Back ground : Suggestions made in the one day Conference on Public Sector Telecom Services & its future held on 14th at BTH, Ernakulam. Participants were representatives from BSNL management, BSNL Unions and Associations and Unions and Officers Associations of various Public Sector and social organisations. All of them emphasised. the need for strengthening the BSNL. One of the deficiency of the present day organisation noted by many was the lack of marketing drive from BSNL. Though various categories of personnel in BSNL are working in different areas such as installation, maintenance, service delivery, accounts, planning, management etc, the need for every body to be familiar with the BSNL products and services was felt by the participants. By and large, the pro-market forces, the right wing media campaign in favour of private operators and when encountered with specifics, BSNL personnel are unable to clear the doubts raised by the customers. The old Govt Department Official attitude of the BSNL organisation also is attributed to this ignorance of its own services and products. If BSNL personnel are aware of the attributes of BSNL products, then it is very easy to reach the present as well as prospective customers. Unless the BSNL personnel themselves are not familiar with the services, how can the public be expected of it. BSNL personnel, irrespective of the divergent nature of day to day duties, can and are expected to be aware of the basic attributes of the services and to guide and canvas the public they come in contact. This will be the first step of unleashing a powerful marketing and public awareness campaign on BSNL products and services. Hence the suggestion to have a crash program of familiarisation workshops for the entire BSNL personnel.
Previous model :
All the concepts applied in this proposal has already shown results in CTO, Cochin-682016. There, all the personnel were imparted such training at the time of conversion into CSC working between 0800 am to 0800 pm (which, it is reported, is still unique in the whole of BSNL, to have a CSC working and giving all services including cash collection and new mobile connections for such a long time, despite the Corporate Office directive to have such CSCs). Every body, including even, operative staff, technical maintenance staff and support staff who never dared to do work of facing the customers at public counter came forward to meet the public, give them proper guidance, give them the service they need and to attain the best customer satisfaction ever possible.Basic premises adopted and Concepts applied:
BSNL products are of superior quality than that of private operators. The deficiency is in service delivery and after sale support. Therefore, Best available marketing strategy is to improve the service delivery and after sales support, for which maximum BSNL personnel are to be deployed near to the customer, without compromising on the work they do at present. Such an initiative, doing away with the compartmentalisation of departments and sections, will help in meeting the sudden rush at public counters and extending service to the customers without delay and attaining maximum customer satisfaction with the help of staff from other sections or works, their normally assigned works being carried out during the periods when there is no rush at public counter.
The best marketing effort is to create public awareness on the services and products of BSNL.
To open up ones knowledge is the basic instinct of any human being. If every BSNL employee, irrespective of their area and nature of work, is made aware of the attributes and conditions of BSNL products, they will be the best campaigners and marketing personnel for BSNL products. Thus huge BSNL HR can be made a valuable asset than a liability while, at the same time, utilising their services effectively for providing quality service support instead of outsourcing.Outsourcing is not the best business model to be followed. Most of those who outsource their activities do so out of compulsions, to get the work done even when they do not have time to get HR recruited and fine tuned to the work or due to short term nature of the work or on considerations of cost. While doing so, they are fully aware that they are compromising on the quality. Examples are the Telecom Equipment suppliers. They retain inexperienced Indian operators for installation, maintenance etc of their equipments at a risk of even losing further business, as there is no other way out. But why should BSNL having quality manpower, often idling, for which they cannot be blamed, due to conventional services becoming outdated, should outsource their work to inexperienced operators at the risk of customer dissatisfaction and consequently loosing the business.
A little bit of motivation will do wonders with the existing HR. The awareness on the threats faced by BSNL itself shall be a really motivating factor. Lack of initiatives is the only factor that contributes to the existing inertia and lethargy.
Economic gain is not the only motivating factor.
Much, can be accomplished within the limitations and constraints of the available organisational frame work and authority, including building up pressure for bettering the organisational structure.
The program shall be implemented keeping in view the following points :Entire workers are to be covered in workshops conducted at three levels.
All Unions and Associations in BSNL are to be involved.
SSA level Faculty of 32 will include 16 nominated by Unions and Associations and 16 nominated by Management.
Commercial Officers and Accounts Officers of the concerned subject will form the Faculty Team for the SSA level workshops.
They shall sit together in groups and prepare the material with all relevant informations on the respective products and services which shall be supplied to the participants to be used for next level workshops.
