Business Process and understand the business processes they use to deliver

convergent services in a competitive environment.

Framework (eTOM)
They, like all members of the value chain, need a
business-driven approach to managing their enterprises
The Business Process Language if they are to possess a holistic understanding of their
In use by hundreds of companies around the world, customers. That understanding depends on their
formally accepted by the ITU-T as Recommendation understanding of the OSS and BSS systems that are
M.3050, and translated into six languages, The Business vital to supporting those customers. Only by gaining that
Process Framework (commonly known as the eTOM) type of understanding can Service Providers integrate
is truly the business process heart of the TM Forum’s OSS/BSS systems and improve the interfaces among
Solutions Framework (NGOSS). By providing the industry their own systems, and that of their partners.
with a common structure for defining and sharing business
processes, the Business Process Framework enables Service In order to provide a “common process language”
Providers and their suppliers to work together to understand that is open and flexible enough for all to use, the
the current state of business activities, identify improvements, TM Forum’s Business Process Framework (eTOM)
and define new processes to streamline their businesses. provides a reference framework for categorizing all
business activities at all levels of the enterprise. As
As if the convergence of networks and services wasn’t the name implies, the focus of the Business Process
enough of a challenge, Service Providers in many sectors Framework are the business processes—the linkages
simultaneously face greater competition, growing customer among processes; the identification of interfaces;
expectations, falling market share and increasing price and the use of customer, service, resource, supplier/
pressures. As a result, they feel pressure to clearly define partner and other information by multiple processes.

Strategy, Infrastructure & Product Operations

Strategy &
Commit
Business
Infrastructure
Lifecycle
Product
Lifecycle
Process
Operations
Support &
Framework
Fulfillment Assurance (eTOM)
Billing &
Revenue
Management
Marketing & Offer Management
Management Readiness
– process
Customer Relationship Management
hierarchy
Management

Service Development & Management Service Management & Operations

Resource Development & Management Resource Management & Operations

(Application, Computing and Network) (Application, Computing and Network)

Supply Chain Development & Management Supplier/Partner Relationship Management

Enterprise Management
Strategic & Enterprise Enterprise Risk Enterprise Effectiveness Knowledge & Research
Planning Management Management Management

Financial & Asset Stakeholder & External Human Resources

Management Relations Management Management
By working within the Solutions Framework (NGOSS) toolkit, With both organizations working to build compatible
the Business Process Framework drives integration from a and mutually supportive entities, the Business Process
business view throughout the Solutions Framework (NGOSS) Framework will be used to build IT-compliant processes that
development cycle. are aligned with the ITIL policy approaches.

Working examples of this are now documented as part of

Using the Business Process the Business Process Framework Solution Suite.
Framework
Please visit:
The analysis of all facets of business processes makes the
http://www.tmforum.org/browse.aspx?catID=1647
Business Process Framework a critical tool for improving
ongoing development. It reveals where different processes
deliver the same business functionality and where Service Benefits of using the Business
Providers can eliminate duplication, reveal gaps, reduce Process Framework:
variances, and thus expedite process design.
• provides a standard structure, terminology and
By assessing the performance of individual processes, classification scheme for describing business
Service Providers and their partners end up assessing the processes and their constituent building blocks;
value and cost of their processes and systems in a more
systemic fashion. • supplies a foundation for applying enterprise-wide
discipline to the development of business processes;
For suppliers and partners trying to identify and categorize
process used in business-to-business (B2B) interactions, the • a foundation for understanding and managing portfolios of
Business Process Framework serves to facilitate relationships IT applications in terms of business process requirements;
by identifying where inter-dependencies exist, or should exist
to most efficiently deliver services to customers. • enables creation of consistent and high-quality end-to-end
process flows, with opportunities for cost and
For those managing the all-important customer relationship performance improvement, and for re-use
processes, the Business Process Framework identifies of existing processes and systems;
what processes should be evaluated for meeting customers’
expectations. • its predominance increases the likelihood that off-the-
shelf applications will be readily integrated into the
For planners, managers, and strategists, the Business enterprise, at a lower cost than custom-built applications.
Process Framework helps in the assessment of process
structure, process components, process interactivity and the
business roles and responsibilities to which these relate.
This assessment ability gives them a basis for setting The analysis of all
accurate requirements for system solutions, technical
architectures, technology choices and implementation paths. facets of business
Looking Ahead: Building Bridges processes makes the
Between OSS/BSS and IT Business Process
Framework a critical
The Business Process Framework eTOM is one of the most
pervasive and recognizable maps in the industry. But rather
than rest on their laurels, the Business Process Framework
Program continues to improve its value to not only OSS/BSS,
but now IT as well.
tool for improving
Recognizing the value of embedding the ITIL policy approach
ongoing development.
into the Business Process Framework, and of mapping
applications of that policy into the Business Process
Framework, both the TM Forum and ITIL worked in harmony
to develop “ITIL and eTOM: Building Bridges (TR143),”
a document describing how ITIL and Business Process
(eTOM) frameworks can come together. This work has been
extended and release 8 of the framework includes mapping
to ITIL.