Enabling capability (noun)
An ability that makes another capability or a desired outcome possible, or supports its effective delivery.
Suppose our organization plans to introduce an AI assistant to help customers complete routine tasks using our product documentation as the source content. The assistant needs a retrieval system that finds and returns instructions that match each customer’s situation. This capability helps the assistant give trustworthy and useful answers.
Finding the right procedure is an important part of delivering effective self-service user assistance. The procedures we deliver to our users must be correct, and the assistant must be capable of explaining it clearly and providing an answer that addresses their individual needs. If our customer doesn’t have permission to complete the task they seek to perform, our AI may need help from an administrator.
A capability is an ability an organization or system has. TM Forum’s business capability guidance explains how people, processes, information, and systems contribute to that ability. When one capability helps make another possible, it serves an enabling role.
