Posts tagged "Telecom"

How to Choose a Telecom Consultant – Part 1

The task of selecting a telecommunications consultant can be daunting at best. This step-by-step guide will help you focus on the most important aspects of the job. Follow this formula carefully and you will be successful in your search for the right telecommunications consultant for your company.

What Telecommunications Consultants Can Do

The very nature of consulting implies specialization, and awide variety of telecommunications specialists are available.

You can save time by limiting your search to consultants who regularly do the type of work you want. Consider your need for consulting help from three different perspectives.

WHAT FORM OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS IS INVOLVED IN YOUR COMPANY SITUATION?

The possibilities….

Voice-Data-Video-Radio-Facsimile-Microwave-Paging-Broadcast-Program-Telegraph-Wireless-Voice Messaging-Electronic Mail-Teleconferencing-Remote Metering-Frame Relay-Virtual Private Networks-LANs- WANs-Voice over Internet – and the list goes on!

As you can see, there are A LOT of possibilities! Once you’ve narrowed down the areas of telecommunications where you need help, answer these questions:

Is your operation small, medium or large? Is the one location, a few, dozens, or hundreds? (thousands?) Are these locations local, national or international? Are telephone operations specialized in your type of business? How sensitive are your operations to telecommunications (i.e. what is the potential ramifications for technical breakdowns?) When to Use a Telecommunications Consultant

Now the question arises: Just when do you need to hire a telecommunications consultant? Below are a list of scenarios to help you determine your need for a professional consultant.

1. When you need experienced temporary help.

This situation is often a case where you know what needs to be done, and your personnel either have the skills or could learn them, but you can’t spare the people or time from other tasks.

2. You need specialized skills for a specific project of task.

This scenario results when you know what needs to be accomplished, but you don’t have the knowledge or skills available to accomplish the task the way it should be done.

3. You need specialized skills for specific part-time work.

You need and want identified tasks to be performed on a recurring basis, but you don’t want to add full-time specialized staff to your payroll. This is a common frustration with companies thinking about engaging a telecommunications consultant.

4. You simply need a different or “outside” perspective on your telecommunications services or needs.

You sense there may be problems needing resolution, but you can’t seem to pull the pieces together into a workable plan. Or, maybe you believe you know what should be done, but management feels the potential risk or investment warrants additional analysis and recommendations from an outside expert.

It is not a consultant’s role to make your decisions for you.

However, a good consultant can efficiently facilitate inputs, conduct analyses, display and evaluate information in a meaningful way, and reduce related uncertainties so that you can make necessary decisions. Once decisions have been made, it may be cost effective to use a consultant for selected implementation activities.

Emptoris Acquires Rivermine for Leading Telecom Expense Management Solution

Emptoris Acquires Rivermine for Leading Telecom Expense Management Solution
Strategic Acquisition Expands Global 1000 Customer Base, Partner Footprint and Solution Suite. Addresses Critical, Growing Category of Telecom Spend for Global 1000 Companies (PRWeb January 06, 2011) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/0106/prweb4946434.htm
Read more on PRWeb

A. H. Belo Corporation Discusses Future Business, Operating and Financial Strategies at Citi Conference
DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Robert W. Decherd, chairman, president and Chief Executive Officer of newspaper publisher A. H. Belo Corporation (NYSE: AHC), discussed the Company’s future business, operating and financial strategies at Citi’s 21st Annual Global Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Conference earlier today. The presentation focused on A. H. Belo’s improving financial performance …
Read more on Business Wire

Tift County government officials discuss SPLOST
Officials with the Tift County Board of Commissioners and council members of the cities of Tifton, Omega and Ty Ty met again Wednesday night and reviewed a slightly revised list of items proposed for funding if voters pass the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax V referendum to be scheduled for March 15.
Read more on Tifton Gazette

Save by Negotiating Your Telecom Service Contract

You wouldn’t go into a gunfight with a water pistol, would you? Of course you wouldn’t, but many businesses try the equivalent when they try to negotiate the service provider contracts for their telecom services on their own. Unless you’re a telecommunication consultant yourself you can’t be expected to familiarize yourself with ever-changing rate structures and contracting approaches, which means advantage carrier. Of course bringing a telecommunication consulting professional to the negotiating table with you can help to even out the odds. Carrier contract negotiations are one place where you can obtain significant savings, so make your telecom audit a preemptive one by saving up front on services.

