Business automation between service providers—as well as with customers—is increasingly attracting development budgets in the telecom industry. Business automation improves both customer experience and loyalty (e.g., simplicity of order, service delivery times) as well as staff productivity. The current simplicity and speed of online retail shopping, for example, in our everyday lives is setting a benchmark for customer experience in many other parts of the economy including telecom service delivery. In addition, the increased competition for skilled staff in a tight labor market is also a challenge for service providers. Staff fears of headcount reduction due to automation prior to the pandemic are giving way to demands from employees for more flexible, fulfilling jobs which in turn requires employers to lean on more automation.
