Collaboration for Resource Provisioning and Allocation

The IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Resource Provisioning and Allocation manages the setting up of work orders for field work and installation of services for customers in the telecommunications industry.

If you use the Resource Provisioning and Allocation collaboration in conjunction with other WebSphere Business Integration for Telecommunications collaborations, their relationships are as follows:

The following diagram shows the relationship of the Resource Provisioning and Allocation collaboration with other WebSphere Business Integration for Telecommunications collaborations.

Relationships to other WebSphere Business Integration for Telecommunications collaborations

Position in telecommunications operations map

The Customer Problem Handling collaboration handles operations related to fulfillment within the business domain of resource management and operations. The diagram below shows the position of the collaboration in the enhanced Telecom Operation Map (eTOM) as defined by the TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum).

Position in enhanced Telecommunications Operations Map

Process limitations

The Resource Provisioning and Allocation collaboration does not currently provide support for resource inventory functions.

System assumptions

Like the other WebSphere Business Integration for Telecommunications collaborations, the Resource Provisioning and Allocation collaboration uses WebSphere MQ Workflow Server and IBM WebSphere InterChange Server. IBM WebSphere Business Integration Adapters are used to connect between these two applications, and to other applications that participate in the collaboration.

It is assumed that a provisioning system.application (such as MetaSolv) also participates in the Resource Provisioning and Allocation collaboration.

This collaboration uses the following collaboration templates:

The system features that are expected to execute this collaboration, including IBM WebSphere Business Integration Adapters, are shown in the following diagram:

Resource Provisioning and Allocation collaboration system assumptions

Use case

This process involves the provisioning of a service for a customer. The process begins when a new customer order is created, and is completed when field work is completed that makes the service available to the customer.

Actors

The following table shows the actors for this use case:

Use case actors
Actor Description
Call center CSR (Customer Service Representative) A person who is an agent of the telecommunications provider who performs a set of business functions in response to requests communicated over the telephone by clients. The person acting as Call Center CSR can be busy responding to the telephone and performing sales and/or support activities.
Agent A person who is an agent of the telecommunications provider who performs a set of business functions in response to requests communicated by clients in a branch, retail, or distribution environment. The person acting as an Agent can be busy responding to individuals and performing sales and/or support activities.
Field agent A person who is an agent of the telecommunications provider who is responsible for service installations at the customer's site.

Course

The following tables describe the main course that may be followed in the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Resource Provisioning and Allocation use case. There is no alternate course for this use case.

Use case description (main course)
# Activity by the actor System activity Reference
M1 Requisition customer equipment Schedule field work  
M2 Perform field work Update field work status  
M3 Enter customer configuration record Update customer configuration record  

The following activity diagram illustrates the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Resource Provisioning and Allocation use case:

IBM CrossWorlds Collaboration for Resource Provisioning and Allocation activity diagram

Note: In the activity diagrams, these shapes are used to identify process activities:

Legend of activities

Business examples

The following business example shows a situation where the IBM WebSphere Business Integration Collaboration for Resource Provisioning and Allocation use case is realized.

Provision new service

This example consists of the following steps:

  1. The system sends a customer order to a service agent to begin the process of provisioning the service for the customer.
  2. The service agent submits a requisition for the hardware required by the customer to an inventory management system.
  3. The system schedules the field services staff to perform the physical installation at the customer's site.
  4. The system updates the service management system.
  5. The field agent performs the physical installation work and provides the necessary status information to the order management system, network management system and inventory system on completion of the field work.

Copyright IBM Corp. 2002, 2003