Known for their phone bill auditing skills, telecom billing analysts such as Rainbow Information Systems can help you achieve a significant decrease in your telecom spending. With fierce competition for customers, you’re in a position of power to begin with. Leaving your negotiation to someone who is familiar with the structure and tactics of the different carriers you are considering not only levels the playing field, it tilts it in your favor. Of course there are a few things to remember when negotiating with a provider, and one of the most surprising things is that it’s not always solely about price.

Telecommunication ConsultingThink of it this way. Would you be willing to pay a bit more if it meant access to more advanced features that would accentuate and improve the way you do business? In many cases you might, especially if you also receive a better level of service agreement. The bottom line is that saving money won’t do you any good if you don’t have the services you need in place to do business.

Of course determining which services are indispensable is a matter of doing your due diligence, which should be completed before you hit the negotiating table. Know your inventory and your traffic patterns, as well as other pertinent information that will help a carrier price out your network effectively. Depending upon how many carriers you are using, a qualified telecom professional can negotiate a contract that can save you a very significant percentage of the money you’ve previously set aside for telecom services.

Employing telecom professionals to do a comprehensive review of your telecom services is a great way to uncover hidden costs and possibly recoup previous overcharges. And it makes equal if not more sense to employ these professionals at the very beginning with the goal of saving money from the get go. Let a qualified professional handle your service contract negotiation, and let the savings begin.

Billing Inaccuracies Cost Companies Thousands in Telecom Charges

In business, keeping overhead down is a matter of knowing where to look to cut costs. Even the most detailed cost control practices can miss hidden costs, and nowhere is this truer than in the details of a company’s telecom services. More often than not, telecom audits will reveal hidden costs that have resulted in significant overcharges from the past. The good news is that given the right telecommunication consultant that lost money is recoverable. Not only that, but those charges are removable going forward. The telecommunication consulting professionals at Rainbow Information Systems remind you that if you’ve yet to do a phone bill audit, the only thing you’ve got to lose by not doing so is more money.

In terms of most businesses, telecommunications includes a variety of services including local, long distance and cellular services, internet and data services, paging, phone maintenance expenses, and more. With so many bases to cover there are ever more opportunities for billing errors, and the sheer scope entailed in keeping track of minute details can result in missed items and severe overcharges. A qualified telecom billing analyst can actually save a company tens of thousands of dollars in erroneous charges. How? By working to recoup past overages and removing hidden and outdated charges moving forward.

Companies like Rainbow Information Systems perform a comprehensive review of a company’s telecom services. This review consists of practices that include comparing contracts to what you’re actually being billed for, looking for built-in discounts and bonuses you are entitled to but have never received, services that may have been cancelled but are still on your bill, and more. When past overcharges are found, these companies go to bat as your advocate and negotiate with telecom providers to recoup these charges for you. And once those charges are removed, the slate is clean and you’ll enjoy a reduction in your telecom costs in the future.

Telecom consultants can reveal another hidden truth to clients; the fact that often times what they think are good deals and solid pricing are often anything but. Experienced telecom professionals will not only make recommendations to clients about the most cost effective ways to communicate; they can also work with your telecom provider one on one to renegotiate existing contracts and produce additional savings.

Imagine recovering thousand of dollars in telecom service charges you should have never paid out in the first place. And imagine a future in which those same telecom services were rendered at affordable, and more importantly accurate, rates. Perform an audit on your telecom services, and see what charges you’ve quite literally been missing.

Telecom Expense Management – Spotting Telecom Billing Errors

Whether a business has only ten employees making a few long distance calls a day, or is a burgeoning enterprise with hundreds of employees conducting thousands of calls and data transfers every hour, it is important for that business to carefully manage their telecommunication costs.

Telecom Expense Management, or TEM, involves the constant monitoring of telecom expenses that accrue monthly. The goal of TEM is to ensure that invoices match agreed upon contract rates and tariffs, and to optimize the services offered by the telecom provider with the needs of the individual business. Effective TEM is an essential accounting task that must be conducted by companies and firms working in virtually all industries.

