management or accounting / ERP solutions. Near-real-time tracking ensures visibility from vendor deliveries to warehouse storage and onward to deployment sites. Operators can minimise delays by identifying bottlenecks early and maintaining transparency across stakeholders

3. Deployment, Commissioning, and In-Service Operations:  With its Network Roll-Out Management module, SunVizion supports deployment activities, ensuring that installations adhere to project schedules and specifications. Once commissioned, the network transitions smoothly to in-service operations. Using tracking solutions like Network Inventory and Network Configuration Management, ensures operators have full visibility into the network’s operational status, where each network operator can design its own unique asset state-change model and associated rules / transitions

4. Maintenance, Operations, Repair and Optimisation: Once a device or network is handed over to operations, OSS solutions enhance operations and maintenance with proactive tools that integrate fault management, performance monitoring, and predictive analytics. By identifying potential issues before they impact service, operators can reduce unplanned outages and extend the lifespan of network assets. However, device defects or failures still occur in any network. Network Inventory tracks and manages the repair / restore phase of the lifecycle by providing visibility into:

·       Asset status (e.g., whether it is operational, DOA [Dead on Arrival], or under repair)

·       Location of assets (e.g., warehouse, site, or repair facility)

·       Asset history, including repair records and replacements

5. Decommissioning and Recycling: Leading solutions include asset decommissioning support by facilitating the tracking and documentation of retired assets, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations and efficient resource recycling or disposal.

 

The Benefits of an Integrated Approach in Network Lifecycle Management

SunVizion’s end-to-end lifecycle management solutions deliver measurable benefits:

1.      Improved Resource Allocation: By centralising asset data, operators can allocate resources in a timely manner from procurement to maintenance, deployment, and decommissioning

2.      Cost / Cashflow Optimisation: Automated design, BOM generation, delivery tracking, and predictive maintenance reduce material waste and operational expenses. They also ensure equipment / materials are made available on a just-in-time basis to enhance cashflow performance. OSS also support asset management to optimise accounting factors such as asset depreciation, Useful Life Remaining (ULR), Fixed Asset Registers (FAR) and replacement calculations

3.      Enhanced Service Quality: Well maintained and managed devices help to ensure the entire network operates reliably, maintaining customer satisfaction and reducing churn.

4.      Compliance: Comprehensive audit trails and automated reporting simplify adherence to customer, environmental and industry regulations.

Network Lifecycle Management has traditionally been a series of highly manual and time-consuming processes. The future of NLM will be driven by further automation, algorithmic approaches (e.g. AI / ML), and enhanced collaboration across the telecom ecosystem. However, the raw inputs are required before automations can be implemented. It is essential to thoroughly understand the NLM process before implementing effective automation. Solutions like SunVizion’s OSS/BSS platform are at the forefront of this transformation, equipping operators with the tools to understand, automate and continually adapt to emerging NLM trends and technologies.