The Business

Process Language
Business Process Framework (eTOM)

The Business Process Framework (commonly known as the eTOM) is truly the business process heart of the TM Forum’s Solution
Frameworks (NGOSS). By providing the industry with a common structure for defining and sharing business processes, the Business
Process Framework enables Service Providers and their suppliers to work together to understand the current state of business activities,
identify improvements, and define new processes to streamline their businesses.

As if the convergence of networks and services wasn't enough of a challenge, Service Providers in many sectors simultaneously face
greater competition, growing customer expectations, falling market share and increasing price pressures. As a result, they feel pressure
to clearly define and understand the business processes they use to deliver convergent services in a competitive environment.

They, like all members of the value chain, need a business-driven approach to managing their enterprises if they are to possess a
holistic understanding of their customers. That understanding depends on their understanding of the OSS and BSS systems that are
vital to supporting those customers. Only by gaining that type of understanding can Service Providers integrate OSS/BSS systems and
improve the interfaces among their own systems, and that of their partners.

In order to provide a "common process language" that is open and flexible enough for all to use, the TM Forum's Business Process
Framework (eTOM) provides a reference framework for categorizing all business activities at all levels of the enterprise. As the name
implies, the focus of the Business Process Framework are the business processes—the linkages among processes; the identification
of interfaces; and the use of customer, service, resource, supplier/partner and other information by multiple processes.

By working within the Solution Frameworks (NGOSS) toolkit, the Business Process Framework drives integration from a business view
throughout the Solution Frameworks (NGOSS) development cycle.
Using the Business Process Framework

The analysis of all facets of business processes makes the Business Process Framework a critical tool for improving ongoing
development. It reveals where different processes deliver the same business functionality and where Service Providers can eliminate
duplication, reveal gaps, reduce variances, and thus expedite process design.

By assessing the performance of individual processes, Service Providers and their partners end up assessing the value and cost of their
processes and systems in a more systemic fashion.

For suppliers and partners trying to identify and categorize process used in business-to-business (B2B) interactions, the Business Process
Framework serves to facilitate relationships by identifying where inter-dependencies exist, or should exist to most efficiently deliver
services to customers.

For those managing the all-important customer relationship processes, the Business Process Framework identifies what processes should
be evaluated for meeting customers’ expectations.

For planners, managers, and strategists, the Business 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 accurate requirements for system solutions, technical architectures, technology choices and implementation paths.

Looking Ahead: Building Bridges Between OSS/BSS and IT

The Business Process Framework 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.

Recognizing the value of embedding the ITIL policy approach 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.

With both organizations working to build compatible and mutually supportive entities, the Business Process Framework will be used to
build IT-compliant processes that are aligned with the ITIL policy approaches.

Working examples of this are now documented as part of the Business Process Framework Solution Suite. Please visit:
http://www.tmforum.org/browse.aspx?catID=1647.

Benefits of Using the Business Process Framework:

• Provides a standard structure, terminology and classification scheme for describing business processes and their
constituent building blocks;
• Supplies a foundation for applying enterprise-wide discipline to the development of business processes;
• A foundation for understanding and managing portfolios of IT applications in terms of business process requirements;
• Enables creation of consistent and high-quality end-to-end process flows, with opportunities for cost and performance
improvement, and for re-use of existing processes and systems;
• Its predominance increases the likelihood that off-the-shelf applications will be readily integrated into the enterprise,
at a lower cost than custom-built applications.