Site management has been successfully digitalized, now it needs to become intelligent
Digitalizing site management workflows was a massive step forward from labor-intensive email and spreadsheet-based processes. According to operators, existing planning, design and build process software was presenting problems, requiring staff to work across several legacy systems.
Digital workflows are a vital part of network modernization and simplification. However, to truly accelerate progress, operators also need real-time prediction, automation and efficiency.
Proactive intelligence builds upon digital workflows to achieve these goals.
The goal? Never miss a deadline. See every needle in a complex haystack. No more unknowns.
Rakuten Site Management 2.0 launches today to introduce AI-driven intelligence that gives operators full visibility, predictive insights and automation as they ambitiously aim to streamline rollouts at scale.
In a nationwide deployment, site management processes span engineering, procurement, field and regulatory teams working across different systems, and endless delays, miscommunication, and inefficiencies.
Here are just some of the complaints operators have shared about existing site management processes:
- "We don't find out about delays until it's too late."
- "When field engineers take photos, even minor mistakes mean another site visit, which wastes time and money."
- "We spend hours filling out documents and chasing paperwork."
- "We need better visibility into our rollouts, without drowning in emails and spreadsheets."
Digitalization is making progress against these challenges via network transformation journeys that are introducing much-needed efficiency. Adding AI-powered intelligence introduces speed, precision and unprecedented visibility to the equation.
We’ve been entrenched with customers over the past two years on site management modernization. We now have over 3.5 million sites registered in our platform. While improved visibility has represented a major advancement, AI is proving capable of scaling intelligent control by predicting delays, removing inefficiency and automating workflows before problems escalate.
These outcomes are made possible by preventing rework, optimizing scheduling and streamlining approval to save time and resources. It’s the difference between tracking delays and making sure they don’t happen in the first place.
Critically, AI doesn’t remove humans from the process—it simply removes human error.
The need could not be more imminent. Operators are rolling out Open RAN, 5G, fiber networks and private data centers, resulting in hundreds or thousands of sites to manage. Even the most minor of inefficiencies ends up compounding into major delays and cost overruns.
Rakuten Site Management 2.0 injects AI-powered intelligence at scale and is built based on our perspective embedded at operators globally addressing site rollout complexity. It’s not just about improving how site rollouts are tracked but having at your fingertips the proactive insights that ensure projects stay on time and budget.
Let’s break down some of the common challenges operators face and how Rakuten Site Management 2.0 is turning AI-driven intelligence into real-world site management capabilities:
- Outdated RF datasheets and plumbing diagrams → Errors in network designs: Rakuten Site Management 2.0 improves design efficiency by centralizing diagrams in a single collaborative digital pane with instant updates for 15x design efficiency improvement.
- Manual site audits → Inconsistencies and delays: Automates audits with AI image analysis to auto-approve installations and detect safety hazards, ensuring compliance without unnecessary rework.
- Hidden project delays → Teams find out too late: Proactively manages delays by predicting and flagging them early and providing corrective recommendations to keep rollouts on track.
- Document overload → Contracts, agreements and forms slow teams down: Automates information processing by auto-extracting data, completing forms and tracking deadlines to eliminate paperwork bottlenecks and ensuring critical milestones aren’t missed.
- Slow, manual site feasibility assessments → Lengthy pre-rollout evaluations: Automates feasibility analysis by leveraging AI to evaluate geographic, environmental and regulatory data in real time.
- Workflow Inefficiencies → Task dependencies and hidden bottlenecks lead to project delays and cost overruns: Optimizes workflows using predictive analytics to identify bottlenecks and provide real-time insights, proactively adjusting tasks and maintaining momentum.
The need for intelligent, scalable site management has never been greater, especially as some operators accelerate Open RAN deployments network-wide.
For operators adopting Open RAN with incumbent RAN vendors, Rakuten Symphony provides a proven solution already being used to manage large scale Open RAN rollouts. For operators pursuing a multi-vendor approach, Site Management 2.0 is differentiated in its vendor-agnostic approach that has been proven in some of the world’s largest deployments.
Read our latest press release with AT&T highlighting its experiencing modernizing site management.
Rakuten Site Management 2.0 is ready to power site rollouts for operators worldwide. How can we help you streamline site management complexity, integrate across different vendors and ensure your rollouts stay on schedule?
Meet with us at DTW Ignite in Copenhagen for a live demo, insights from deployments and expert discussion on AI-powered site rollouts.