Billing errors lead businesses to overpay for the services rendered by the telecom provider. These errors can waste money on services that were neither asked for nor used and will significantly eat into profit margins over time. Billing errors can range from honest mistakes made by the telecom provider, to more insidious and deceptive practices that rely on a business’s preoccupation with other matters to sneak changes into the billing terms.

Here are some errors that have been known to occur.

1. Simple Human or Computer Miscalculations

A common error is one in which either a computer or human miscalculation leads to an incorrect total on a billing invoice. The miscalculation may only affect the amount charged for a single telephone call, or it might be one that substantially alters all the monthly charges. These miscalculations can be fixed by bringing them to the attention of the telecom provider.

2. Duplicate Bills

Large telecom providers are susceptible to the same issues that negatively affect any other bureaucracy. With multiple agents handling the same account, confusion and mistakes are likely to eventually occur. If an account is not properly flagged as being billed, or communication between employees is poor, duplicate bills can accidentally be sent to clients. And unless your company is vigilant in detecting duplicate billing, you might be overpaying. Once again, this error can be fixed by bringing it to the attention of the provider.

3. Incorrect Contracted Rates

The agreed upon terms between the business client and the telecom provider may not always be honored. Due to miscommunication between the client and provider or sloppy account management, the rate assigned to the business may differ from the contracted deal that was negotiated when the telecom services were first acquired. This error – especially if the difference is relatively minor – can continue unbeknownst to the client for months at a time. Keen and meticulous oversight of billing statements is needed to spot this error.

4. Unnecessary Surcharges

Surcharges on services that should be included in the contracted plan are sometimes added to an account without the client’s knowledge. Surcharges related to limits on data transfer, available phone lines or long distance use could be tacked onto the monthly bill. These additional fees unreasonably inflate communication costs, and unfairly penalize the client for using services to which he should already be entitled. Knowing what’s in your contract is important here and keeping on guard for any additional fees.

5. Cramming, Slamming and Modem Hijacking

The most unethical of billing errors is the intentional altering of the agreed upon terms between the client and provider. ‘Cramming’, as it is commonly called, involves additional fees that are unrelated to any actual use or services. The provider will select and choose additional ‘phantom’ services and amend them to the original contract. They may be labeled as a ‘Membership Fee’ or ‘ISP Service Fee’, but are in fact nothing more than boldfaced attempts to slyly bilk more money from clients. Occasionally the terms of the original contract are ambiguous and reserve the provider’s right to increase or otherwise manipulate future rates and options. A client must take charge and directly confront telecom providers that engage in this practice. They should ask their provider why they were charged those specific fees and attempt to have them removed.

“Slamming” is the practice of switching a telephone customer’s long-distance service provider to another carrier without the customer’s permission. In recent years, this practice has lessened because customers now have to go through a series of verifications to change their long distance service.

“Modem hijacking” is a variation on cramming. It occurs when software, usually delivered through a pop-up ad, is downloaded onto a business computer over the Internet. It then uses dialing software to reroute the computer modem to dial long-distance numbers. The fees charged for this can be ridiculously high.

6. Unreimbursed Refunds or Credits

Another error involves a late or absent refund or discount from a telecom provider. This occurs when billing errors have been brought to the attention of the provider, but the expected refund is not given. A special rate or discount reserved for business clients may likewise not be actualized. These delays and errors can be frustrating, increasing the animosity between client and provider.

The wide range of errors that can effect your bottom line, and the subsequent monitoring that preventing them entails, is a time and resource drain that is sometimes best managed by professionals who have the industry experience to know both the needs and demands that business clients have. Though it is possible for some small clients to adequately manage their telecom expenses on their own, for most the task is demanding. Effective TEM should not be relegated to beleaguered employees already busy with other daily obligations. Using experienced experts provides the peace of mind to focus on the more important task of successfully managing your business.

Telecom Expense Management

Telecommunications networks are considered the backbone of any company’s infrastructure. Almost all companies set aside a major part of their budget just to manage telecom expenses. As enterprises have increased their use of telecom services, the monthly invoices—which often come from a host of different voice, data, and wireless carriers throughout the country—are so complex, they make hospital bills look tame by comparison.

According to research surveys, telecom expenses more than often account for more than 20% of a company’s IT budget. This often comes up to a huge amount, and with the economic conditions the way they are telecom expenses have to managed to see that they remain controllable. Telecom is a significant expense. With the complexity of telecom billing worsening as firms add mobile devices, wireless services, and new data circuits, the overhead in handling the monthly paperwork is significant.

