Defining the Horizontal Customer
Interface of the DX 200 Platform
Author: Mikko Kariola
Supervisor: Prof. Timo O. Korhonen
Instructor: M.Sc. (Tech.) Heikki Bayr
8.12.2005
Mikko.Kariola@Nokia.com
Contents
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Background
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Research problem
Methodology
Results
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DX 200 platform & product lines
Transition to horizontal business model
Requirements
Product and documentation
Development process
Interface organization
Conclusions
Background
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The thesis is done for the DX 200 Platform organization of
Nokia Networks
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The DX 200 Platform serves a number of Nokia’s Product
Lines
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DX 200 Platform consists of HW and SW elements
The Product Lines produce various fixed, 2G & 3G network
elements: MSC, BSC, …
One of the Product Lines is sold to an external company
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Transition to Horizontal Business Model
GSM network
MSC network element and
computer units
Vertical business model
Internal Product Lines
PL 1
PL 2
PL 3
PL 4
Same
Vertical Customer
Interface
DX 200 Platform organization
Company
Transition to horizontal business
model
External
Internal Product Lines
PL 1
PL 2
Product Line
PL 4
PL 3
Different
Vertical Customer
Horizontal Customer
Interface
Interface
Interface Organization
DX 200 Platform organization
Companies
Collaboration terms
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Collaboration roles
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Subcontractor
Prime contractor
Customer
DX 200 Platform: Prime contractor ->
Subcontractor
Customer
Prime contractor
Subcontractor
Research problem
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What are the requirements of the new business model for
the development of the DX 200 platform?
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What kinds of modifications are needed?
 What is needed to change in the DX 200 platform product to
meet the new business requirements?
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How is the development process of the DX 200 platform
changed to meet the new business requirements?
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What kind of organizational interface is built between the
external customer and the DX 200 platform?
Horizontal Customer Interface
elements
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The new horizontal customer
interface contains definitions for:
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the application programming interface
(API) of the platform product and the
platform documentation
the product development process and
the communication over the
organizational interface
 SW deliveries, maintenance,
training, …
Process
the interface organization
Product
Organization
Methodology
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Literature study
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Interviews
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Platform & Product lines
Product/Software development
Vertical & Horizontal business models
DX 200 System description
Development process of DX 200 Platform
Analysis of the requirements and building of the Horizontal
Customer Interface based on the literature and the
interviews
Results – Requirements
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Benefits of using the platform shall be maintained
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Confidentiality shall be preserved
Results – Requirements
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Maintaining the benefits of using the platform contains the
requirements of both of the parties in the horizontal
business model:
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the framework that the external product line needs for developing its
application, and
the feedback that the platform organization needs from the product
line for the development of the platform.
The confidentiality requirements reflect to:
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the product and its documentation,
the ways of communication, and
the structure of the organization
Results – Product and
documentation
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DX 200 System is modular of nature
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Basically suitable for horizontal business
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IPR (Intelligent Property Rights) belong to the supplier – DX
200 Platform
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Product development environment has to be provided for the
customer
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Tools: SCM, code editors, debuggers, compilers, test automation, …
Licenses for tools may have to be acquired
Results – Product and
documentation
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Platform documentation
 Before: Scattered to many
places, confidential material
not separated, visible to all
 Goal: All material classified
 Common material to a
”Common disk”
Platform deliveries
 Before: Source code
accessible to customer
 Goal: Binary deliveries
 Changes in SCM process
Visibility
Platform
material
Base
Platform
material
Application
material
Internal
visibility
External
customer
visibility
“Common
disk”
Application
material
Results – Development process
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Ordering of new features for the platform
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Product decisions
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No feedback from the customer on detailed (confidential) design
System (& functional) level testing done in customer organization
Fault management
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External customer does not have access to product decision making
Implementation & testing
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More emphasis required on preliminary work: better analyzed requirements
Fault reporting tool & visibility to reports
Training
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Both internal & customer training required
Results – Development process
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Services
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Fixed services (fixed pricing)
 New platform releases
 Fault management
 SW engineering environment
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One-off services (occasional projects)
 On-site technical support
 Training
 New SW feature orders
 New HW components
Results - Communication
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Communication practices need to be controlled
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All communication between the external customer and DX 200
Platform is directed through an interface organization
NDA
Communication boards
Changes at an individual level
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Mindset of a customer servant
Learn what is confidential & not to be revealed to external customer
All work to be agreed before starting e.g. a design task
 Requirements and schedule & effort estimation play an
important role
Communication boards
Customer
Organization
External Customer
Management
External
Customer R&D
Platform
Organization
Management
Board
Management
Platform
Follow-up
Product
Management
Roadmaps
SW engineers
Fault
Follow-up
Maintenance
Results – Interface Organization
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All DX 200 Platform development functions have to
managed in the interface
Interface roles
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Product manager: Collecting of requirements, product decisions
Integration project manager: Integration of new release to
external customer use
Maintenance manager: Fault follow-up
Agreement manager: Interpretation of general agreements,
support in contractual issues
Competence transfer manager: Providing adequate competence
to external customer for the use of platform services
Results – organizational culture
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Organizational culture changes
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Priority setting
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Different mindsets for internal & external customers
Optimization of resource allocation between internal & external
customers
A rise in cost-awareness
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The costs become more visible to the platform organization
Potential for better efficiency
Conclusions
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The case is much simpler than a horizontal customer
without previous experience of the DX 200 Platform
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The transition period enables smooth separation of the
organizations
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Changes in processes are possible, but require approval from both
sides