35 Chapter III Research Methodology This chapter will explain the research design, data collection, and data analysis. By having a comprehensive research methodology, the big three questions stated in the research questions and business issues can be explored and analyzed. III.1 Research Design Figure III-3 Research Design. Source: Author (2023) The research design of this thesis unfolds through a well-structured process, beginning with the identification of the problem and culminating in the proposal of a viable solution. The design is divided into several stages, each corresponding to a chapter of the thesis. Chapter 1 sets the stage by introducing the research background and defining the business issues at PT Aurora Networks Indonesia. These business issues act as the catalyst, sparking the need for the research. The objectives of the research are then 36 clearly articulated, and the research questions that will guide the investigation are posited. The chapter provides an overview of the context, thereby framing the problem and justifying the need for the research. Building on the foundation established in the first chapter, Chapter 2 undertakes a comprehensive review of existing literature relevant to the research problem. The aim of this literature review is to contextualize the research within the broader academic field and to elucidate the concepts, theories, and findings that will inform the subsequent research. The chapter then culminates in the design of the theoretical framework, which acts as a roadmap guiding the investigation. Chapter 3 focuses on the methodology that underpins the research. It elaborates on the chosen research methods, justifying their suitability in relation to the research questions and objectives. This chapter also describes the data collection process in detail, providing insight into how the data that will be analyzed in the next stage is gathered. Chapter 4 is the heart of the research, where the collected data is meticulously analyzed. The analysis and interpretation of data reveal insights, patterns, and themes that answer the research questions posed in Chapter 1. These findings are then synthesized into a concrete business solution, addressing the initial business issues outlined at the start of the research. Finally, the research design culminates in the proposal of an implementation plan, turning the theoretically derived solution into a practical course of action. This implementation plan details the steps that PT Aurora Networks Indonesia needs to take to incorporate the findings of the research into their sales process, completing the transformation journey that began with the identification of the business problem. 37 III.2 Data Collection Method The primary data collection method for this study involves qualitative semi- structured interviews, supplemented by a comprehensive review of relevant organizational documentation. These two data sources will provide a rich and detailed understanding of the current situation and lay the foundation for the feasibility assessment of the proposed agile framework. The semi-structured interviews will involve key stakeholders within the telecommunications industry, including members of sales, solution, delivery teams, and customer. The interviews will be guided by a comprehensive set of questions designed to elicit insights into the existing collaboration practices, perceived challenges, and attitudes towards the implementation of a new Agile framework. No Company Name Roles Category Duration S1 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia Lead Account Manager Sales 32m 27s S2 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia HW/SW Account Manager Sales 31m 25s Sol1 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia Solution Manager Solution 50m 09s Sol2 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia Head of Solutions Solution 38m 49s P1 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia Program Business Manager Delivery 53m 00s P2 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia Project Director Delivery 30m 45s P3 PT Aurora Networks Indonesia Execution Excellence Manager Delivery 46m 40s C1 IOH SVP Head of Service Operation & E2E Opt Customer 27m 56s C2 Smartfren SVP Head of RAN Planning & Engineering Customer 19m 42s Table III-1 Respondent List 38 Additionally, relevant organizational documents, such as internal sales and TRICORN process document (Aurora Networks Sales Process, Sales Process Workflow Swimlane, Sales and Execute Gates), Customer Perceive Value Reports, Aurora Networks Yearly Financial reports will be reviewed to gain a deeper understanding of the current collaboration dynamics within the company and industry. This document analysis will complement the interview data, providing additional context and insight. List of Questions and relevant respondents are summarized in below table. No Question Analysis Category Sales Solution Delivery Customer 1 Can you describe the current sales process, from lead generation to closing a sale. Process Mapping ✔ 2 What are the key activities and who are the key participants in each stage of the sales process. Value Stream Mapping ✔ ✔ ✔ 3 What are some of the most common issues or roadblocks that hinder the sales process. SWOT - Weaknesses ✔ ✔ 4 Do you see any new opportunities to increase sales that we are currently not exploiting. SWOT - Opportunities ✔ 5 How quickly can the sales team adjust to changes in the market or customer preferences. Change Management Models ✔ 6 Do you often deal with changing requirements or