The major goal of any company is to manage telecom expenses, while at the same time getting the most out of telecom service providers. Telecom expense management is a major challenge for every company, but even though, no one is willing to put a significant amount of effort or energy to reduce the cost. The heads of companies have too much on their minds to give telecom expense management much thought.

Naturally they turn to telecom consultation companies to manage their telecom expenses for them. But, not every telecom consultation company has a solution that is feasible or specific to their customers. The reports are way too generic or often contain terms and services, invoices that are more than often not comprehended by their customers. Instead of the solution they are given reports and stats to deal with.

Telecom expense management is difficult especially when customers require specific solutions to their problems. Secure Path Networks is a telecom consultation service that specializes in telecom expense management. Experts at Secure Path Networks have often found out that telecom costs are often more higher than what they ought to be.

The experts at Secure Path Networks provide customer specific solutions, so that customers actually see a decline in their telecommunication expenditures. Telecom cost management has never been easier, Secure Path Networks reduces telecommunications expense up to 50% while improving quality and reliability, and they have the track record to prove it.

Visit http://www.securepathnetworks.com for a no cost, risk-free assessment and see how Secure Path Networks can save you money and time by auditing your telecommunications costs.

6 Questions to Ask Your Telecom Consultant

Every company at one time or another utilizes outside consultants to help reduce costs and/or help with managing specific projects. Telecommunications is an area where consultants can not only help your company reduce expenses, but also provide ongoing support as your company grows and your telecom needs change.

Deciding on which consulting firm to bring on board can be tricky. The choices are vast. Most firms are reputable, but the industry is chocked full of “fly by night” firms looking to make a quick buck by conducting inadequate telecom audits and/or hawking telecom services under the guise of being a “telecom consulting” firm. Before you decide on which company to go with, arm yourself with the following questions that will help sort the good from the bad.

#1 How Long Have You Been in Business?

This seems like an obvious and logical first question. Many companies fail to ask it, and if they do, fail to put a high degree of importance to it.

Deregulation of the industry in 1984 saw the beginning of massive changes industry-wide. It is safe to say that the changes within the telecommunications industry over the last 20 years have been greater than those of the previous 100 years. Hundreds of new telecom carriers were spawned during this time – each with their own systems and processes. Selecting a consulting firm that is established enough to have experienced these industry changes first hand will bring you a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise in dealing with carriers.

Choose a consulting firm that has been in business for at least 10 years, preferably 20 years or more. An organization that has been in the telecom consulting game for that long will have an excellent track record of success for their clients.

#2 What Area of Telecom Consulting Is Your Expertise?

When interviewing prospective telecom consulting firms, be sure to ask them what areas they feel are their strong points. A prospective telecom consultant will assume that you have narrowed down your own specific telecom needs and/or problems that you want and need addressed.

Even though you may not be able to identify one specific problem, write down your general telecom concerns. For example: Are you looking to reduce costs through telecom audit? Does your department need to be more efficient with bill paying, moves, adds, or changes? Are you looking to upgrade or replace equipment? Are you looking for telecom training for your staff? Are you considering migrating to a VoIP environment?

These questions deal with different aspects of telecom. Once you have focused on your own specific telecom needs, it becomes much easier to match those concerns with the prospective consultant’s strong areas of expertise. The closer the match, the better.

#3 What Is the Size of Your Consulting Company?

The telecom “meltdown” and widespread layoffs of the mid-to late 1990s spawned many telecom executives to enter the telecom consulting field. Even customer service or carrier sales reps tried their hand at telecom consulting. These “one-man shops” may offer flexibility and individual attention, but be careful when choosing to trust your entire telecom department with them.

These consultants will often farm out work to larger firms, in essence acting as a middleman without your knowledge. On the other hand, big is not necessarily always better. Large firms often will only work with companies doing in excess of 0,000 or more per month in telecom spending. Before contracting with any telecom consultant, be sure that you understand exactly who will be doing the work and identify the contact person responsible for progress reports, updates and to get your questions answered during the course of the project.

#4 Can You Provide Specific Case Studies and Results of Your Current of Past Clients?