SSA Faculties (Participants of the SSA level workshop) will lead the workshops at Area level and Area Faculties (Participants of the Area level workshops) will lead the workshop at Unit Level.
Faculty team at both levels will be the resource persons for the future and will be guiding the people in the field and at customer interface points, in case of any doubt arising for them at any time.
A Unit may be defined as an operative unit/section/subdivision/Division or combination of them according to geographical proximity the staff strength together which shall not be less than 50 and not more than 100.
Four rounds of workshops are required. With the first round 100% participats will become familiar with some of the services and atleast 25% will become familiar with bulk of the services. The faculty members will atleast become thorough with all the services. With subsequent 3 rounds at an intervel of 3 months all the personnel will become familiar with the services and their attributes. Subsequent rounds are beneficial to update the changes occured after the previous workshop.
Subsequent to the first year, the faculty team at each level will be empowered to update their information and convey the changes alone to the next level down below, which means only the unit level need meet whenever there is a change in the procedures or substantial changes in products/services.
Crash training program at a glance.
Discription SSA Level Area Level Unit Level.
Number of days 2 2 1
Choice of days Week days/working day Weekdays/working day Sunday/Holiday.
Number of sessions 4 4 4
Faculty 8 4 4
Participants 32 (SSA Faculty) 2 each from units All of the unit.
Inauguration PGMT GM AM/DE
Introduction GM (D) SSA F/M from Union. Area F/M from Union.
Land Line Service (Faculty) 2 COs and 2 AOs fm Areas SSA F/Member Area F/M
IMPCS Service(Faculty)SDE B/E, F/E, AO(Mob) SSA F/Member Area F/M
VAS & Leased Lines (Faculty)SDE BB, I/N, AO VAS SSA F/Member Area F/M
Business Dev/Marketing DGM (BD) & team SSA F/Member Area F/M
No of workshop days 2 12 50
Participants/workshop 50 70 60
Content for the Workshops.
Inaugural Session : 1 hour. Discussions/presentations on the background and the requirement of this program (Positive and motivating responses).
Head of the Unit. 20 minutes
Leaders of Unions & Associations : 5 to 10 minutes (Proportionate to their membership)
(Each of the following sessions shall have 3 hours divided and handled by Faculty members, each presenting their subject for half the period and answering to the questions for the remaining)
Session I Landline/WLL related products/Services – charges, conditions, qualities, facilities, benefits etc.
Session II Mobile related products/Services – charges, packages,conditions, qualities, facilities, benefits etc.
Session III Value added services (L/L,BB,Webhosting memmory etc ) - charges, conditions, qualities, facilities, benefits etc.
Session IV SSA Organisatin, Marketing, Service delivery,Service support, Customer care, bill
collection.
Concluding Session : 1 Hour for evaluation & Planning for the next level of workshops (Scheduling - Date and Venue - & Faculty Identification)
Calendar for the workshops.
Formation of core group : 1st day of the first week.
Core Group home work : 10 days
SSA Level workshops : : 4th and 5th day of Second week.
Area Level workshops : : 3rd week.
Unit level workshops : 4th, 5th & 6th weeks.
Staggering is suggested to have to one member each of core team in the area level workshops and Core team or SSA level Faculty in Unit level workshops. From the Second round onwards this need not be insisted and hence the entire course can be completed in three weeks by each concerned faculty managing the workshop in respective levels and areas.
Financial Analysis.
Total cost estimated comes to 21.16 lakhs of which only Rs. 4.25 lakh is to be spent in cash or kind for working lunch and refreshments, documents to be supplied and fuel for travel. All the rest is the salary component of core team and faculty members, existing space and infrastructure and good will which is only an effective utilisation and additional benefits accrued out of the existing resources or those available from outside.
Cost Benefit Analysis.
Benefits accrued are :
1.All the BSNL personnel in Ernakulam SSA gets familiarised with all the products and services of BSNL.
2.All of them become aware of the attributes of BSNL products and services so that they are able to guide the existing as well as prospective customers and undertake a purposeful campaign in favour of BSNL products and services.
3.Hence forth BSNL owns campaigners and marketing personnel in number, in capability, and in sincerity unmatched by any of its competitors, among the whole lot of customers themselves.
4.All of them can be made marketing personnel for any newly introduced packages as well, within days, with the additional informations passed on to them through a crash program which can be completed in a week's time or even within a day by resorting to other direct communication means, in emergency, which is possible only because they are tuned to the basic informations through this crash program.
