A leading cellular network provider embarked on a transformative journey to grow its business to $500 million in revenue within five years. By leveraging a structured methodology encompassing the Discover, Define, Design, Develop, Deploy, and Operate phases, the company successfully expanded its market presence and enhanced its service offerings. The focus was on deploying Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) inside buildings to deliver seamless wireless coverage and augment network capacity.
What is a Distributed Antenna System?

A distributed antenna system is used to get wireless signal coverage to otherwise unserviceable areas. It places several smaller, less-powerful antennas in different locations instead of one large, powerful antenna. Cables connect the smaller antennas back to a single signal source.
What is a Business Methodology?
Simply put, a business methodology is a set of guiding principles which a company uses in order to achieve various goals. While a business ‘process’ is concerned with the mechanics of the work, (e.g., a sequence of stages and associated activities) a ‘methodology’ is more aligned with the techniques, disciplines and best practices used to progress from stage to stage.
Methodology’s are never one size fits all. A business methodology should be developed based on the type of industry in which a company operates or crafted to align with it’s customers, its overall strategy or other influencing factors.
What are Swimlanes?
A swim lane map is similar to a flowchart in that it maps out a process, decisions, and loops; however, a swim lane map places events and actions in “lanes” to delineate a person/group responsible, or a specific sub-process. A swim lane map has three elements: time, people (or job functions), and tasks/processes. Below is an example of a swim lane flow chart:

Developing the D5O
Creating a unique and specific business methodology involves developing a tailored approach that aligns with the company’s goals, values, and market demands. This process begins with a thorough analysis of the business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis). By understanding these factors, a company can design a methodology that leverages its strengths and addresses its weaknesses. This methodology should include clear, actionable steps and measurable outcomes to ensure progress and accountability. Additionally, incorporating feedback loops and continuous improvement practices will help the business stay agile and responsive to changes in the market.
The benefits of a unique business methodology are many. For the business, it provides a structured framework that enhances efficiency, productivity, and innovation. It helps in streamlining processes, reducing redundancies, and optimizing resource allocation. For customers, a well-defined methodology ensures consistent quality and reliability of products or services. It builds trust and loyalty as customers can expect a high standard of service every time. Moreover, a customer-centric methodology can lead to better customer satisfaction and retention, ultimately driving business growth and success.
The D5O methodology was built, implemented, improved and refined over several years. It was crafted to ensure alignment across multiple supporting organizations, save significant amounts of time, easily scale and ultimately deliver speed to customer.
Solution Process
The first step was to create a visual representation of the business workflows. Swim lanes (process maps) were created to show how the various organizations carried out its work. This work starts with mapping out the workflows in their current state.
The second step is to map the desired future state of the workflow, aligning actions to functional responsibilities across multiple supporting organizations, taking into account inefficiencies, repetitive no value add tasks, and other areas of waste. This work included assigning “not to exceed” timeframes aligned to customer expectation.
The Phases of D5O
Discover Phase
The journey began with the Discover Phase, where the company focused on identifying promising opportunities and aligning suitable solutions. The team conducted extensive market research to understand customer needs and competitive dynamics. Through targeted lead generation efforts, they identified potential customers and initiated contact to assess their requirements. By aligning their solutions with customer needs, the company developed compelling proposals and successfully negotiated contracts.
Challenges Faced
Market Saturation: The company faced stiff competition in a saturated market, making it challenging to identify unique selling points.
Customer Trust: Building trust with new customers was crucial, especially in a market with established players.
Define Phase
In the Define Phase, cross-functional teams collaborated to define the scope and requirements for each project. They conducted workshops and meetings with stakeholders to gather detailed requirements and assess the feasibility of proposed solutions. By clearly defining the project scope and identifying potential risks, the company ensured that each project was set up for success. Securing stakeholder approval on the defined scope and requirements was a critical step in this phase.
Challenges Faced
Requirement Clarity: Ensuring all stakeholders had a clear and consistent understanding of requirements was challenging.
Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating potential risks early in the process required thorough analysis and planning.
Design Phase
With the scope and requirements documented, the Design Phase commenced. The company conducted formal site surveys to gather data for network design. Network engineers designed the architecture based on the collected data and defined requirements. Detailed design documents were created, outlining technical specifications and configurations. The design was then presented to customers for review and approval, ensuring alignment with their expectations.
Challenges Faced
Scalability: Designing a network that could scale with growing customer demands was a significant challenge.
Customer Feedback: Incorporating customer feedback into the design while maintaining technical feasibility required careful balancing.
Develop Phase
The Develop Phase focused on deployment and implementation. The company procured the necessary equipment, software, and services required for each project. Detailed pre-construction plans were developed, and resources were allocated to ensure smooth execution. The implementation team received training on the design and deployment procedures, preparing them for the upcoming tasks.
Challenges Faced
Procurement Delays: Delays in procuring equipment and software impacted project timelines.
Resource Allocation: Ensuring the right resources were available at the right time required meticulous planning.
Deploy Phase
The Deploy Phase marked the construction and solution implementation stage. The company carried out the physical installation of Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) inside buildings, including cabling, hardware setup, and configuration. Wireless solutions were implemented and integrated with the network, ensuring they were fully operational. This two-part phase was critical in bringing the designed solutions to life.
Challenges Faced
Installation Complexities: The physical installation of DAS presented technical challenges that required skilled technicians.
Integration Issues: Ensuring seamless integration of wireless solutions with the existing network infrastructure was crucial.
Operate Phase
With the network solutions up and running, the Operate Phase focused on providing ongoing technical support and maintenance. The company continuously monitored the network to ensure optimal performance and addressed any issues promptly. Regular maintenance activities were performed to keep the network in good working condition. Technical support was provided to customers, and performance optimization efforts were undertaken to enhance efficiency. Customer feedback was gathered to identify areas for improvement and ensure satisfaction.
Challenges Faced
Scalability: As the customer base grew, scaling the network to meet increasing demands was a continuous challenge.
Customer Relationships: Maintaining strong customer relationships and ensuring high levels of satisfaction required consistent and proactive support.