A successful and reputable consulting firm will have experience in a wide variety of industries. When asking for references, don’t just get a few names and numbers to call. Ask to see specific projects that have been completed for clients in your industry or one that is similar. If it is telecom auditing services you are seeking, request to see specific results of recent audits that have been completed.

Ideally, this information should include the specific recommendations that were made and the percentage of cost-reduction attained after the audit was complete. Look for a firm that has consistent success in a variety of industries.

#5 What Are Your Fees and How Are They Structured?

Today’s telecom consulting industry contains a variety of fee structures and fee arrangements. Ultimately the valuation of services and the procedures by which fees are structured are matters of personal preference and should be based on total agreement between the consultant and client. Generally, fees will fall into one of three categories – hourly or per diem, project or fee based, and contingency.

Time-based projects can be billed hourly or per diem and may include the consultants expenses. Fee based projects are for those that are clearly defined but may require the most work by both client and consultant. Contingency arrangements may be the most popular, especially for telecom auditing.

Contingency arrangements are based on results attained for the client-usually a percentage of cost-savings rendered for a 12-24 month period. Be wary of firms that require large upfront retainers or advance payments. A reputable consulting firm will suggest the fee arrangement that suits not only the project but also your needs and budget as well. Very low quotes may suggest “boiler plate” solutions that could cost your company more in the long run. No company can survive without being paid reasonable compensation for services renderered. As in most business situations, you “get what you pay for”.

#6 Are You Compensated by Vendors or Carriers?

If you are quoted a very inexpensive fee arrangement for telecom consulting services, you may be dealing with a company whose eventual recommendations will be for products and services for which they receive commissions.

Telecom consulting services should be unbiased and be based on recommendations that are in the best interest of the client. Very small firms (1-3 person operations) are notorious for leading you in the front door with very low cost auditing services, then going for the “backend” by recommending their own carriers and/or vendors. Always be sure they firm you deal with has no affiliations (financial ones) with telecommunications providers and vendors.

There is no doubt that engaging a telecom consulting firm will help your company cut expenses and increase efficiency. Asking the right questions will help you save time and money in your search for the telecom consulting firm that will best suit your needs.

How to Find (And Create) One Time Telecom Refunds and Credits

Every telecommunications audit should include a search for one-time credits and refunds. Telecom providers do make mistakes, and it is the job of the auditor to uncover and claim refunds, or credits, that are rightfully due.

Although sometimes touted as the “holy grail” of audit savings, in reality, credits and refunds are not as plentiful as many auditing firms would like you to believe. A thorough telecom audit, however, can uncover them so the time and effort spent searching for and/or creating them can pay off.

The following are the most common areas that one-time credits and refunds will be found, or can be created, during the course of an audit.

Overcharges (Billing Errors)

Overcharges occur when a telecom carrier erroneously charges a customer more for a service, or feature, than prescribed by a contract or a previous bill.

These types of billing errors will often take the form of “crams” and/or “slams”, and will appear on bills month after month until the charges are removed.

Customers incurring overcharges are entitled to the appropriate credits or refunds. Always be sure that any taxes paid on the charges are reimbursed as well. If the overcharge is large enough, a carrier may consider adding interest along with the refund or credit due.

TIP: It is a good idea to check the subsequent month’s bill to be sure charges were in fact removed as requested.

Equipment Installation Credits

Carriers will often credit customers after installation of equipment. For example, a purchase of frame relay service, or DSL, will necessitate the expense of purchasing routers. After installation, the carrier may agree to credit the customer’s account to cover the cost of these necessary items.

When signing on with new telecom services, always be aware of the additional equipment that will be required, then inquire into the possibility of credits for those purchases. Your audit should include verifying that the proper credit was applied for equipment installation.

Tax Credits

Tax credits can be uncovered in the case of an organization that is tax exempt. For example, government agencies, non-profit groups, schools, etc. may qualify for exemptions on certain services because of their usage characteristics. If you find that you have paid taxes on bills that should be exempt from them, you will need file a tax exemption claim with the carrier for the tax in question.

FACT: When fixed services are taxed incorrectly, associated usage charges are many times taxed incorrectly as well.

Carriers are constantly coming up with new promotions to entice customers to sign on with them. Bonuses are often used to entice customers to sign lengthy contracts.

For example, a 24 month long distance contract may include a bonus credit during the 13th month of the contract. Be aware of these types of bonus credits when signing contracts and check to make sure they are credited when due.

