Telecom providers face unique challenges that demand innovative solutions. This conversation is part of our “Behind The Innovation” series, where we sit down with industry experts from IDI to explore all things telecom-related—from customer expectations to product development, emerging technologies, and operational efficiencies. Our goal is to provide valuable insights that help service providers navigate an evolving industry landscape.
In this installment, we spoke with Mike Holleran, IDI’s VP of Product, to discuss how his team prioritizes development, integrates industry trends, and ensures seamless user experiences.
Q: How does IDI prioritize which features to develop first?
One of the core principles of product management is that the answers to our questions aren’t in the building—they’re with our customers. Direct engagement with customers helps us understand how they use our software, what’s most valuable to them, and how they consume our services.
Our product team also works closely with solution engineers, who interact with prospects daily. They hear firsthand about the critical business issues service providers face and what they need from a BSS/OSS platform. By combining these insights with industry trends, we identify overarching themes that guide our product roadmap.
Prioritization always comes down to value. Our roadmap is shaped through continuous research and refinement, ensuring we transform market insights into high-impact features.
Q: How do trends like digital transformation, customer journey optimization, and AI shape IDI’s platform?
These trends play a pivotal role in how we evolve our platform. At IDI, our mission is to help service providers turn ideas into growth. Agility is critical in the telecom industry, where new technologies constantly reshape the market.
Our BSS/OSS platform must do more than complement service providers’ strategic plans—it must enable them. When new trends emerge, we start by collaborating with customers to understand their impact. We explore how these changes affect their business, customer perceptions, and the broader market. With this insight, we work internally to determine how we can add value. This is an ongoing process; we’re always engaging with customers to ensure our roadmap aligns with their evolving needs.
Q: How does IDI gather customer input and translate it into product updates?
We provide multiple channels for customer feedback. Our quarterly product symposium is a virtual workshop where we showcase recently released features, updates in development, and upcoming initiatives. Customers are encouraged to share feedback, ask questions, and even participate in follow-up deep dives.
Once a year, we host an in-person user conference, offering more in-depth discussions and peer collaboration. These conversations—whether in sessions or informal chats—help shape our roadmap.
Beyond workshops, our customer collaboration forum serves as a hub for accessing materials and staying informed on product developments. We also maintain an idea portal where customers can submit and vote on feature requests, ensuring the most valuable suggestions make it into our development cycle.
Q: How does IDI introduce new features without disrupting the user experience?
Our core design principle is that no update should disrupt existing business processes or the user experience. This philosophy is built into our requirements from the start and carried through the entire development process.
Most new features are designed to be additive, enhancing the system without altering existing functionality. When changes are more complex, we release features with default settings that maintain the current experience. Customers can opt in at their own pace using feature toggles, allowing them to implement new functionality on their timeline while ensuring a smooth transition.
Q: Can you share any upcoming initiatives IDI is working on that customers are excited about?
Over the next 12 to 18 months, our focus will be on three key areas: self-service, business intelligence, and service delivery automation.
- Self-Service: In January 2024, we launched an updated customer portal, and we’re continuing to enhance it. Our goal is to provide more self-service options, enabling customers to handle tasks independently without relying on call centers.
- Business Intelligence: We’re developing tools to help customers analyze data, build dashboards, and gain actionable insights from the information stored in our BSS/OSS. By leveraging customer, order, and workflow data, providers can make informed business decisions and monitor their impact.
- Service Delivery Automation: We’re investing in automating the end-to-end process from sales to order to cash. This includes enhancing our network provisioning platform and deepening integrations with partners like Zinier for workforce management.
These initiatives are all aimed at empowering service providers with greater efficiency, insights, and control over their operations.
For a deeper dive into these insights, watch the full interview with Mike Holleran here.
Final Thoughts
At IDI, our approach to product development is centered on customer collaboration, industry alignment, and a commitment to delivering high-value solutions. As the telecom landscape continues to evolve, we’re dedicated to ensuring our platform not only meets today’s challenges but enables tomorrow’s opportunities.
Ready to enhance your telecom operations with innovative, customer-driven solutions? Contact us today to learn how IDI can help. Call 800.208.6151 or visit idibilling.com/demo.