Elements Of Telecom Expense Management

Informed professionals know that telecom expense management saves money on wireless, landline and other communications billing, but that raises the question: How does it work? The answer is more complicated than it looks.

While telecom expense management should be a 360 degree strategy focused on providing the best savings possible, but many people reduce it to telecom audits alone. While telecom auditing is an important part of the process, professionals at Ontario and Florida-based telecom management firm GILL Technologies define telecom expense management as a multifaceted process. Theyve provided this list of the most critical functions of telecom expense management programs.

Bill Auditing: As stated, telecom audits arent the be all and end all of telecom expense management, but its still an important part of the process. Auditors begin by searching for billing errors. Carrier errors are common and often difficult to detect, requiring the trained eye of the auditor. A charge may seem correct until its cross referenced with a discount in the service contract.

Industry Analysis: In addition to analyzing individual phone [and internet] bills, a complete telecom expense management solution looks at the industry as a whole to find the best carrier for each clients needs. For example, one carrier may provide excellent rates for fleets of phones providing basic talk and text service, while another is best for 3G wireless Internet. To provide the best possible savings, telecom experts need to keep up to date on the latest rates and agreements available from every carrier that could serve their clients.

Unit and Usage Tracking: Finding the best plan requires more than industry knowledge. Telecom expense management requires a detailed knowledge of the clients usage. A business that constantly uses long distance has different needs than one where staff has to be able to send and receive email form anywhere, any time. Detailed tracking by unit detects employee misuse and inactive units common sources of unnecessary expenses.

Renegotiation and Migration: If a carrier or agreement isnt provide the most cost effective choice its time to make a change. Professional telecom expense management firms manage renegotiation of an existing agreement, or migration to a new carrier with no change in phone numbers or services [though in many cases a slight service adjustment can lead to tremendous savings, such as changing from traditional landline service to VoIP].

Telecom and Cellular Customer Service: Truly comprehensive telecom expense management also accounts for hidden fees and "soft" costs arising from wasted time and stress. Poor customer service is one of the biggest causes of these invisible costs, so the best telecom expense management programs act as carrier liaisons to get the best, fastest customer service, including staying on hold and talking to carrier representatives on the clients behalf.


Upgrades and Procurement: Finally, telecom expense management doesnt ignore the hardware side. It finds cost effective sources for new hardware and upgrades, from smart phones to Bluetooth headsets. Aside from saving on basic purchase costs, clients also cut costs by avoiding haphazard individual orders and shipping, and by picking hardware truly suited to their needs thanks to the help of informed professionals.

If youre planning on adding telecom expense management services, remember that all of these options are part of the total solution and ask yourself if the firm youre looking at provides it, or just does auditing.