How Orange is evolving its operations model

The transformation of business operations is a key factor in maintaining success and driving innovation. As technologies, business needs and customer expectations change, organizational operations models must adapt to remain competitive and meet shifting demands.

Alexis Koalla knows this particularly well. He is the director of operations strategy and transformation at Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators and digital service providers. The organization serves 287 million customers, individuals, professionals and companies across the globe and is one world’s foremost operators for multinational organizations under the Orange Business brand.

Orange is evolving its operations model to meet a diverse set of aims, with Koalla playing an integral role in the process. He will be speaking at All Access: Future of BPM, PEX Network’s upcoming webinar series, to discuss how Orange is leveraging multiple technologies and strategies to advance its operations. Ahead of the event, we sat down with Koalla to learn more about Orange’s evolving operations model.

PEX Network: Why is Orange evolving its operations model?

Alexis Koalla: The main reason we have decided to evolve our operating model is the need for adaptation and to fully leverage artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI and automation.

For these reasons, its unavoidable to rethink and redesign our operating model, which has been in place for more than 15 years.

We have identified six rationale for change:

1. Customer experience 2.0 – reinventing our customer experience thanks to AI and generative AI.
2. Cost optimization, efficiency and carbon footprint reduction.
3. New business opportunities – for instance, network API exposure and slice management.
4. End-to-end deployment approach – for instance horizontal deployment based on a platforming approach for the infrastructure.
5. Emerging initiatives from our affiliates related to operations to stay competitive.
6. Set a new pace for innovation through new roles implementation.

PEX Network: In what ways has the operations model changed?

AK: We are still on the journey of evolving the model. We are thinking big but starting small, moving slowly and aiming to scale in the next three years. We have some strong convictions on the future operating model:

• Process evolution with AI (what will be called AIOps).
• Roles and activities split with the redefinition of new roles and activities scope.
• Methodology – implementing DevSecOps where necessary.

PEX Network: What have been the biggest challenges of evolving Orange’s operations model?

AK: We have both internal and external gaps that we need to close. Internally, we are aligning the operating model across all our affiliates and vendors. We are also setting up automation and a ‘shift left’ approach on some domains and implementing DevSecOps at scale, encompassing our vendors and suppliers as well.

Externally, we are facing a cultural mindset shift in the deployment model, pushing the containerization and GitOps adoption with a ‘package as a platform’ approach and dealing with multi-vendor and multi-service deployment.

PEX Network: What are the benefits of evolving Orange’s operations model?

AK: We are not yet there. It’s a long journey. However, we see the potential for two significant benefits. First, maintaining and improving the level of our current customer experience, which is already good. Second, enhacing our operational resilience in some network domains.

PEX Network: What’s your advice for fellow business leaders looking to evolve their operations model?

AK: I typically shy away from giving advice because what works for me mat not necessary work for others. However, from my experience, I can share what I have seen regarding transformation. I would say: Culture is eating strategy at breakfast, Agile at lunch and AI at dinner. Also, no transformation can succeed without considering the human and cultural mindset shift. This is the hardest part of the journey. So think big, start small, move slow and scale fast!

You can hear more about Orange's operations model at All Access: Future of BPM. Register for free now!

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