5.They can also be used as service support personnel to reach them near to the customer through appropriate plans or schemes. Such schemes may include New connections of all varieties, cash collection, distribution of forms, passage of information, dues collection etc.6.This will go a long way in arresting the present downward trend in market share and revenue share.
7.The benefit to cost ratio, in terms of revenue, number of connections etc will be unimaginably high.
8.Staff productivity improves.
9.This crash training program with the involvement of all sections and the participatory discussions becomes the best ever staff motivation drive.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Summary of observations & suggestions made in the conference on Public Sector Telecom Services at Ernakulam on 14-08-2008.
Summary of suggestions made by the participants of the PSTS conference on 14-08-2008..
Srl No. Observations. By
1.Flood of partly cooked IT packages, fragmented operation networks & slow and distorted communication channels(ASA)
2.Scattered informations & Fragmented information system and hence partly informed decisions (ASA)
3.SMBs looking for one-stop-shop for cost effective VPN service.(ASA)
4.Outsourced services are not efficiently executed and cost BSNL dearly.(AVK)
5.Outsourcing is done by foreign operators in India out of compulsions at a very dear cost.(AVK)
6.Work Outsourcing is not the best business model.(AVK)
7.Content processing in Communication system is not an optional value addition but a necessary link (Das)
8.Customer domain knowledge is critical to market access.(Das)
9.E-governance will be better suited business area for BSNL in view of identical mindset of the two, the Govt.(Das)
10.ERP for PSUs will be better suited business area for BSNL in view of identical mindset of both, the PSU.(Das)
11.Assimilation of technology is not at all a problem for BSNL.(DGM(A)/Toms Antony)
12.Providing Total Solutions in ICS is the best way to market BSNL infrastructure services.(Joby/Toms Antony)
13.Telecom operators, especially BSNL with its legacy of over a century, are the best to cater to ICS (Joby/Toms Antony/Das)
14.BSNL products and services are better compared to private operators, but their delivery is inefficient.(JT)
15.Conventional Telecom Services such as Telegraph, LL call, STD etc irrelevant today (JT)
16.ICS industry has come up as result of expansion of communication sector.(JT)
17.New products and services arising out of advancement in technology.(JT)
18.BSNL Cash reserve Rs. 50000 Crores.(KCP MP)
19.BSNL fixed assets of land and buildings at prime locations spread over the country. (KCP MP)
20.BSNL investment plan for the immediate future is to the tune of Rs.60000 Cores only.(KCP MP)
21.Mobilisation of capital for investment not at all a problem for BSNL.(KCP MP)
22.Surplus fund of PSUs amounts to about 2 lakh crores.(KCP MP)
23.Telecom Development in India has ever been through internal capital mobilisation (KCP MP)
24.Telecom has never received budgetary support in post independance period.(KCP MP)
25.Collective decisions in meetings and online execution of tasks saving the time for file movement.(KDS SNEA)
26.Encourage to evolve models and roll out (KDS SNEA)
27.Horizontal structure of organisational heirarchy is the best to utilise the initiatives of the officers and workers (KDS SNEA)
28.Online information system instead of file based ones to enable easy retrieval and on the spot use.(KDS SNEA)
29.Optimise resource utilisation through the application ERP (KDS SNEA)
30.Piramidal structure of organisational heirarchy prevents initiative from any of the bottom levels.(KDS SNEA)
31.Reference to CTO Ernakulam as a successful change management model(KDS SNEA)
32.Telecom has ever been technology intensive.(PGM/DGM(A))
33.Telecom in India has adopted latest technology within few years of its introduction anywhere in the world.(PGM/DGM(A))
34.System integrators of clients are getting the work done from BSNL only, without payment for such services. BSNL can give total solution and earn revenue. (Toms Antony)
Srl. Suggestions Activity Levels Activity
1.Tie up with KSEB for right of way upto the customer premises. (ATPS),(Local,SSA)
2.Need for change in customer perception of BSNL services.(AS/Anil) (Local & National,ATPS/SSA/CO)
3.Need for change in staff perception of customer relation,(AS/Anil),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
4.Summary disconnection without notice over the phone shall be avoided.(AS/Anil),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
5.Warning message over phone/alternate phone for few days before disconnection,(AS/Anil),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
6.Need for better customer relations to avoid disconnection of even heavy users for delay in payment.(AS/Nandakumar),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
7.Automated applications for corporate houses (ASA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
8.Explore new Business area in Information Communication Technology (ASA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
9.Increased use of Information Technology.,(ASA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
10.Need for corporate culture and professionalism (ASA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
11.Technology innovation, Technology assimilation & timely intervention in market (ASA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
12.Avoid outsourcing of critical works such as billing etc which resulted in public ire due to non receipt of bills in time.(AVK),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
13.Extended cash collection time at CSCs,(AVK),(Local & National,PP2/SSA/CO)
14.Extended NPC/service delivery/support time at CSCs (AVK),(Local & National,PP2/SSA/CO)
