T h e Te l c o R e v e n u e A s s u r a n c e H a n d b o o k

set of requirements and build a system quickly enough to

keep up with the major systems, business or operational
changes.

Alternative Architectures:
Hard-coded Versus Layered Applications
There are two significantly different approaches to developing
information systems: the traditional hard-coded approach, and the
layered architectural approach. Each has its strengths and weak-
nesses, and each might play a role in developing an overall revenue
assurance solution. However, it is important to understand the dif-
ferences between the unique principles that drive each approach’s
effectiveness.

The Traditional Hard-Coded Approach

Under the traditional computer-systems-development approach, the

system users (the revenue assurance team) develop a set of require-
ments. The design team then turns these requirements into reporting
and operational management specifications. These specifications are
then converted into a collection of programming code, which runs
the system.

The advantages of this process are:

• It is relatively straightforward and easy to understand.
• Once completed, it is highly dependable and stable.
• It allows for development of isolated solutions, insulated
from the complexities of the firm’s other activities.

The disadvantages of this approach are also significant:

• The solution is relatively inflexible (hard to change).
• It is isolated, so leveraging across business areas is virtual-
ly impossible.
• It is expensive to modify.
• Radical changes in the systems or business environment
can yield the application ineffective.

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