priorities. If so, how do you manage these changes. Feasibility of Scrum/LeSS ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 7 Have you ever faced unrealistic deadlines. How did it impact your work and how did you handle it. Feasibility of Scrum/LeSS ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 8 How well do different teams in the organization communicate and collaborate. Feasibility of Scrum/LeSS ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 9 Have you encountered any issues in your work that you believe could be addressed through better teamwork or more efficient processes. Feasibility of Scrum/LeSS ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 10 In your opinion, what elements of our current sales process could be improved with more frequent, iterative feedback and adjustments. SWOT - Opportunities ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 11 Can you identify any opportunities for improvement in our responsiveness to changes in market conditions or customer needs. SWOT - Opportunities ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 12 Do you see potential for increased collaboration or team synergy in our SWOT - Opportunities ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 39 current processes. How could this be achieved. 13 Could you highlight any areas where we could enhance our skills or improve our practices. SWOT - Opportunities ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 14 Are there team members with skills or abilities that could be utilized more effectively through a different team structure or communication framework. SWOT - Strengths ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 15 Are there aspects of our current sales process that are flexible and can quickly adapt to changing circumstances. SWOT - Strengths ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 16 Are there areas in our current sales process where lack of clarity, structure, or communication pose challenges. SWOT - Weaknesses ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 17 Can you identify areas in our process where team collaboration could be improved. SWOT - Weaknesses ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 18 Do we struggle with adjusting our sales strategies based on real-time market or customer feedback. SWOT - Weaknesses ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 19 Are there external factors or market conditions that could hinder changes to our current sales process. SWOT - Threats ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 20 Are there any threats to our ability to deliver solutions to our customers effectively and in a timely manner. SWOT - Threats ✔ ✔ 21 Could you provide insights on the key pain points experienced by the customers. Customer Centricity ✔ 22 How are we ensuring that we are meeting customer needs with our current process and product/service offerings. Customer Centricity ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ 23 What aspects of our delivery process can be improved to enhance customer satisfaction. Customer Centricity ✔ ✔ 24 How effective is our communication with customers throughout the sales and delivery processes. Customer Centricity ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Table III-2 List of Questions to Relevant Respondent III.3 Data Analysis Method 40 The data collection method for this research encompasses two primary methods: content analysis and thematic analysis, each catering to different data types within the study. To scrutinize the process documents, content analysis is employed. Process documents within PT Aurora Networks Indonesia, including TRICORN model guidelines, sales process maps or swim lanes, Customer Perceived Value reports, financial reports, and related sales process documents are methodically examined and interpreted. This analysis provides insights into the existing processes, identifies potential areas of improvement, and assists in understanding how the Agile framework could be integrated effectively. Conversely, to analyse the interview responses, a thematic analysis approach is utilized. This method facilitates the identification, analysis, and interpretation of patterns of meaning or 'themes' within qualitative data (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Thematic analysis is highly flexible and yields a rich, detailed, yet complex account of data (Braun et al., 2019). For this research, interviews are conducted with key stakeholders within PT Aurora Networks Indonesia and its customers. The interview questions are constructed based on predetermined themes related to the effectiveness and potential improvement of the TRICORN model, and its potential integration with Agile methodologies. These interviews provide deep insights into the experiences and perspectives of stakeholders, adding a valuable layer of context and meaning to the research (Creswell & Poth, 2018). By integrating content and thematic analysis, this research harnesses the strengths of qualitative data. This mixed approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of the existing collaboration model at PT Aurora Networks Indonesia and provides a robust foundation for proposing an Agile-based enhancement to the model. 