LIVE FROM OPERATIONS TRANSFORMATION FORUM 2017, HONG KONG: Telecoms operators are familiar with the reasons driving the need for digital transformation, as well as the many challenges, but the conversation has shifted from the whys to the how and where to get started.

“We have discussed the whys in the past, now we’re going to focus on where to begin,” said Howard Liang, Huawei’s SVP and chairman of Open ROADS Community, in an opening address.

Liang outlined the three key ingredients needed for a successful transformation: Follow a digital ‘mastermind’ to navigate the journey; create an industry reference model that allows best-in-class solutions; and prioritise transformation activities to ensure real value is delivered throughout the process.

For the first point, he recommended following a comprehensive set of prescriptive methods for transformation built on the work of the Open ROADS community.

He noted that the three ingredients are based on Huawei’s own internal transformation activity as well as its experience working with operators. “Building on the experience of digital transformation within Huawei over the past two years, together with findings and best practices identified by the both the Open ROADS Community and from wider industry, we have created a clear methodology to guide us, which we call the Digital Mastermind.”

This helps create tangible goals from existing business challenges, and identifies capability gaps to guide and prioritise the subsequent re-architecting of complex networks and IT systems.

He said digital operations transformation ultimately is about creating additional business value, while providing a better, more compelling experience for customers. But operators have many different objectives for transforming their digital operations, such as making them more competitive, reducing time to market for new services or recouping network investment or improving operations efficiency.

Huawei has already put its Digital Mastermind into practice at HKT’s digital operations transformation project. “We have taken HKT’s business ambition and created eight tangible value goals, which have been delivered through our value management practice.”