15.Need to get works executed within BSNL to avoid the risk of compromising efficiency.(AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
16.Cubical peer groups for each service area integrating the technology, customer interface & customer domain knowledge verticals.(Das),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
17.Peer group dynamics to be time based and need based.(Das),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
18.Need to consider HR as an asset.(Das/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
19.Need to do business in every know how owned by BSNL.(Das/Toms Antony),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
20.Need for austerity and proper use of resources to the best advantage of BSNL (General),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
21.Need for increased customer awareness on BSNL products/services.(General),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
22.Need for Staff motivation drive.(General),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
23.Need to generate business and revenue using the vast assets of BSNL.(General),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
24.Proper awareness campaign and discussion conducted before implementing changes (General),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
25.Service near to the customer (General),(Local & National,PP1/PP2/PP3/PP4)26.Single window for all services (General),(Local & National,PP1/PP2/PP3/PP4)
27.Need for better initiatives from the BSNL Management at all levels. (Joby/Das/PLF),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
28.Need for providing total solutions to meet the data communication needs of PSUs (Joby/DGM(A)/KDS),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
29.Need for providing total solutions to meet the e-governance requirements (Joby/DGM(A)/KDS),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
30.Need for identifying and providing information based services. (JT),(Local & National,PP4/SSA/CO)
31.Need to diversify (KCP MP),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
32.Frequent field level participatory workshops for familiarising and updating BSNL products/services.(KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
33.Need for Online administration & management system within BSNL to make it vibrant.(KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
34.Need for promoting individual/group/local initiatives (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
35.Need to have a proactive and dynamic product/service delivery and support (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
36.Online operation system (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
37.Support of Local bodies required for timely augmentation of connectivity (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
38.CTO Ernakulam model of changemanagement to be replicated (KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
39.Every BSNL personnel required to be involved in public awareness campaign.(KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
40.Need for better awareness on BSNL products and services among BSNL personnel (KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
41.Need for familiarisation of products/service attributes among staff(KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
42.Every BSNL personnel need to be involved in marketing the products near to the customer.(KDS/PSP),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
43.Need to spread the in house use of ERP to assimilate knowhow to sell ERP services.(KDS/TA/ASA),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
44.Need to curtail wasteful expenditure.(PGMT),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
45.Management initiatives for quality improvement shall not be in a way to provocate the workers (PSP),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
46.Unions and Associations to be taken in to confidence for betterment of service,(PSP/Anil/AS),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
47.A Communication Research and Development Centre (AS),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
48.Uniform operation, accounts & finance procedures throughout India (ASA),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
49.Need to account intangible assets. (Das),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
50.Need for change in Govt attitude towards BSNL/PSUs (General),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
51.EPF of Rs. 2,40,000 crores being handed over to private banks, can be utilised. (KCP MP),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
52.PSUs can invest in each others projects, if permitted by Govt.(KCP MP),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
53.Need to change the policy of Govt with respect PSUs (KCP MP/KDS),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
54.No IPO of BSNL shares (KCP MP/KDS),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
55.All Telecom Service Providers in Public sector only. (KDS/AS/NK),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
.
.Explanations.
.
.Activity Levels – Local & National – Local initiatives are possible and national initiatives are required.
.Activity Levels – National – Nothing can be done locally – Govt has to act.
.
.Action – Action to be taken by :
.SSA – BSNL Ernakulam SSA Management.
.CO - BSNL Corporate Office.
.PP1 - Project Proposal 1 – Crash Training Program for motivating and updating BSNL workers with details of BSNL products/services.
.PP2 – Project Proposal 2 - Reorganising the work at customer service centres.
.PP3 – Project Proposal 3 - Online management system within BSNL on ERP concepts to practice various aspects of ICS.