41 Chapter IV Results and Discussion This chapter presents the findings derived from the comprehensive and detailed thematic analysis of the interviews conducted with professionals involved in the TRICORN process. These interviews provided rich and insightful data that offered a deeper understanding of the TRICORN process and its interaction with various internal and external factors. This chapter aims to analyse and interpret these findings within the broader context of existing theories and concepts, thereby illuminating the possibilities of integrating the TRICORN model with Agile frameworks. IV.1 Analysis The analysis will try to discuss the data to answer the research questions. 1. How effective is the current TRICORN collaboration model in enhancing sales process and customer experience at PT Aurora Networks Indonesia. 2. In what ways can the TRICORN model be improved or optimized to enhance sales process and better address the specific needs and expectations of PT Aurora Networks Indonesia's customers. 3. Can the TRICORN model be effectively integrated with agile frameworks such as Scrum to improve its efficiency and effectiveness in PT Aurora Networks Indonesia. 4. How should PT Aurora Networks Indonesia manage the change related to the implementation of the proposed business solution. All those questions will be answered based the analysis result from value stream mapping analysis, SWOT analysis, Porter 5 Forces, and TOWS analysis below. IV.1.1 Value stream mapping 42 Upon a comprehensive review of the operations inherent in each phase and considering the essential approvals or decisions requisite for advancement, it is revealed that there are certain activities or practices that do not deliver substantial value. These non-value-adding activities undergo a rigorous examination with the goal of improvement in the envisaged future state. Furthermore, insights related to these non-value-adding activities are cross-referenced with results from interviews to confirm their prevalence and determine their necessity. Finding Current State (existing problems) Analysis on Possible Non-Value Adding Desired (expected) Future State Confirmation from interviewee 1 Repeated approval and decision points (Gates) The multiple approval gates in the process may create a bottleneck, especially if approvals are not obtained promptly An Agile framework promotes quicker decision-making through empowered teams, which could reduce these delays and enhance the efficiency of the process. "The decision is somehow not fast enough to respond." (S1) 2 Sequential & Slow Process The current workflow is a linear, sequential process. This means that work cannot proceed until the previous step is completed Agile practices promote a more iterative and incremental approach, which could allow tasks to be conducted in parallel, reducing total lead time. "Correct like it should be like some SLA in the critical path. Let's say in case of the tender, it should be like SLA hours even depending on the submission that data. There is certain milestone they say for the submission then it should be also ready during the period." 3 Heavy reliance on Individuals The process appears to rely heavily on the roles of AM (SCO), CT Head, and Bid Manager for coordination and completion of tasks Agile promotes collective responsibility, which could reduce the risk associated with over- reliance on certain individuals. 4 Big chunk of time in creation of documents There's a significant amount of documentation created and updated throughout the process While some of this is necessary, Agile methodologies encourage working software over comprehensive documentation. Translating this principle to your sales process could mean focusing more on customer interaction and less on documentation, streamlining the process 43 and reducing the time spent on these activities. 5 Reactive updates after receiving feedback from customer The process of updating offer details after receiving customer feedback can be time- consuming and may delay the sales process. An Agile approach encourages early and continuous customer collaboration, which can lead to proactively incorporating customer feedback throughout the process rather than at discrete points, reducing rework. "There needs to be a dedicated team working hand in hand with the customer team." (C1) 6 Lack of feedback loops from Customer The process is very front-loaded, with a lot of work happening before there's any interaction with the customer (Gate 5 - Win the Case). This could lead to wasted effort if the customer's requirements change or if there are misunderstandings about what the customer wants. Agile promotes early and continuous delivery of valuable outcomes, with regular feedback loops to ensure alignment with customer needs. "Many times, that we feel there is a lag in the response. We are living in a very agile world, right?" (C1) 7 Potential of Overlap Roles & responsibilities The process appears to be linear but has potential overlap of roles and responsibilities, for example in leading sales process potential overlap of roles between CT Head, Bid Manger, AM (SCO), and BG Sales. In strategy development, there's also potential overlap of CTO, BG DM, SSM, Solution Manager, etc Clarify Roles & Responsibilities. In Agile, common practice is to have 1 Product Owner 8 Confusion from stakeholders on the process due to lack of socialization or communication on the process, stakeholders even in TRICORN Role is confused on the overall process Tendering team should be cross-functional where everyone knows each other roles and responsibilities and open of their own roles and responsibilities. "So, we have to optimize the communication as much as we can on the short time that we have." (S1) 44 9 Transparency Currently there are concerns of in transparency where everyone is having different objective on the discussion.