Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is set to outsource its network maintenance and customer services to keep up with the current “market trends and business requirements.” The development was shared by the BSNL general manager in a letter to the chief general managers across the BSNL Territorial circles on August 27, 2020. According to the letter, the outsourcing model has turned into a “necessity for business growth.” It has been said that a new unit has been proposed under the BSNL marketing department to “look into the exclusive work of Partnership Management.”
BSNL to Outsource Network Maintenance and Customer Services
The letter highlights that the Partnership Management unit will be responsible for multiple parameters such as dealing with “network maintenance, augmentation and customer delivery through franchise or business partners.” Further, the Partnership Management is said to be tasked with facilitating better coordination and support among franchise and partners with an “aim to create a better service delivery.” Additionally, it has been said that there is a need for BSNL to “latch onto the digital platform for marketing and to harness the activities for business growth.” The letter highlights that a new unit under the BSNL marketing department is the “need of the hour” to “create new business opportunities related to digital and IT based solutions and services.” The digital marketing managers at BSNL are set to be in charge of managing marketing campaigns such as promoting company’s brands, products and services through digital platforms. Crucially, the digital marketing managers are set to be tasked with “planning campaigns” and also “identifying trends.” The development comes alongside BSNL consolidating its business areas across India and restructuring its corporate structure.
BSNL Consolidates Business Areas, Restructures Corporate Structure
The operator is said to have reduced its business areas from 198 to 158 based on parameters such as number of connections and business potential. It is said that the Business Areas in BSNL primarily serve to be accountable for all business related activities including planning and execution along with “better customer services delivery." The general manager of a BSNL Business Area is responsible for multiple consumer parameters such as sales, marketing, network expansion, upgradation and maintenance. In early 2020, BSNL kickstarted its process to consolidate Business Areas across India due to reduced manpower following the implementation of the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS). Under the revised structure announced on August 27, 2020, the operator is said to have “centralised” the consumer related activities such as network planning and works related to business development. Crucially, the operator is said to have combined network planning and operation of Consumer Fixed Access and consumer mobility into one single unit under the revised structure. The consumer fixed access unit primarily looks into the wireline and broadband business while the consumer mobility vertical taps into the mobile and other wireless business.