.PP4 – Project Proposal 4 – Identifying the various Information Based Services that BSNL can take up.
.ATPS – Appropriate Technology Promotion Society will take up the issue with the relevant authorities or continue to under take the campaign on the issue in its future programs.
.TU/ASSNS/GOVT – Tus and Associations concerned may take up the issues with the BSNL Management/Govt at appropriate levels.
.
.Sri Toms Antony gave a detail account of many leased line services of BSNL generally known only to those who are actively involved in providing them.
.These informations are to be spread within and outside BSNL to reach the customers.
Srl No. Observations. By
1.Flood of partly cooked IT packages, fragmented operation networks & slow and distorted communication channels(ASA)
2.Scattered informations & Fragmented information system and hence partly informed decisions (ASA)
3.SMBs looking for one-stop-shop for cost effective VPN service.(ASA)
4.Outsourced services are not efficiently executed and cost BSNL dearly.(AVK)
5.Outsourcing is done by foreign operators in India out of compulsions at a very dear cost.(AVK)
6.Work Outsourcing is not the best business model.(AVK)
7.Content processing in Communication system is not an optional value addition but a necessary link (Das)
8.Customer domain knowledge is critical to market access.(Das)
9.E-governance will be better suited business area for BSNL in view of identical mindset of the two, the Govt.(Das)
10.ERP for PSUs will be better suited business area for BSNL in view of identical mindset of both, the PSU.(Das)
11.Assimilation of technology is not at all a problem for BSNL.(DGM(A)/Toms Antony)
12.Providing Total Solutions in ICS is the best way to market BSNL infrastructure services.(Joby/Toms Antony)
13.Telecom operators, especially BSNL with its legacy of over a century, are the best to cater to ICS (Joby/Toms Antony/Das)
14.BSNL products and services are better compared to private operators, but their delivery is inefficient.(JT)
15.Conventional Telecom Services such as Telegraph, LL call, STD etc irrelevant today (JT)
16.ICS industry has come up as result of expansion of communication sector.(JT)
17.New products and services arising out of advancement in technology.(JT)
18.BSNL Cash reserve Rs. 50000 Crores.(KCP MP)
19.BSNL fixed assets of land and buildings at prime locations spread over the country. (KCP MP)
20.BSNL investment plan for the immediate future is to the tune of Rs.60000 Cores only.(KCP MP)
21.Mobilisation of capital for investment not at all a problem for BSNL.(KCP MP)
22.Surplus fund of PSUs amounts to about 2 lakh crores.(KCP MP)
23.Telecom Development in India has ever been through internal capital mobilisation (KCP MP)
24.Telecom has never received budgetary support in post independance period.(KCP MP)
25.Collective decisions in meetings and online execution of tasks saving the time for file movement.(KDS SNEA)
26.Encourage to evolve models and roll out (KDS SNEA)
27.Horizontal structure of organisational heirarchy is the best to utilise the initiatives of the officers and workers (KDS SNEA)
28.Online information system instead of file based ones to enable easy retrieval and on the spot use.(KDS SNEA)
29.Optimise resource utilisation through the application ERP (KDS SNEA)
30.Piramidal structure of organisational heirarchy prevents initiative from any of the bottom levels.(KDS SNEA)
31.Reference to CTO Ernakulam as a successful change management model(KDS SNEA)
32.Telecom has ever been technology intensive.(PGM/DGM(A))
33.Telecom in India has adopted latest technology within few years of its introduction anywhere in the world.(PGM/DGM(A))
34.System integrators of clients are getting the work done from BSNL only, without payment for such services. BSNL can give total solution and earn revenue. (Toms Antony)
Srl. Suggestions Activity Levels Activity
1.Tie up with KSEB for right of way upto the customer premises. (ATPS),(Local,SSA)
2.Need for change in customer perception of BSNL services.(AS/Anil) (Local & National,ATPS/SSA/CO)
3.Need for change in staff perception of customer relation,(AS/Anil),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
4.Summary disconnection without notice over the phone shall be avoided.(AS/Anil),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
5.Warning message over phone/alternate phone for few days before disconnection,(AS/Anil),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
6.Need for better customer relations to avoid disconnection of even heavy users for delay in payment.(AS/Nandakumar),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
7.Automated applications for corporate houses (ASA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
8.Explore new Business area in Information Communication Technology (ASA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
9.Increased use of Information Technology.,(ASA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
10.Need for corporate culture and professionalism (ASA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
11.Technology innovation, Technology assimilation & timely intervention in market (ASA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
12.Avoid outsourcing of critical works such as billing etc which resulted in public ire due to non receipt of bills in time.(AVK),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
13.Extended cash collection time at CSCs,(AVK),(Local & National,PP2/SSA/CO)
14.Extended NPC/service delivery/support time at CSCs (AVK),(Local & National,PP2/SSA/CO)
