The Power of Dashboards in Revenue Assurance: Enhancing Visibility and Control with S-ONE RA

In the telecom industry billions of transactions occur every day, so ensuring accurate revenue capture and minimizing leakage is essential. Revenue Assurance (RA) teams play a critical role in this effort, relying heavily on actionable insights derived from data. Dashboards are central to this process, offering RA teams the ability to monitor, analyze, and act on key metrics in real-time. Here, we explore the importance of dashboards in revenue assurance and provide a detailed breakdown of the essential dashboards S-ONE RA offers, the metrics they include, and their importance.

1. Revenue Trends Dashboard

Metrics Included:

Total revenue generated (daily, weekly, monthly)
Revenue breakdown by service (voice, SMS, data, roaming)
Anomalies in revenue trends
Comparison of projected vs. actual revenue

Why It’s Needed:

This dashboard provides a bird’s-eye view of revenue streams, allowing RA teams to monitor overall performance and detect irregularities quickly. Identifying revenue declines or unexpected spikes ensures that any underlying issues, such as system misconfigurations or fraudulent activities, are addressed promptly.

Data Reconciliation Dashboard

Metrics Included:

Volume of reconciled vs. unreconciled call detail records (CDRs)
Data reconciliation success rates
Discrepancies between network records and billing systems
Mediation system logs for dropped or rejected records

Why It’s Needed:

Accurate reconciliation of data ensures that all usage is billed correctly. This dashboard helps RA teams identify gaps in data processing, such as missed CDRs, and fix issues before they impact revenue. By highlighting reconciliation discrepancies, the dashboard minimizes revenue leakage.

3. Fraud Detection Dashboard

Metrics Included:

Number of flagged fraud events
Types of fraud detected (e.g., Simbox bypass,CLI bypass fraud)
Locations and timestamps of suspicious activities
Revenue impact of identified fraud

Why It’s Needed:

Fraudulent activities pose significant threats to revenue. This dashboard provides real-time alerts and detailed analyses of fraud patterns, enabling RA teams to take swift action to mitigate risks. It also helps in evaluating the effectiveness of anti-fraud measures over time.

4. Interconnect and Roaming Revenue Dashboard

Metrics Included:

Revenue from interconnect agreements
Roaming revenue breakdown by partner and region
Settlement discrepancies with partner operators
Trends in interconnect and roaming traffic

Why It’s Needed:

Revenue from interconnect and roaming agreements can be complex to manage. This dashboard ensures accurate tracking and settlement of revenue with partner operators. By identifying discrepancies in real-time, RA teams can avoid disputes and recover potential losses effectively.

5. Customer Complaint Analysis Dashboard

Metrics Included:

Volume of billing-related complaints
Average resolution time for disputes
Financial impact of resolved and unresolved complaints
Trends in complaint categories

Why It’s Needed:

Customer complaints often highlight gaps in billing accuracy or network performance. This dashboard helps RA teams identify recurring issues, assess their financial impact, and implement measures to improve customer satisfaction and revenue assurance processes.

6. Network Performance Dashboard

Metrics Included:

Call drop rates and their financial impact
SMS delivery success rates
Data session completion rates
Alerts for network element failures (e.g.,SMS-C, MSC, SGSN, GGSN)

Why It’s Needed:

Technical issues in the network can lead to unbilled usage and lost revenue. This dashboard provides visibility into network performance, allowing RA teams to collaborate with technical departments to resolve issues that impact revenue capture.

How S-ONE RA Delivers Exceptional Dashboards

S-ONE RA, powered by advanced machine learning, offers pre-configured and customizable dashboards tailored to the unique needs of telecom operators. Here’s how it stands out:

Real-Time Data Integration

S-ONE RA seamlessly integrates with mediation systems, billing platforms, and network data sources to provide comprehensive, real-time insights.

AI-Driven Anomaly Detection

Machine learning algorithms continuously analyze data streams to detect and highlight anomalies, enabling proactive resolution of issues.

Customizable Dashboards

Operators can customize dashboards to focus on their specific priorities, such as high-value customers or roaming revenue analysis.

Automated Reporting

Dashboards include automated reporting features that generate summaries for stakeholders, complete with visualizations and actionable recommendations.

Download our S-ONE RA brochure to discover more about the solution to unlock the full potentiel of our dashbords

Conclusion

Dashboards are indispensable tools for revenue assurance teams, offering clarity, control, and actionable insights to safeguard revenue and enhance operational efficiency. With S-ONE RA’s advanced dashboards, telecom operators gain the power to monitor critical metrics, identify revenue leakage, and drive sustainable growth.

What Type of Data Should Telecom Operators Provide to RAFM Teams to Ensure Effective Revenue Assurance and Prevent Revenue Leakage?

