Why has MessageBird's SMS delivery rate dropped by 15% for enterprise customers in the last month?

Introduction

MessageBird's 15% drop in SMS delivery rate for enterprise customers over the past month is a critical issue that demands immediate attention. As we delve into this problem, we'll employ a systematic approach to identify, validate, and address the root cause while considering both short-term fixes and long-term strategic implications.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Given the sudden drop, I'm wondering about recent changes. Have there been any significant updates to MessageBird's SMS infrastructure or delivery processes in the last 1-2 months?

Why it matters: Recent changes often correlate with performance issues. Expected answer: Yes, there was a major update to our SMS gateway. Impact on approach: If confirmed, we'd focus on the update's impact and potential rollback options.

• Considering the specificity to enterprise customers, I'm curious about segmentation. Is this 15% drop uniform across all enterprise customers or concentrated in specific industries or regions?

Why it matters: Helps identify if the issue is global or localized. Expected answer: The drop is more pronounced in the financial sector and North American region. Impact on approach: We'd investigate industry-specific or regional factors affecting SMS delivery.

• Thinking about external factors, have there been any notable changes in telecom regulations or carrier policies that might affect enterprise SMS delivery?

Why it matters: External regulatory changes can significantly impact SMS delivery rates. Expected answer: No major regulatory changes, but some carriers have implemented new spam filtering algorithms. Impact on approach: We'd focus on adapting our SMS sending patterns to comply with new filtering rules.

• Considering potential technical issues, has there been any unusual spike in error rates or latency in our SMS delivery logs?

Why it matters: Technical issues often manifest in error logs before affecting overall metrics. Expected answer: There's been a 20% increase in timeout errors for certain carriers. Impact on approach: We'd prioritize investigating and resolving these specific technical issues.