15.Need to get works executed within BSNL to avoid the risk of compromising efficiency.(AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
16.Cubical peer groups for each service area integrating the technology, customer interface & customer domain knowledge verticals.(Das),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
17.Peer group dynamics to be time based and need based.(Das),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
18.Need to consider HR as an asset.(Das/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
19.Need to do business in every know how owned by BSNL.(Das/Toms Antony),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
20.Need for austerity and proper use of resources to the best advantage of BSNL (General),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
21.Need for increased customer awareness on BSNL products/services.(General),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
22.Need for Staff motivation drive.(General),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
23.Need to generate business and revenue using the vast assets of BSNL.(General),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
24.Proper awareness campaign and discussion conducted before implementing changes (General),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
25.Service near to the customer (General),(Local & National,PP1/PP2/PP3/PP4)26.Single window for all services (General),(Local & National,PP1/PP2/PP3/PP4)
27.Need for better initiatives from the BSNL Management at all levels. (Joby/Das/PLF),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
28.Need for providing total solutions to meet the data communication needs of PSUs (Joby/DGM(A)/KDS),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
29.Need for providing total solutions to meet the e-governance requirements (Joby/DGM(A)/KDS),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
30.Need for identifying and providing information based services. (JT),(Local & National,PP4/SSA/CO)
31.Need to diversify (KCP MP),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
32.Frequent field level participatory workshops for familiarising and updating BSNL products/services.(KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
33.Need for Online administration & management system within BSNL to make it vibrant.(KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP3/SSA/CO)
34.Need for promoting individual/group/local initiatives (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
35.Need to have a proactive and dynamic product/service delivery and support (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
36.Online operation system (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
37.Support of Local bodies required for timely augmentation of connectivity (KDS SNEA),(Local & National,SSA/CO/ATPS)
38.CTO Ernakulam model of changemanagement to be replicated (KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
39.Every BSNL personnel required to be involved in public awareness campaign.(KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
40.Need for better awareness on BSNL products and services among BSNL personnel (KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
41.Need for familiarisation of products/service attributes among staff(KDS/AVK),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
42.Every BSNL personnel need to be involved in marketing the products near to the customer.(KDS/PSP),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
43.Need to spread the in house use of ERP to assimilate knowhow to sell ERP services.(KDS/TA/ASA),(Local & National,PP3/PP4/SSA/CO)
44.Need to curtail wasteful expenditure.(PGMT),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
45.Management initiatives for quality improvement shall not be in a way to provocate the workers (PSP),(Local & National,PP1/SSA/CO)
46.Unions and Associations to be taken in to confidence for betterment of service,(PSP/Anil/AS),(Local & National,SSA/CO)
47.A Communication Research and Development Centre (AS),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
48.Uniform operation, accounts & finance procedures throughout India (ASA),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
49.Need to account intangible assets. (Das),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
50.Need for change in Govt attitude towards BSNL/PSUs (General),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
51.EPF of Rs. 2,40,000 crores being handed over to private banks, can be utilised. (KCP MP),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
52.PSUs can invest in each others projects, if permitted by Govt.(KCP MP),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
53.Need to change the policy of Govt with respect PSUs (KCP MP/KDS),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
54.No IPO of BSNL shares (KCP MP/KDS),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
55.All Telecom Service Providers in Public sector only. (KDS/AS/NK),(National,TU/ASSNS/GOVT)
.
.Explanations.
.
.Activity Levels – Local & National – Local initiatives are possible and national initiatives are required.
.Activity Levels – National – Nothing can be done locally – Govt has to act.
.
.Action – Action to be taken by :
.SSA – BSNL Ernakulam SSA Management.
.CO - BSNL Corporate Office.
.PP1 - Project Proposal 1 – Crash Training Program for motivating and updating BSNL workers with details of BSNL products/services.
.PP2 – Project Proposal 2 - Reorganising the work at customer service centres.
