This is how I have seen the service solution architect work.

1. Service Solution Architect
What is it?
What is the work?
What is the deliverable?
What does it take?

2. What is it?
Service Solution Architect defines the target state of
operations, related HC and subcontracting:
Final State
-Finished service delivery
Engagement State -Operator or 3rd Party Operation or
-Sales Activities -No Operation
-Solution Creation Disengagement
-Bidding
-Contracting
Set-up
Contract
Due Diligence
Target State
-Operations Model
Initial State
-Established Operation or Transformation
-3rd PartyOutsourced Operation or
-No Operation
Intermediate State
Transition
-Staff and Assets Transferred
-Operation Responsibility Transferred
-Working methods and tools unchanged or
-Working methods and tools not fully established

3. Start Start
1) What are the customer’s
targets using services?
What is the What are the requirements
In terms of:
-Scope
2) What are the customer’s
pain points in their operation?
work? -Cost
- Duration
- Quality
2) What is the status of::
3) What is the existing OPEX -Infrastructure
baseline for the customer?
- Network
4) What available solution
For solution - Environment
-Culture
selling?
cures the pain ?
3) What is the related existing:
-CAPEX
5) What are the involved - OPEX
SLA / KPI? - Operation
- Maintenance
- Optimisation
6) What are the involved risks?
7) What does the solution cost to
deliver?
For solution 4) Where the solution is:
-Cheaper
-More efficient
8) What is the sales margin?
architect? -More reliable
- improving QoS
- bringing benefits to the customer
5) Define the solution, which
9) What are the possible benefits -fulfills the requirement
to the customer? - states the used facts
- states the used assumptions
- lists the benefits
No - lists the related costs
10) Good enough? - lists the options
Yes
Contract
negotiations End

4. What is the deliverable?
Documentation of the suitable service solution independent of the customer
technologies and vendors
 Mobile Technologies
 AMPS, TACS, NMT, narrow-band CDMA, analog trunking, TAXI etc.
 TETRA , 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, GSM-R
 Wireless LAN, WiFi, WiMax
 Fixed Technologies
 Plain old telephone system (POTS), digital subscriber line (DSL), Intelligent network (IN)
 Analog and digital data connection networks (X25 etc.)
 Internet Technologies
 Broadband access, Routers, Servers (DNS; DHCP), Firewalls
 Voice over internet protocol (VoIP), Location based services
 Transmission Technologies
 Copper, Optical fiber, Microwave
 PDH, SDH, ATM, IP
 Operation Support Systems (OSS)
 Network element managers
 Fault Management Systems (Trouble Ticket, Workflow Manager)
 Performance Management Systems
 Configuration Management Systems
 Corporate IT and Business Support Systems
 Billing
 Mediation
 Inventory Management

5. What is the deliverable? (Cont.)
Documentation of the suitable service solution addressing the customer needs
and strategic intent
• The service solution for
» Build-Operate-Transfer
» Operations Start-up / Operations Support
» Outsourcing
» Consulting
• Proposal (for the fullest service scope)
» Service Description
 Option 1 Scope of Works and Share of Responsibility
• The customer requested solution
 Option 2 Scope of Works and Share of Responsibility
• The optimal solution, if possible to present
 Governance and Interaction
 Administrative Services
 Network Design and Optimization
 Network Operations
 Field Service
 System Support (Care Services)
 Network Implementation (NI Services)
» Acceptances and Service Levels
» Transition and Transformation
» Terminology and Abbreviations
• Executive Summary
• Costing and Pricing

6. What does it take?
Usually several devoted man-working weeks as follows:
1. Get familiar with the customer, available documentation, environment, pain
points, business realm etc.
2. Prepare clarification questions for the customer, and start documenting the
target solution overview
3. Get the first answers from customer, and finalise the target solution outlines
(SoW, SoR, SLA principles). Make first draft business calculation
4. Get more answers from the customer, start preparation of the solution
documents including costing and first draft of transition and transformation plan
5. Get the rest of the answers from the customer, finalise the target solution
description, costing and SLA as well as transition and transformation
6. Go through the answers, proofread and correct solution documentation, finalise
assumptions and risks
7. Proofread the documentation
8. Print for the submission and delivery

7. What else does it take?
Additional case related internal administrative, financial
and control activities:
1. Systematic meetings with the bid team
Bid team start-up, follow-up, and final meetings
2. Knowledge sharing
Phone conferences, knowledge base set-up and use, template creation, documentation
structure etc.
3. Documentation preparation control
Control of document owners, revision of documents, feedback of documents
4. Business case approval
Internal inspection, business case preparation, internal acceptances, etc.