Data—it’s the lifeblood of your fiber business. But is it working for you?
The topic of data integrity can feel overwhelming, yet it is absolutely fundamental to the success of today’s broadband businesses and fiber operators. We recently hosted a webinar with Don Eben of CORE, a company specializing in helping small and medium-sized service providers with systems, processes, and data, to tackle this very challenge.
The key takeaway? By prioritizing data integrity and data agility, you can move beyond daunting complexity to create more efficient workflows and ultimately, perform business better.
The Foundational Challenge: Processes, Systems, and Data
CORE’s expertise lies in aligning the four pillars of a successful business: processes, systems, data, and people. As Don pointed out, a good data strategy is the bedrock for all fiber operators.
However, a recent VETRO poll revealed a significant pain point: Roughly 90% of all fiber operators are not satisfied with their processes, workflows, or ability to access data.
Why the disconnect?
Undocumented or Stale Processes: Processes are not enforced by systems or workflows.
The “Key Employee” Risk: Workflows often become reliant on a single, experienced individual who acts as a data translator. When they’re out, the process grinds to a halt—a classic example of a “brittle process.”
Data Silos: The leading cause of workflow inefficiencies, according to our audience poll, is systems that do not share data.
Don emphasized that solving these issues requires looking beyond quick fixes and asking, “What are my processes, and what are my requirements for those processes?”
The Integration Hurdle: Making Data Flow Bi-Directionally
The inability of systems to share data often stems from two root causes: older systems lacking robust APIs, or new systems that haven’t been properly configured or integrated to align with defined business processes.
Furthermore, a lack of standardized data terminology is a huge impediment. If your engineer, executive, and construction manager all have a different definition of a “passing,” your data is meaningless.
VETRO’s Philosophy on Data Agility
At VETRO, our philosophy is to create a central Network System of Record that maintains the integrity of your fiber network data while enabling data agility across the entire enterprise.
Your network is a living asset, constantly under revision. The data must be just as dynamic. We focus on:
Two-Way (Bi-Directional) Integrations: The challenge isn’t just pushing data out, but pulling it back in without corruption. VETRO creates structured data objects that can be shared bi-directionally, serving the needs of every functional area—from engineering to marketing—while protecting the data within the network system of record.
Addressing the “Avalanche of Data”: By using structured objects, we prevent teams from having to manually create and maintain “incomplete bridges” between systems, freeing them up to focus on network health and monetization.
This approach ensures the data lives where it’s protected (VETRO), but is accessible where it’s needed (billing, construction management, marketing, etc.), making VETRO truly enterprise ready.
Speeding Up Service Provisioning
One of the most critical workflow bottlenecks is service provisioning, often resulting in long lead times and lost revenue.
When addressing a client struggling with a 21+ day installation cycle, Don’s first step is a discovery to understand the current process. Identifying the most broken part—whether it’s marketing leads, scheduling, or order fulfillment—is key.
Data’s Role in a Seamless Customer Experience
The customer experience is a team effort, and every team member needs the right data to succeed. Don highlighted how good data is vital at every stage:
Marketing: Access to good network and BSS data allows for effective targeting (e.g., “Ready-to-Market” or “Coming Soon” campaigns).
Sales/Customer: A low-friction buy flow process allows customers to instantly check serviceability, schedule an install, and kick off the work order without a call-back delay.
Installation/Support: Good network data (engineered and as-built) is essential for scheduling, providing the right equipment, and quickly resolving trouble tickets.
Customer Experience is More Important than Price:
If the price is competitive, the customer experience is what truly differentiates a fiber operator. Removing friction—like unnecessary emails or phone calls for information—is paramount.
A seamless customer experience requires workflows that adapt to reality, not rigid processes that ignore it. VETRO differentiates your operations by creating intelligent ‘off-ramps’ that allow teams to skip unnecessary steps—transforming a standard two-week installation buffer into a next-day appointment simply because the network data confirms immediate readiness. Whether through automated BSS integration or direct visual access for non-engineers, VETRO ensures that your data is current, protected, and agile enough to accelerate every interaction, from sales and feasibility to network restoration.
Focus on Continuous Improvement: Maintaining Data as a Corporate Asset
Once you’ve established efficient workflows, the next challenge is to prevent data regression.
Don offered a key principle: The entire organization must understand that they are all responsible for data.
If a system is too prescriptive and dictates a difficult workflow, employees will find workarounds (e.g., photocopying service orders), which immediately corrupts the central data asset.
Avoid Technical Debt: Take the time up front to define processes and configure systems correctly. Rushing a data migration to “move fast” often leads to a foundation that breaks later. Sometimes moving slowly allows you to move faster on the back end.
Automation Magnifies Data Quality: As you layer on AI and automation, remember: automation speeds up what you have. If you have bad data, it will speed up bad things. Maintain good processes and data to accelerate good outcomes.
Key Takeaways for System Selection
Before spending money on a new system, establish your clear evaluation criteria based on your processes. Your systems should offer:
Standardized APIs: Well-defined API documentation that is quickly available for test calls significantly speeds up integration.
Out-of-the-Box Integrations: Predefined integrations get you 70-80% of the way there immediately, allowing you to focus on the unique tweaks your business requires.
Flexibility Over Prescription: Choose a system that enables your desired workflow rather than one that dictates it, thus eliminating the incentive for workarounds.
VETRO’s Development Portal and workflow automation integrations are designed with these criteria in mind, offering the tools to quickly deploy and maintain bi-directional data flow, ensuring that your data is trustworthy and accessible across the entire enterprise.
Are you looking to eliminate workflow inefficiencies and unlock the true value of your network data?
Would you like to schedule a discovery session to evaluate your current data workflows?
About VETRO
At VETRO, our vision is to empower network operators to master escalating complexities and lead the charge in defining the future of global connectivity. Our Network Infrastructure Management and Orchestration Platform is the cornerstone for building future-ready infrastructure, transforming the entire lifecycle of physical network assets. By establishing a cohesive system of record and enabling intelligent, automated workflows, we empower our clients to move beyond legacy systems, unlock efficiencies, deploy advanced technologies, and connect more communities to the digital world faster than ever before. vetrofibermap.com