Revenue Assurance (RA) and Fraud Management (FM) are critical functions for telecom operators aiming to protect their network, revenue streams and minimize financial losses. Ensuring these teams have access to the right data is essential for identifying discrepancies, addressing vulnerabilities, and implementing robust controls. Below is a detailed guide on the types of data operators should provide to RA/FM teams to enhance revenue assurance and prevent revenue leakage effectively.

1. Call Detail Records (CDRs)

Why They Are Essential: CDRs provide detailed information about every call made or received on the network, including time, duration, source, destination, and cost. RA/FM teams use CDRs to identify discrepancies between billed and actual usage.

Key Attributes:

Call start and end times
Caller and recipient numbers
Call type (e.g., local, international, roaming)
Network element IDs (e.g., MSC,OCS)
Applied rates and chargesUse Case: Reconciliation of CDRs against billing system data to detect under-billing or over-billing issues.

2. Data Usage Records

Why They Are Essential: Ensuring that all data usage is accurately captured and billed is crucial. Data usage records provide details on internet and app usage patterns by subscribers.

Key Attributes:

Data session start and end times
Volume of data transferred (upload/download)
Session type (e.g., streaming, browsing)
Associated costs and plans

Use Case: Reconciliation of data session records with charging systems to identify unbilled usage.

3. SMS Records

Why They Are Essential: SMS remain significant revenue sources, particularly in regions with lower internet penetration. RA/FM teams need to ensure proper billing for all messaging services.

Key Attributes:

Sender and recipient numbers
Message type (e.g., domestic, international, bulk)
Time of delivery
Billing rates

Use Case: Cross-verification of SMS records with billing platforms to detect revenue leakage from promotional offers or network issues.

4. Subscriber Information and Profiles

Why They Are Essential: Accurate subscriber data ensures that customers are billed according to their subscribed plans, discounts, and usage patterns.

Key Attributes:

Customer name and account details
Subscription type (prepaid/postpaid)
Plan details (e.g., data caps, call minutes, SMS bundles)
KYC compliance data

Use Case: Reconciliation of subscription data with billing plans to detect discrepancies like incorrect plan activations or unregistered users.

5. Network Event Logs

Why They Are Essential: Network event logs provide insights into the functioning of core and intelligent network elements. These logs are crucial for identifying technical glitches that may lead to revenue leakage.

Key Attributes:

Network element activity logs
Error codes and failure records
Timestamped records of events

Use Case: Identifying dropped calls or failed SMS deliveries that are not billed despite usage.

6. Billing System Data

Why They Are Essential: RA/FM teams need access to billing system data to ensure alignment between what customers are charged and their actual usage.

Key Attributes:

Billed amounts and invoices
Applied discounts and promotions
Payment records

Use Case: Auditing billing data against CDRs and subscription plans to ensure billing accuracy.

7. Mediation System Data

Why They Are Essential: The mediation system acts as the bridge between network-generated data and the billing system. Any discrepancies here can lead to revenue leakage.

Key Attributes:

Raw data from network elements
Processed data passed to billing systems
Rejected or dropped records

Use Case: Reviewing mediation logs to identify lost data records that could impact billing.

8. Fraud Alerts and Patterns

Why They Are Essential: Fraudulent activities can lead to significant revenue losses. RA/FM teams need detailed fraud data to identify and mitigate risks promptly.

Key Attributes:

Detected fraud types (e.g.,Simbox bypass,CLI bypass fraud)
Location and time of fraud occurrences
Subscriber details involved in suspicious activities

Use Case: Cross-referencing fraud patterns with network and billing data to detect systemic vulnerabilities.

9. Interconnect and Roaming Data

Why They Are Essential: Revenue from interconnect and roaming services is susceptible to discrepancies due to differing billing systems between operators.

Key Attributes:

Interconnect call/SMS records
Roaming agreements and charges
Reconciliation reports from partner operators

Use Case: Auditing interconnect and roaming data to ensure accurate settlements and prevent disputes.

10. Complaint and Dispute Records

Why They Are Essential: Customer complaints about billing inaccuracies can highlight gaps in the revenue assurance process.

Key Attributes:

Complaint details
Resolution steps and timelines
Financial impact of resolved disputes

Use Case: Using complaint data to identify and address recurring issues in billing and revenue collection processes.

Conclusion

Providing RAFM teams with comprehensive and accurate data is the foundation for effective revenue assurance and fraud prevention. By ensuring access to CDRs, data usage records, subscriber profiles, and other key datasets, telecom operators can proactively identify and resolve revenue leakage issues. Moreover, fostering collaboration between network, IT, and RAFM teams can further strengthen controls and enhance financial performance.

To succeed in this mission, operators must also invest in advanced analytics tools and automated reconciliation systems to process and analyze data efficiently. Revenue assurance is not just about preventing losses but also about building a robust framework that ensures long-term profitability and customer trust.