Tower industry data collection and utilisation working group

Leveraging data for towercos

2019 findings and industry action plan

Over the course of 2019, TowerXchange and Analysys Mason worked together to host a series of working groups focussed around data collection and utilisation in the tower industry. The groups revealed a clear set of challenges faced by tower operators in using data support their business goals and identified a wish list of issues to be addressed by the industry. Here we summarise the findings of the working group and share the action points for 2020 including the development of an industry approved taxonomy, expanded industry survey and virtual group meeting.

Visit the group home page

A year ago, Analysys Mason joined forces with TowerXchange to lead the tower industry Data Collection and Utilisation working group. Since then, working group meetings have been held at four TowerXchange Meetups, covering four regions (Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific). 

The discussions and debates conducted in these sessions have revealed a set of clear challenges for tower operators when it comes to using data to support their business goals. These range from outdated tools and lack of inhouse data expertise; to confusion about which of the solutions on the market will best fit their requirements. 

Towercos are clear about their commercial objectives, but in a recent survey of 45 tower operators (including MNO tower divisions), by Analysys Mason, only 35% believed they had the right information processes and solutions in place to ensure the best decisions were made.

This inadequacy contributes to other problems. For instance, some tower operators told the working group meetings that they felt disadvantaged in negotiations if they did not have fully accurate and up-to-date information, and the tools to analyse and visualise it clearly. Better capabilities would help them in key processes, such as valuing the assets for a potential acquisition, or negotiating a tenancy deal. 

As for suppliers of data solutions to the tower industry, it has been clear from the working group discussions that they struggle with several challenges, including:

- Limited awareness, at CxO level, of the importance of a sophisticated data strategy among target customers

- A complex solutions landscape, leaving many operators confused about the best approach for their information needs

- A large gap between the aspirations of towercos to understand their portfolios better, and the reality of their systems and budgets

Having held discussions in all the major regions of the world, the priority for the working group in 2020 is to address some of these important challenges, providing practical shared information and tools for tower operators and their suppliers.

Based on consensus among working group attendees, the most pressing objectives were identified as:

- Understand towercos’ information requirements better, as well as their appetite to invest in new solutions

- Help towercos navigate the complex mixture of solutions available and identify the best for their requirements

- Equip towerco data advocates with ammunition to convince CxOs to invest in data management

- Establish a common view of best practice, based on real world case studies, and communicate this to the broad base of stakeholders

These are complex objectives, and it will be important for the working group to address them with a succession of manageable steps that have visible, near term results, while building up to a bigger impact over time. 

The first of those steps were identified during the working group sessions and a shortlist agreed at the last of those, in Singapore in December 2019. 

These are summarised in the table below:

data-collection-table.png

Other actions have been discussed in addition to these. For instance, there was enthusiasm to define a template of common data parameters for tower data, to make it easier for them to establish new systems; and conduct a benchmarking exercise to help towercos position themselves in terms of the effectiveness of their data processes. 

Many of these ideas will doubtless be put back on the agenda in future, but for 2020, it was important to identify a few clear priorities and action points. The first two, from the list in Table 1, are to kick off the taxonomy exercise, and the towerco survey.

We are keen to keep an ongoing flow of discussion, information sharing and progress throughout the year, rather than confining our activities to the Meetups, and this is clearly even more important in light of Covid-19 and its impact on physical events and travel in early 2020. 

The taxonomy and the towerco survey, then, will be progressed in a virtual environment, in the period from April to June 2020, in the following way:

- Analysys Mason and TowerXchange will share an outline of the taxonomy and of the survey questionnaire for towercos. We welcome suggested additions and changes from all working group participants.

- When the taxonomy structure is finalised, we will invite all suppliers to provide information on their products and services in the given categories. This will form a database which can be continually updated as new solutions are unveiled. 

- The updated questionnaire will be launched, targeting anonymised responses from at least 50 tower operators, including MNOs’ tower operations divisions. 

- The results of the survey will be shared in an online working group meeting and implications discussed. That will be the basis of a comprehensive report detailing towerco’s data requirements. 

- Based on the findings, the group will identify the next priorities to address the requirements.

Towercos show high levels of interest in being able to collect, analyse and visualise data in a sophisticated way, using emerging techniques such AI for analytics and augmented reality/digital twin for remote maintenance. And they are even more interested in being able to automate a large percentage of their processes, using business intelligence to replace expensive site visits. Yet in reality, many have not yet progressed from using Excel spreadsheets for most of their data processes

These actions will establish some firm foundations for a more unified, results-driven approach to data management in the tower sector. For this reason, we urge you to sign up to participate in the working group. We will be careful to keep time commitments, such as group calls, under control, while establishing processes that will enable everybody to contribute ideas and information in a simple but rewarding way.

The results, we believe, will be significant for suppliers and operators. The need for the working group, and its projects, has only become more apparent during the cycle of meetings last year. Towercos show high levels of interest in being able to collect, analyse and visualise data in a sophisticated way, using emerging techniques such AI for analytics and augmented reality/digital twin for remote maintenance. And they are even more interested in being able to automate a large percentage of their processes, using business intelligence to replace expensive site visits. 

Yet in reality, many have not yet progressed from using Excel spreadsheets for most of their data processes.

This dichotomy provides a significant opportunity for the working group’s members to help address the gap between business needs and real world practice in many towercos. In doing so, it can have a visible impact on the effectiveness of the tower sector, and the success of the suppliers.

We look forward to the next round of discussions and action points, and look forward to your thoughts and participation.


Next steps

April - Towerco input into taxonomy: Please contact Laura Graves, Managing Director, EMEA, TowerXchange to get involved lgraves@towerxchange.com

April – Supplier input into taxonomy: Please contact Sarah Kerr, Commercial Director, TowerXchange to get involved skerr@towerxchange.com

April/May – Towerco questionnaire: Please contact Caroline Gabriel, Principal Analyst, Analysys Mason to get involved Caroline.Gabriel@analysysmason.com

3 June – Virtual Data Collection and Utilisation Working Group: Please visit our website here to register


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