IT Support Company

BT (Concert)

 Managed Networks began work with Concert in 1994, before its formal launch, when it was still known only as "newco". Concert planned to release a number of managed services delivered as value-added products using their world-wide frame-relay network. They needed a sophisticated forecasting system that could model likely customer acquisition and retention rates, as well as service revenues, based on consolidation of market research findings and economic data. Aimed initially at the managed videoconferencing product, the system needed to be capable of forecasting any telecoms service based on a similar service model. Solution

Managed Networks designed and developed a flexible forecasting tool which allowed many users to contribute to the same model by supplying both assumptions and specific forecasting rules. The Global Forecasting Model was based mostly on "open" functions, where the outcome of a particular step was the product of two matrices: e.g. total potential customers x total customer spend = size of market, with each matrix subdivided into a flexible number of dimensions such as geography, sector, price band etc. The GFM also supported black-box functions, which took a number of defined inputs and subjected them to a more complex modelling process. The output of these functions was a matrix suitable for inclusion as a step in the overall forecasting process. This meant that non-technical users could design forecast models which depended on complex forecasting techniques without needing to understand them in detail.

Technology

The project was delivered in Microsoft Access as proof-of-concept, and then migrated to a mixed platform, using Access as a data entry and reporting tool and a combination of VB and Oracle for the forecasting engine itself. Interesting technology elements included the ability to merge in changes to an existing model supplied by email and an open API for the black-box functions.

Timeline

Initial development was in 1994, with continued support through to 1997 when the project was superseded by the replacement of MCI with AT&T as the joint-venture partner.