Slow is fast: To speed telecom automation efforts, start with process simplification

<p><b>For telecom and broadband leaders, the fastest path to automation begins with simplifying how work gets done—not with upgrading tech.</b></p>

<p>In telecom, one of the biggest misconceptions about automation is that it starts with a technology upgrade. True, modern architectures and best-in-class platforms will deliver undeniable benefits to telecom and broadband companies. But technology itself isn’t enough.</p> <p>The key to accelerated automation—whether it is in the network, customer care, supply chain or any other area of the business—is process simplification. To get the full value of any automation effort, businesses need to first take the time to streamline their end-to-end processes and create a simpler state—and then go after technology transformation. This step lays the foundation for everything that follows.</p> <p>Building this simplified foundation requires process mapping, design thinking, top-down value sizing and bottom-up validation. The result is automation that not only delivers cost-savings but also drives growth and innovation.</p> <h4>Automation in telecom: big opportunities—and big pressure</h4> <p>Amid fierce competition in the industry, automation can offer telcos and broadband operators a strategic leap forward. According to McKinsey, leading telecom operators that embrace holistic IT transformation—not just isolated upgrades—reduce IT spending by <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/transforming-telecom-tech-how-it-excellence-drives-innovation-and-cost-efficiency" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">up to 40%</a> and speed time-to-market by 3X, while also increasing customer satisfaction.&nbsp;In field and service operations, <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/technology-media-and-telecommunications/our-insights/how-ai-is-helping-revolutionize-telco-service-operations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AI-driven automation has delivered</a> 10% to 20% cost savings and 10% to 20% sales uplift through smarter scheduling and predictive staffing.</p> <p>We’re seeing these gains firsthand. Our work with one of Australia’s largest telecoms enabled <a href="https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/case-studies/telecom-robotic-process-automation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">automated same-day service delivery,</a>&nbsp;which wasn’t possible with the previously manual approach to QA.</p> <p>But many operators fail to achieve these gains. A key reason is the tendency to pursue one-off, isolated projects that yield limited outcomes. An example is rolling out a provisioning bot on just one type of router without standardizing workflows, automating ticket updates for just one team or deploying a network analytics dashboard with data scattered across legacy systems with inconsistent formats.</p> <p>Each move seems like progress, but because processes and workflows remain fragmented, the full benefits never materialize. We regularly see clients purchase licenses for the newest platforms—and then simply migrate what they have to the new stack. In the end, all they’ve done is switch stacks. The result is low adoption or minimal business value because they didn't invest time upfront to think through the complexities and evaluate their processes before implementing the new stack.</p> <p>All too often, automating broken processes just speeds up inefficiency.</p> <h4>Reimagining automation efforts in telecom</h4> <p>A successful process simplification journey begins with a bold, executive-backed vision. This vision must challenge legacy thinking and embrace future possibilities:</p> <p><b>Map what works—and what doesn’t.</b> The first step in process simplification is mapping out how things work. To build consensus, start small and deliver a few quick wins by identifying process changes that won’t require tech investments.</p> <p>For example, remove the need for approvals or signoffs that rarely change outcomes. Another option is batching them so they can be done more quickly. Or, to reduce delays and repeat work, map out common handoffs and clarify escalation paths between the network operations center and field operations. Include a variety of internal and external perspectives in the mapping process. Suppliers’ input, for example, can be invaluable.</p> <p>Also, look beyond telecom for inspiration. Tesla uses <a href="https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/insights/insights-blog/digital-twin-in-telecom-for-enterprise-data-foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">digital twins</a> to simulate and optimize operations, which can be extremely effective for telcos, as well. (<a href="https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/insights/insights-blog/digital-twin-in-telecom-for-enterprise-data-foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Learn more about how digital twins can benefit telecom companies.</a>)&nbsp;Amazon is a good example of achieving real-time personalization and scale through intelligent automation and data architecture.</p> <p><b>Size value with a top-down approach. </b>Get a high-level estimate of the potential impact of the process change. This will help telecom leaders quickly gauge whether a simplification initiative is worth deeper investment. Partner with finance to identify the biggest cost drivers and potential savings. This bird’s-eye view helps prioritize initiatives with the greatest ROI and strategic impact.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Validate pain points with a bottom-up view.</b> Get a close-up view of customer and employee pain points. Ride-alongs and interviews with front-line teams are critical for validating assumptions. In our work with the <a href="https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/case-studies/telecom-robotic-process-automation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Australian telecom</a> company, bottom-up assessments revealed order-build efficiencies that saved <a href="https://www.cognizant.com/us/en/case-studies/telecom-robotic-process-automation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">125 minutes per order</a>.</p> <p><b>Adopt design thinking to drive adoption through empathy. </b>Design thinking ensures automation tools are intuitive and user aligned. By involving end users in design, companies boost adoption, productivity and even customer outcomes. In one engagement, dashboards <a href="https://inform.tmforum.org/research-and-analysis/proofs-of-concept/the-noc-engineers-new-teammate-the-incident-co-pilot-solution-for-faster-incident-resolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">co-designed by NOC</a> engineers drove 3X higher adoption and up to 90% faster incident documentation. More broadly, <a href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/design-thinking-can-deliver-an-roi-of-85-or-greater/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Forrester found</a> that organizations applying design thinking achieve 1.6X higher employee satisfaction, 2X faster adoption and ROI ranging from 229% per project to 107% ROI at the enterprise level.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Create a structured roadmap for sustained success.</b>&nbsp;A structured roadmap isn’t just about planning; it’s also about building momentum and trust across the organization. Here’s how to make it real:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li><b>Frequent releases.</b> Think of automation like building a house—you don’t wait until everything is perfect before moving in. Break down large goals into smaller, manageable sprints to let teams test, learn and iterate quickly. For example, one client piloted an incident triage automation in just four weeks, then scaled it across the entire NOC.<br> <br> </li> <li><b>Executive governance.</b> We’ve seen automation initiatives lose steam due to cross-functional misalignment. But when executives champion the cause, roadblocks get removed faster, and teams stay focused on outcomes, not just outputs.<br> <br> </li> <li><b>Performance metrics.</b> Metrics matter—but they must be meaningful. Go beyond cost savings and track KPIs that reflect customer experience and team productivity. One client saw a 15% boost in NPS after automating service provisioning, simply because the process became more predictable and transparent.<br> <br> </li> <li><b>Change management. </b>Automation involves a mindset shift. Equip teams with training, clear communication and ongoing support, and celebrate small wins to build momentum. In one engagement, we hosted weekly “automation huddles” to share progress and gather feedback, which dramatically improved adoption.</li> </ul> <h4>Simplify first, automate second</h4> <p>The fastest route to capturing value from automation isn’t paved with technology—it’s built on simplified, human-centered processes. By starting with process mapping, stakeholder alignment and design thinking, telecom and broadband providers can unlock automation’s full potential as both a cost lever and a growth engine.</p>