.PP3 – Project Proposal 3 - Online management system within BSNL on ERP concepts to practice various aspects of ICS.
.PP4 – Project Proposal 4 – Identifying the various Information Based Services that BSNL can take up.
.ATPS – Appropriate Technology Promotion Society will take up the issue with the relevant authorities or continue to under take the campaign on the issue in its future programs.
.TU/ASSNS/GOVT – Tus and Associations concerned may take up the issues with the BSNL Management/Govt at appropriate levels.
.
.Sri Toms Antony gave a detail account of many leased line services of BSNL generally known only to those who are actively involved in providing them.
.These informations are to be spread within and outside BSNL to reach the customers.
Future of Telecom Services in Public Sector
Paper presented by Hon. Member of Rajya Sabha Sri. K Chandran Pillai in the one day Conference on Public Sector Telecom Services at BTH, Ernakulam on 14-08-2008.
Dear All,
Efforts to bring representatives of all the stake holders of the Public Sector Telecom Company and to identify the issues that are to be sorted out to ensure its continued existence is to be well appreciated. I too do it first.
Telecom sector has a unique status among the various industrial sectors, not only because of its importance as one of the basic infrastructure facility, but because of the un precedented technological advancement, convergence of communication and computers, convergence of VOICE, IMAGE and TEXT into DATA, emergence of integrated data networks and the internet, resultant integration of various information based services and the consequent possibility of restructuring and re-engineering of each and every service sector, the single major commodity which they deal with is information, etc. taking place in that area. The advancement in technology, that from electrical to electronic, to integrated circuits, to micro processors and micro chips helped in mass production and consequent price reduction combined with expanding market has contributed to unprecedented expansion of communication network and services. Cost of per line connectivity is reported to have been reduced from 50000 to 1000 with the transition from electro-mechanical switches and cable based system to the present micro-processor based wireless system. The present day expansion of telecom facility is attributed to the entry of private operators in the fray, according to an analysis based on formal logic. But, it is in fact a result of the technology change from electrical to micro-chips and micro-processors. It opened up chance for private capital to make quick bucks. I neednot go into those aspects as I know that those from Telecom sector will discuss those peculiarities for the consumption of the customers. But the effect of these changes on the other sectors of economic activities cannot go unnoticed.
History of Telecom development in India shows that before Independence the Technology was provided, naturally, by the British. Thereafter till the end of eighties, the technology came from almost all advanced nations like Britain, France, Itally, Germany and Japan. Note that not from USA. But, by the middle of 1980's, with the appointment of Mr. Sam Pitroda as the Chairman of Telecom Commission and the institution of C-DoT, his so called brain child, the Indian Telecom Market was opened to USA. Still some of the problems of this Technology shift from European to US haunts us. Our communication system conforms to European standards, while IT equipments available in the market conforms to US standards. One such glaring example is the common MODEM available in indian market, which is charged as for VOICE, FAX and DATA, but incapable of identifying the caller number due to the mismatch in the standards used for transmission of tone.
This shift from European to US has to be read with the leadership role of USA in the field of Computer Hardware and Software. All the first 5 software corporates are US based. That means by 1990, USA was somehow able to avert a huge crisis in its economy caused by the downward slide of its engineering industry, including automobile, market for which was captured by others like Japan. The leadership of USA in the area of communication technology, fondly renamed as information technology, which is one of the area with which US economy was sustained, with the increased flow of wealth from all the nations that started using computer hardware and software, was passively acceded to by others to avoid a collapse in the global capitalist economy with the a crisis in its leading one.
I need not tell you that Telecom switches are using software and that the size of the switch comes down with the increased use of software. Every piece of equipments used in information communication sector has a software component now. Software, once upon a time, the property of Tele communication sector alone was taken out of communication industry and is now supplied to it at huge cost, embedded in the equipments, which even the communication experts are unable to handle, the maintenance for which the producers or suppliers themselves are to be retained, a way of loot with proprietary systems.
We have to learn lessens from the dynamism with which the information technology industry was nursed and brought up, identifying innumerable number of uses and thereby business avenues. This appreciation is not meant to imitate them in their cut throat competition and unmindful exploitation of the society as a whole. We can use such dynamism for the well being of the society at large. The business model created in Software, the development of ready to use packages, identified for each and every area and aspect of information handling, howsoever minute it may be, has become one of the mainstay of the present day economy. But for this business model created by capitalism, the spread of information technology to this extend would not have been possible. This credit goes to them. But, the effect of this new found industry shall not go unnoticed. Wealth from all the other sectors, using information, is being siphoned away at the cost of those sectors and ultimately risking the very health of the economy. Health of any economy is dependent on balanced development based on primary sectors, where alone real wealth is generated.
