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LilaConnect migrated to gaiia in 16 weeks and automated its entire customer onboarding flow. By replacing a constrained in-house system with an API-driven OSS/BSS, LilaConnect reduced customer self-onboarding time from 19 minutes to just 4, eliminated most manual processes, and launched a scalable foundation for rapid regional growth.
LilaConnect, the retail subsidiary of The Freedom Fibre Group, delivers full-fibre broadband to communities across the North West of the UK. With a strategy of rapid growth across multiple towns and regions, the company needed a modern operations platform that could scale as fast as its network.
After challenges with an internal system that had reached its limits and a failed migration to another platform, LilaConnect turned to gaiia to modernize its operations and create a better customer experience.
LilaConnect required a flexible, API-driven OSS/BSS that could integrate seamlessly with its network operator’s systems and support an efficient, scalable retail ISP experience. Key considerations included:
After evaluating multiple vendors, LilaConnect chose gaiia for its open, modular architecture, proven delivery timelines, and collaborative implementation model designed for complex integration environments.
LilaConnect’s implementation focused on enabling a complete customer onboarding flow, connecting every step from availability check to activation. gaiia enabled LilaConnect to launch a branded online checkout that connected LilaConnect’s new website, directly with their network serviceability.
From the first customer order, the new system has significantly reduced manual work across teams, streamlining how new customers are onboarded and how in-life service changes are handled.
Both gaiia and LilaConnect teams focused on five core workflows that power daily operations: activation, suspension, reactivation, speed change, and service deactivation. Built in gaiia’s Workflow editor, each process is fully automated and configurable, giving LilaConnect control to adapt and scale as they grow.
The go-live included integrations with:
LilaConnect’s network provisioning API
Stripe and GoCardless (payments)
Sonalake PivOTS (One Touch Switch)
HubSpot, M365, and Twilio (CRM and communications)
The result was a fully automated onboarding and activation process that now runs through a single system, reducing delays, increasing transparency, and improving the experience for both customers and support teams.
Beyond the technical success, LilaConnect’s project has become a model for how ISPs can bring services to market faster through clarity, iterative development, and tight scope control.
Here are the key principles that made the difference:
Rather than waiting for every edge case, LilaConnect and gaiia focused on the five most critical workflows that represented 90% of customer journeys. This “Fab 5” mindset allowed the team to deliver early business value while deferring non-critical automations to Phase 2.
From the first migration dry-run, the team enforced standard data models, requiring unique property identifiers (UPRNs) and canonical product structures. This reduced friction during imports, simplified integrations, and made it easier to automate provisioning.
With Freedom Fibre’s open-access API as the foundation, gaiia connected every major system (billing, network, appointments, and service status) through direct, authenticated API calls. No CSVs, no scripts. This ensured real-time accuracy across systems from day one.
Each operational process (activation, modification, or cancellation) was designed as a self-contained, auditable workflow in gaiia. This structure allowed operations and engineering teams to collaborate in the same system without relying on custom code or manual handoffs.
Weekly syncs across business, technical, and engineering stakeholders from both LilaConnect and gaiia created continuous feedback loops. Decisions were made fast, blockers were surfaced early, and teams shared the same real-time visibility into progress.
And naturally, every successful launch deserves cupcakes to celebrate!
In just 16 weeks, LilaConnect transitioned from a constrained in-house system to a fully integrated, API-driven OSS/BSS environment that connects every part of the customer journey, from online checkout to activation.The impact was immediate. The new checkout and automated workflows reduced manual intervention across teams and dramatically improved customer onboarding speed. What once required multiple systems and manual coordination now runs seamlessly within gaiia.
With manual tasks replaced by automation, LilaConnect has strengthened operational efficiency and created a scalable model for future growth while improving the subscriber experience at every step.
