SWOT
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AT&T Engineering

To build and operate the most advanced networks that enable human progress through seamless connectivity.

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Align the strategy

AT&T Engineering SWOT Analysis

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To build and operate the most advanced networks that enable human progress through seamless connectivity.

Strengths

  • NETWORK: Industry-leading fiber and 5G network infrastructure
  • SCALE: Massive customer base across wireless and fiber
  • BRAND: Strong trusted brand with 140+ year heritage
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Extensive physical infrastructure nationwide
  • EXPERTISE: Deep technical talent in telecommunications

Weaknesses

  • TECHNICAL: Legacy systems creating operational inefficiencies
  • DEBT: High debt levels constraining investment capacity
  • AGILITY: Slow decision-making processes and deployment cycles
  • FRAGMENTATION: Siloed technology stacks across business units
  • TALENT: Challenges attracting cutting-edge engineering talent

Opportunities

  • FIBER: Accelerate fiber deployment to reach 30M+ locations
  • ENTERPRISE: Expand private 5G network offerings for businesses
  • EDGE: Develop edge computing capabilities leveraging network
  • IOT: Create integrated IoT solutions across consumer/business
  • AUTOMATION: Implement network automation to reduce opex by 25%

Threats

  • COMPETITION: Cable companies expanding wireless offerings
  • REGULATION: Changing regulatory landscape impacting operations
  • INVESTMENT: Massive capex requirements for network expansion
  • DISRUPTION: Tech companies entering communications space
  • TECHNOLOGY: Rapid advancement requiring continuous investment

Key Priorities

  • MODERNIZATION: Accelerate legacy system transformation
  • AUTOMATION: Implement network automation and AI operations
  • PLATFORM: Build unified digital service delivery platform
  • TALENT: Attract, retain, and upskill engineering workforce
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Align the plan

AT&T Engineering OKR Plan

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To build and operate the most advanced networks that enable human progress through seamless connectivity.

MODERNIZE CORE

Transform legacy systems into agile cloud architecture

  • MIGRATION: Migrate 75% of critical network applications to containerized cloud-native architecture by Q3
  • DECOMMISSION: Retire 15 legacy systems reducing annual OpEx by $120M and improving deployment speed by 40%
  • AUTOMATION: Implement CI/CD pipelines for 90% of network software achieving 70% reduction in deployment time
  • METRICS: Establish real-time operational dashboard with 99.9% data accuracy across all network domains
NETWORK AI

Deploy AI-driven operations across network domains

  • AIOPS: Implement predictive maintenance AI reducing network outages by 35% across wireless and wireline
  • AUTOMATION: Automate 65% of tier 1 and tier 2 network operations through ML, saving 120,000 labor hours
  • OPTIMIZATION: Deploy AI-based traffic management optimizing network capacity utilization by 22%
  • SECURITY: Implement AI threat detection covering 100% of network traffic with 99.7% accuracy
UNIFIED PLATFORM

Build integrated digital platform for all services

  • ARCHITECTURE: Complete unified platform architecture and secure executive approval for implementation
  • APIS: Develop and document 75 critical APIs with 99.99% availability SLA for internal/external consumption
  • MICROSERVICES: Convert 40% of monolithic applications to microservices reducing deployment cycles by 65%
  • INTEGRATION: Implement service mesh connecting 80% of core business domains with real-time data flows
TALENT MAGNET

Become premier destination for engineering talent

  • RECRUITING: Reduce technical hiring time-to-fill by 40% while increasing quality-of-hire score by 25%
  • DEVELOPMENT: Launch engineering excellence program with 90% engineer participation in upskilling
  • RETENTION: Improve engineering retention to 92% through career path enhancements and skill-based comp
  • CULTURE: Achieve 85%+ favorable scores on engineering engagement survey for innovation and autonomy
METRICS
  • NETWORK RELIABILITY: 99.999% across all platforms
  • DEPLOYMENT VELOCITY: 75% reduction in time-to-production
  • AUTOMATION LEVEL: 65% of operations fully automated
VALUES
  • Customer First - Serve our customers' needs above all else
  • Innovation - Embrace new technologies and approaches
  • Reliability - Deliver what we promise, when we promise it
  • Integrity - Act with honesty and transparency in all we do
  • Teamwork - Collaborate effectively across boundaries
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Align the learnings

AT&T Engineering Retrospective

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To build and operate the most advanced networks that enable human progress through seamless connectivity.

What Went Well

  • WIRELESS: Added 424,000 postpaid phone net adds in recent quarter
  • FIBER: Connected 252,000 AT&T Fiber net adds, strong demand continuing
  • EFFICIENCY: Achieved $6B+ run-rate cost savings ahead of schedule
  • REVENUE: Grew mobility service revenues by 3.3% year over year

Not So Well

  • CHURN: Slight increase in postpaid phone churn to 0.84%
  • BUSINESS: Wireline business revenue declined 4.1% year over year
  • CAPEX: Capital expenditures higher than projected at $4.6 billion
  • LEGACY: Higher than expected maintenance costs for legacy systems

Learnings

  • CONVERGENCE: Bundle strategy driving lower churn and higher LTV
  • AUTOMATION: Areas with automated operations showing better margins
  • DIGITAL: Self-service adoption reduces costs and improves satisfaction
  • QUALITY: Network investment directly correlates to reduced churn

Action Items

  • MODERNIZE: Accelerate decommissioning of 3 legacy operational systems
  • AUTOMATE: Implement AI-driven network operations in 50% of NOC functions
  • PLATFORM: Develop unified service delivery platform for all products
  • TALENT: Launch engineering excellence program to attract top talent
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Drive AI transformation

AT&T Engineering AI Strategy SWOT Analysis

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To build and operate the most advanced networks that enable human progress through seamless connectivity.

Strengths

  • DATA: Massive network and customer data for AI training
  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Existing compute infrastructure for AI workloads
  • PARTNERSHIPS: Strategic relationships with AI technology vendors
  • USE-CASES: Clear AI applications in network operations
  • INVESTMENT: Significant resources allocated to AI initiatives

Weaknesses

  • FRAGMENTATION: Disjointed AI initiatives across organization
  • TALENT: Limited AI/ML specialized engineering talent
  • GOVERNANCE: Immature AI governance and ethics framework
  • LEGACY: Technical debt hampering AI implementation
  • CULTURE: Traditional telco mindset resisting AI transformation

Opportunities

  • OPERATIONS: Network automation to reduce OpEx by 30%
  • CUSTOMER: AI-powered personalization improving experience
  • SECURITY: Advanced threat detection using AI/ML
  • MAINTENANCE: Predictive maintenance reducing network downtime
  • PRODUCTS: New AI-enabled products and services

Threats

  • COMPETITION: Tech giants with superior AI capabilities
  • ETHICS: AI ethics concerns affecting customer trust
  • REGULATION: Evolving AI regulatory requirements
  • COMPLEXITY: Growing complexity of AI deployment at scale
  • DEPENDENCY: Over-reliance on third-party AI technologies

Key Priorities

  • AIOPS: Implement AI-driven network operations center
  • PLATFORM: Build unified AI/ML platform for all business units
  • TALENT: Develop comprehensive AI talent acquisition strategy
  • GOVERNANCE: Establish robust AI ethics and governance framework