DTW (Digital Transformation World)
DTWS: Orange Group’s Head of AI on developing smarter networks to boost ops
AI has skyrocketed up boardrooms’ agendas as a strategic asset in parallel with IT. Orange Group created its own new AI organization about two years ago. Steve Jarrett, SVP, Data & AI at Orange discussed further.
23 Oct 2020
DTWS: Orange Group’s Head of AI on developing smarter networks to boost ops
Steve Jarrett, SVP, Data & AI at Orange Group talked about building an organization-wide AI competency to TM Forum’s Chief Analyst, Mark Newman in a keynote interview called 'Laying the AI foundation' at Digital Transformation World Series on October 21. The session, sponsored by CSG, came under TM Forum's AI, Data & Analytics theme, and the full video is available to watch now, on-demand, here.
AI has skyrocketed up boardrooms’ agendas in parallel with IT being recognized as a strategic asset for many communications service providers (CSPs). Orange Group created a new AI organization about two years ago, which is led by Jarrett.
He explains that like most organizations, Orange recognized at the outset the “foundational elements that were missing with data ingestion and data quality”, and that it was necessary to establish workflows for managing data-centric projects. He said most organizations tend to have engineers and data scientists collaborating about data without structuring the process. Orange, he explains, had to establish its own processes, workflows and the governance needed to address this practical aspect of running an AI operation.
Jarrett likens the AI market to the Internet in the 1990s, in that there’s clearly an opportunity, “but it’s not clear what will happen and the tools are immature.” He says there are opportunities for suppliers to provide tools that “structure the work teams have to do so it is very well staged.”
As preparing data for AI is effort intensive and using AI for business gain is a new concept, Jarrett explained Orange Group’s AI team looks for opportunities where even small improvements could have a large impact on CapEx and OpEx, and where datasets enable many use cases. Network data is a prime example.
He adds that it is equally important to recognize and address the difficulty of shifting the thinking of operations teams to try new tools, and adopt new approaches and ways of solving problems.
Jarrett explained his team has built out AI capabilities to find new ways of using them and targeted specific use cases. He says use cases are especially helpful in breaking down organizational barriers and identifying scenarios where data taken from one team benefits another.
Critical use cases have a way of finding their way into the marketplace. Jarrett explains that Orange Spain created a tool called Smart CapEx which can predict the profitability of a proposed cell site. The tool, Jarrett explained, looks beyond typical metrics like network quality to “a more holistic view that gets at the business impact.” This approach has delivered 10 to 20% CapEx savings on network expenditure.
Jarrett reckons it will take a decade or more to use data and AI to really change and improve the way business is done and how services are delivered to customers. Large organizations first must invest in skills training, not just in developers or data scientists, but cultural and technology awareness training so that organizations can adapt to using and governing AI effectively. Jarrett said the upside is that “people are happier when they are solving problems for customers” rather than performing repetitive processes and number crunching.
Orange championed TM Forum’s AI-driven business assurance for 5G Catalyst project, which demonstrates how service providers can apply AI and machine learning to credit, fraud and customer experience in a 5G environment. It shows how subscribers can be assigned network slices based on parameters such as the probability of churn, fraud and debt, and customer experience to support use cases like telemedicine and public safety.
You can watch the full session, on-demand, now. Watch the rest of Digital Transformation World Series content live and on-demand now too! Not registered for DTWS yet? There’s still time. Join 12,000 of your peers online through November 12. CSPs receive complimentary passes. Sign up here.
AI has skyrocketed up boardrooms’ agendas in parallel with IT being recognized as a strategic asset for many communications service providers (CSPs). Orange Group created a new AI organization about two years ago, which is led by Jarrett.
“Orange has a willingness to take risks, and to let us take on large problems that have a big impact for the business,” Jarrett said.
AI operations at issue
He explains that like most organizations, Orange recognized at the outset the “foundational elements that were missing with data ingestion and data quality”, and that it was necessary to establish workflows for managing data-centric projects. He said most organizations tend to have engineers and data scientists collaborating about data without structuring the process. Orange, he explains, had to establish its own processes, workflows and the governance needed to address this practical aspect of running an AI operation.
Jarrett likens the AI market to the Internet in the 1990s, in that there’s clearly an opportunity, “but it’s not clear what will happen and the tools are immature.” He says there are opportunities for suppliers to provide tools that “structure the work teams have to do so it is very well staged.”
Main challenges
The first major challenge CSPs can expect to face with AI comes in “getting the data ready…improving our ability to structure and ingest that data and work with it in a workflow,” Jarrett said.
As preparing data for AI is effort intensive and using AI for business gain is a new concept, Jarrett explained Orange Group’s AI team looks for opportunities where even small improvements could have a large impact on CapEx and OpEx, and where datasets enable many use cases. Network data is a prime example.
He adds that it is equally important to recognize and address the difficulty of shifting the thinking of operations teams to try new tools, and adopt new approaches and ways of solving problems.
Jarrett explained his team has built out AI capabilities to find new ways of using them and targeted specific use cases. He says use cases are especially helpful in breaking down organizational barriers and identifying scenarios where data taken from one team benefits another.
Real world use case
Critical use cases have a way of finding their way into the marketplace. Jarrett explains that Orange Spain created a tool called Smart CapEx which can predict the profitability of a proposed cell site. The tool, Jarrett explained, looks beyond typical metrics like network quality to “a more holistic view that gets at the business impact.” This approach has delivered 10 to 20% CapEx savings on network expenditure.
Much to learn in AI and machine learning
Jarrett reckons it will take a decade or more to use data and AI to really change and improve the way business is done and how services are delivered to customers. Large organizations first must invest in skills training, not just in developers or data scientists, but cultural and technology awareness training so that organizations can adapt to using and governing AI effectively. Jarrett said the upside is that “people are happier when they are solving problems for customers” rather than performing repetitive processes and number crunching.
Orange champions AI catalyst project
Orange championed TM Forum’s AI-driven business assurance for 5G Catalyst project, which demonstrates how service providers can apply AI and machine learning to credit, fraud and customer experience in a 5G environment. It shows how subscribers can be assigned network slices based on parameters such as the probability of churn, fraud and debt, and customer experience to support use cases like telemedicine and public safety.
You can watch the full session, on-demand, now. Watch the rest of Digital Transformation World Series content live and on-demand now too! Not registered for DTWS yet? There’s still time. Join 12,000 of your peers online through November 12. CSPs receive complimentary passes. Sign up here.