Achieving Sustainability with a Structured Methodology
Education & Training
Education and Training was required to ensure everyone was aligned to processes, changes and improvements. When someone new started in the business we needed to ensure they quickly became familiar with the strategy deployment and methodology processes, continuous improvement efforts and key metrics used to monitor business performance. Annual refresher sessions were also factored into education to reenergize people, solicit feedback on improvements and ensure their use of systems & tools remained fresh.
Communication and feedback
Communication and feedback was vital to ensure people knew what was going on within a process and allow them to give feedback. Communication should be two-way with feedback mechanisms in place; during the weekly team meetings; during change requests; when decisions are being escalated; and when key metrics, root cause analysis and corrective actions are being published. This communication will allow businesses to actively look for opportunities to improve.
Accountability
Formality and discipline of execution were essential. For sustainability to happen, policies and procedures are fundamental in creating formality to stop a business from regressing. This formality can capture knowledge, which is used for education and can guide employees who join the company.

Implementing a structured methodology like the one described can significantly contribute to the sustainability of a business. By following the Discover, Define, Design, Develop, Deploy, and Operate phases, the cellular network provider can ensure that its operations are efficient, scalable, and environmentally responsible. Once the business had successfully deployed it’s methodology, the real test began – demonstrating the ability to sustain its process.
If a business can master process sustainability it will reap the rewards with ongoing benefits, preventing regression over time and creating a solid platform for building further improvements. To achieve this goal, we had to ensure a disciplined approach using 3 keys to sustainability:
By following this structured methodology, the cellular network provider achieved remarkable growth. Over the course of five years, the company expanded its market presence, enhanced its service offerings, and built strong customer relationships. The systematic approach enabled the company to deliver high-quality solutions efficiently and effectively. As a result, the company successfully grew its revenue to $500 million, establishing itself as a leader in the industry.
This case study demonstrates the power of a structured methodology in driving business growth. By meticulously following the Discover, Define, Design, Develop, Deploy, and Operate phases, the cellular network provider was able to achieve its ambitious revenue goals. The company’s success serves as a testament to the importance of a well-defined and executed methodology in achieving sustainable business growth.