Balanced growth of economy is alien to Capitalism. Its existence is based on constant upheavals and that is the trend behind the present day neo liberal policies. That is what we witness in share markets. Initial Public Offer of BSNL shares to the extent of 10% is under consideration, it is reported. Justification mooted out is the requirement of about Rs. 60,000 Crores for immediate expansion. History of Telecom in post independent India shows that it has grown without any budgetary support. On the contrary, it has supported even the wasteful expenditures of the Govt. It is worth while to recall the earlier assessment of Rs.1,60,000 crores required for expansion and the proposal for collection of licence fee from private operators to meet it and later conversion of licence fee into profit sharing to the extend of only Rs. 50,000 Crores and that too finally waived, how much is not known yet, the process of which commenced with Minister Sukh Ram, which shows the hollowness of such declarations. What exactly happened was that the private operators came to stay to compete with BSNL. The much trumpeted resource mobilisation has miserably failed. In fact made it a failure. You are aware of the further decisions of TRAI etc with respect to ADC, USO etc. Added to this is the fraud committed to loot the BSNL of its revenue.
Cash reserve of BSNL is reported to be Rs.50,000 Crores. (Remember the sale of VSNL having Rs. 2400 Crores of cash reserve for a meagre price of Rs. 1400 to TATA and consequent laments of the then minister when TATA withdrew that money for reinvestment in their own businesses which was the natural and accepted course for TATA. BSNL having Rs. 50,000 Crores in Cash reserve alone in addition to fixed assets like land and buildings at prime locations throughout India need not have any scarcity of funds. Link it with the yet another decision of the Govt to appoint private banks as EPF managers. Rs. 2,40,000 Crores is the figure. Why not the Govt itself or through the earlier fund manager SBI invest in telecom. Why not PSUs invest in other PSUs. Who is blocking it. The Govt. There is no justification or need for handing over the Govt and PSU funds to private and then private investing in PSU. Yes, there is yet another arguement that the vigilance of share holders alone will make the PSUs shred its lethargy and work properly. I am leaving this question to be answered by this house.
With all due respect to your sentiments and eagerness to protect the BSNL, I must warn you that your goal cannot be achieved in isolation, insulated from the reality that the threat to the existence of Public Telecom Service Company comes from its very owner the Central Govt itself. This warning is not to deter you from your endeavor to take steps to protect the company, but to impress upon you the seriousness of the threat. Disinvestment forms part of over all policy frame work of the UPA Govt (now free from the constraints put in by the left parties through CMP) to withdraw from service sector to leave it to the finance capital in the context of Imperialist Globalisation. The ideas behind Globalisation is to do away with all sorts of social security measures, job security, state control on the market inorder to give free hand for finance capital. Free market also means exit of small entrepreneurs, closures, mergers, cartalisation and finally share market crisis, often artificial and calculated and at times spontaneous. Therefore, no body can depend on the share market, without risking their savings. To achieve your objective, you must close ranks with all those who are interested in similar aims, protecting their work, their wages, a decent livelihood and social security.
As far as the customers are concerned, their immediate interest tends them to opt for the cheap and quality service. It is quite natural. BSNL faces the problem of organisational rigidity and lack of dynamism, inherent with a large nation-wide, vast organisation as it is. It may not be able to respond as quickly as others to the price variations brought by its competitors. But the customers, in Kerala, by and large, they are having a better social outlook, and are pro public sector, has to see to the long term interest as well.
On the part of BSNL business organisation, it has to strike hard to attain customer satisfaction. The lethargy shall not be tolerated. Mis-management, corruption, wastage of resources, if any, have to be put an end to. BSNL services are said to be far better than any other. But service delivery has to improve. From the notes circulated for discussion, I am to understand that you are discussing the possibility of diversification of activities, products and services as well. Lateral and vertifical diversification, which means dynamism, is a means of sustenance of an organisation in the competitive environment. Telecom services in Public Sector shall have a role to play in the well being and betterment of our society.
Wish you all success and hope that concrete suggestions and decisions will come out of this forum.
K Chandran Pillai (Member, Rajya Sabha).
Dt: 14-08-2008.
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