Customer Care Architecture Synchronizing Dunning Data

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Telecommunication service providers face challenges in integrating and maintaining consistency across multiple independent processing systems for customer care, due to disparate communications architectures and limited interaction between systems, making it difficult to manage customer account status and expand services.

Innovation Solution

A web-based customer care architecture that synchronizes customer account status across multiple systems through a method involving incoming dunning action requests, workflow definitions, and batch processing scripts, ensuring consistent data management and synchronization with downstream systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If multiple independent processing systems are used to support telecommunication services, then each system can be specialized and manageable independently, but data consistency and integration between systems deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem independenceVSAvoiddata consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

An intermediary layer is introduced between independent processing systems to mediate data exchange and maintain consistency. This intermediary enables specialized independent systems to communicate effectively while preserving data integrity across the distributed architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

A universal communication protocol or interface standard is implemented across all independent systems, enabling them to perform their specialized functions while maintaining interoperability and data consistency through a common framework.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If disparate proprietary communications architectures are employed in processing systems, then each system can be optimized for its specific function, but system integration and expansion capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem optimizationVSAvoidintegration complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system architecture is segmented into independent modular components, each optimized for its specific function while communicating through standardized interfaces. This segmentation allows functional optimization without compromising integration capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Communication parameters and protocols are standardized across systems, allowing each system to maintain its optimized functionality while adapting to a common integration framework that reduces overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If multiple independent processing systems are used with limited interaction, then system maintenance is simplified, but customer account status synchronization deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemaintenance simplicityVSAvoidaccount status synchronization

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

A feedback mechanism is implemented where processing systems continuously exchange account status information and confirmations. This feedback loop ensures that customer account status is synchronized across all independent systems while maintaining their operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8069070B2Configuration extensions for a telecommunications service provider

Publication Date: 2011.11.29 ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD

AI summary

A customer care architecture integrates a full range of customer care and dunning billing features in a customer care system. The customer care architecture defines and implements multiple workflows which support dunning action requests while centralizing customer account control at the customer care system in an end-to-end telecommunications system framework. The customer care architecture thereby supports interaction, communication, and synchronization with existing and established dunning accounting systems.