Frameworx – in 3 minutes

The basics

The Frameworx suite of standards enables service providers to assess and improve business performance by using a service- oriented approach to operations and integration.

Target audience

Service providers; enterprise architects

Summary

Frameworx is owned and supported by TM Forum. It is a mature standard (1998) that is updated regularly in line with evolving business need. The current version is 11.5 (November 2011). Frameworx enables a service-oriented, highly automated and efficient approach to running a service provider’s business through four components.

• Business Process Framework (eTOM) provides a comprehensive, industry-agreed, multi-layered view of the key business processes a service provider requires to run its business.
• Information Framework (SID) provides a comprehensive, industry-agreed definition for information that flows through the enterprise and between service providers and their business partners.
• Application Framework (TAM) provides a model for grouping processes and their associated information into recognizable applications. It provides a common language and identification system between buyer and supplier for all application areas.
• Integration Framework defines how the processes and information behind these systems can be automated by defining standardized Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)- based interfaces called Business Services (formerly called NGOSS Contracts).

Scope and constraints

Frameworx is applicable  to any service provider organization. Frameworx aligns with Enterprise Architecture best practice such as Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)  and TOGAF; it also aligns with COBIT and ITIL.

Strengths

• Better  understanding of customers  through a common customer management information model
• Innovation  and reduced time-to-market with streamlined end- to-end  service management
• Reduced  operating costs by enabling highly efficient, automated, industry standard operations

 Constraints

• The wrong lead architect  – a chief architect who is an ineffective leader will derail the initiative.
• Focusing on the technical domain, or on individual architecture ‘boxes’ only – integration and interoperability standards  are high priorities  for enterprise architecture.