Re-Engineering Billing and Collections in an Oracle/Object-Oriented World

1. Re-Engineering Billing and Collectionsin an Oracle / Object-Oriented World - Oracle Applications User Group Conference - Orlando, Florida April 1996 Gregory T. Robleski Director, Program Mgmt - Billing Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.

2. Topics o The Management and Systems Challenge o Application Development Using an Object Approach o Overcoming Resistance to the Object World o Checkpoint and Lessons Learned

3. The Management and Systems Challenge: The Factors o Bell Atlantic is one of the seven Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC’s). - Serves 7 states (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA and WV) - 14 million customers - $15 billion in revenue - 75,000 employees o But Bell Atlantic is not one company. o Bell Atlantic is a RBOC. How to Effect and Control Massive Business Process and Information Systems Change.

4. Bell Atlantic Current Billing / Customer Contact High-Level Flows PA NJ PA /NJ INVOICES REVENUE ACCOUNTING PA NETW PA DOE SEF CAF Calculate Invoice Generation BOSS CSR 3270 PA DOE PA DOE PA DOE PA SOP SSNS Customer Data Bases NJ NETW PA DOE NJ DOE MISOS EDIT RATE PANJ Toll RAMA SSNS CSR 3270 PA DOE ATT/MCI IBS BAUI CORP INVO ECDB CP Toll ATT/MCI C&P CP NETW SOACS EDIT RATE MAST ACCT Calculation Invoice Generation BOSS SSNS CSR 3270 PA DOE Customer Data Bases INVOICES REVENUE ACCOUNTING

5. The Management and Systems Challenge: The Objective o One regional-oriented company: - One workforce; - One management infrastructure. o Obliterate the legacy systems (information, management, personnel etc.) and mindset. o Turn the battleship in four years, or less! The Demands of the Marketplace Must Drive the Technology and the Business Processes!

6. Bell Atlantic New Billing / Customer Contact Architecture Invoice Preparation Media Distribution Outbound interfaces Customer Contact Service Order Processing Invoice Processing 3rd Parties IBS SEFS ACCTS MASTERFILE SOACS MISOS DOE SOP NETW Account Receivable Reports Financial Databases Collection Credit Manager PA/NJ Billing BATCH SOE C/P Billing EXPRESS DATA BASE SSNS BOSS Replacement Pricing Manager Invoice Media Production Service Express Input Manager Network Systems Pre-Processor Rate & Pricing Service Delivery 3rd Parties Networks Toll

7. The Management and Systems Challenge: The Solution o For many industries / organizations, change has become a way of life. o For many industries / organizations, technology has become the business. o The pace of business and technology change is quickly becoming the responsibility of the CEO and Board. o Only organizations which merge a business perspective with a technology culture can successfully manage massive, technology- powered change. The Promise of Object-Oriented Analysis, Design & Development!

8. Application Development Using an Object Approach o The demands of the marketplace required an aggressive solution. o But little experience with Objects. o A somewhat different paradigm is needed: - Central oversight and issue management. - Project status reporting and metrics. - Top-to-bottom client involvement. - External constituencies. - Bifurcating of the IS Organization. The Program Office Is the Mechanism to Manage Development and Change!

9. Office Structure / Organization Billing Steering Committee Connor, Gordon, McDermott, Stallard, Szygenda, Wolfe o BPE - Bennett o Pub / OS - Bautz o SBS - Eisenhart o Dir - Moore o IS - Naderkhani, o Network - Guerard o FO - Sherman o Consumer - Sutter o Carrier - Swan o LBS - Van Tuyle o Fed - France o OCS - Sprehe Business Advisors Process Owner - Billing McDermott Express Release 1 Program Office Process Management Overall Express Program Manager, Robleski Client Project Managers: LOB Implementation Mgrs:IS Release Mgmt, Daniels o Requirements Management - TBD o Release Management - Sieber o User Testing / Customer/ Data Cleanup - o Systems Engineering - Harvey Deering o Release 1.2 Mgmt - DiBella o Input manager/Client - Needhammer o Release 1.5 Mgmt - Szuba o Communications - Whelan o Conversion - TBD o Issues Logging / Schedules - Muscaro o Bill Inquiry Methods / BOSS - Young o User Training - Zemke o Regulatory - Grover o Process Compliance - Gillette o Bill Formats & Methods - Lardy o A / R Replacement - Weiss o Admin / Lotus Notes - Owens o Financial Analysis / Process Costs - Twillman o Billing Planning - Gupta o Payment Processing - Moore o Change Mgmt - Artz o Metrics - Hardy o Administration - Flowers o Pub / OS - Bautz o Fin Ops - Derderian o LBS - DiLella o Consumer - Sanders o SBS - Talbert o Carrier - Toothman o Directory - Weaver o Network - Needhammer o Federal - Stevenson o Toll - Meyerson o OCS - Quirk IS Project Managers Release Support: o Printers/Inserters - Cole, Henry o Workstations/Servers - Riley o Print Center Construction - Cole o Bill Quality Ctr - Felter, Hart o Data - Swift o Operations Interfaces - Felter, Hart o Collection Ctr Methods - Haderer o Production Mgmt - Collazo o Integration Testing - Dunigan o Product Catalog - Olson Software Development: o DiGiovanni o Ferri o Henry o Dragoni o Fremont

10. Overcoming Resistance o Nothing is easy! o Not a replacement for understanding the business and the clients. o Not a solution to all problems. o Most resistance is found in the technology organization(s)! o Selection of Legacy to Object migration path is critical. o Inability to monitor development and project status. Be Prepared! The Road to Objects Is Bumpy!

11. Checkpoint and Lessons Learned o expressTrak has been a success! - New invoice introduced. - Cost savings beginning to be realized. - EDI and INTERNET payment trials proceeding. - Staff being re-deployed. o Objects do offer advantages: - Productivity gains. - Easy to explain to clients / business people.

12. Checkpoint and Lessons Learned o Objects cause management problems: - Time lines are iterative and meaningless. - Staffing / Hiring costs skyrocket. - Project estimation and management become significantly harder. - Impossible to pursue without a heavy client commitment / involvement (i.e., The Program Office). The Object Wave is Coming! You Can Either Ride It, or Be Swept Away!