One client of TelCon Associates received a ,000 one time credit on a long distance contract. If not offered at the outset, always ask vendors for the possibility of such a credit during the contract term.

TIP: Contract negotiations are the optimum time to ask for promotions and bonuses. When given, be sure to make note of the date(s) these bonuses come due and check bills to verify that they are correctly applied.

Courtesy Credits

When carriers or customer service representatives are in error, they will often credit bills as a “courtesy” to instill good will with the customer. These credits are usually small and appear on the following month’s bill at the time of the good faith gesture. As with promotions and bonuses, make note of when these courtesy gestures occur and check bills to determine if they were properly applied.

TIP: If a problem arises with your carrier, ask for courtesy credits to rectify the situation. More and more customer service reps have the authority to apply these types of credits to customer bills, so it never hurts to ask.

Although one-time credits and refunds are not always found during a telecom audit, the time spent finding them is worth the effort. When not readily found, always try to “create” them through shrewd negotiations with your telecommunications carriers and vendors.

Telecom Expense Management — Spotting Telecom Billing Errors

Whether a business has only ten employees making a few long distance calls a day, or is a burgeoning enterprise with hundreds of employees conducting thousands of calls and data transfers every hour, it is important for that business to carefully manage their telecommunication costs.

Telecom Expense Management, or TEM, involves the constant monitoring of telecom expenses that accrue monthly. The goal of TEM is to ensure that invoices match agreed upon contract rates and tariffs, and to optimize the services offered by the telecom provider with the needs of the individual business. Effective TEM is an essential accounting task that must be conducted by companies and firms working in virtually all industries.

Billing errors lead businesses to overpay for the services rendered by the telecom provider. These errors can waste money on services that were neither asked for nor used and will significantly eat into profit margins over time. Billing errors can range from honest mistakes made by the telecom provider, to more insidious and deceptive practices that rely on a business’s preoccupation with other matters to sneak changes into the billing terms.

Here are some errors that have been known to occur.

1. Simple Human or Computer Miscalculations

A common error is one in which either a computer or human miscalculation leads to an incorrect total on a billing invoice. The miscalculation may only affect the amount charged for a single telephone call, or it might be one that substantially alters all the monthly charges. These miscalculations can be fixed by bringing them to the attention of the telecom provider.

2. Duplicate Bills

Large telecom providers are susceptible to the same issues that negatively affect any other bureaucracy. With multiple agents handling the same account, confusion and mistakes are likely to eventually occur. If an account is not properly flagged as being billed, or communication between employees is poor, duplicate bills can accidentally be sent to clients. And unless your company is vigilant in detecting duplicate billing, you might be overpaying. Once again, this error can be fixed by bringing it to the attention of the provider.

3. Incorrect Contracted Rates

The agreed upon terms between the business client and the telecom provider may not always be honored. Due to miscommunication between the client and provider or sloppy account management, the rate assigned to the business may differ from the contracted deal that was negotiated when the telecom services were first acquired. This error – especially if the difference is relatively minor – can continue unbeknownst to the client for months at a time. Keen and meticulous oversight of billing statements is needed to spot this error.

4. Unnecessary Surcharges

Surcharges on services that should be included in the contracted plan are sometimes added to an account without the client’s knowledge. Surcharges related to limits on data transfer, available phone lines or long distance use could be tacked onto the monthly bill. These additional fees unreasonably inflate communication costs, and unfairly penalize the client for using services to which he should already be entitled. Knowing what’s in your contract is important here and keeping on guard for any additional fees.

5. Cramming, Slamming and Modem Hijacking

The most unethical of billing errors is the intentional altering of the agreed upon terms between the client and provider. ‘Cramming’, as it is commonly called, involves additional fees that are unrelated to any actual use or services. The provider will select and choose additional ‘phantom’ services and amend them to the original contract. They may be labeled as a ‘Membership Fee’ or ‘ISP Service Fee’, but are in fact nothing more than boldfaced attempts to slyly bilk more money from clients. Occasionally the terms of the original contract are ambiguous and reserve the provider’s right to increase or otherwise manipulate future rates and options. A client must take charge and directly confront telecom providers that engage in this practice. They should ask their provider why they were charged those specific fees and attempt to have them removed.

”Slamming” is the practice of switching a telephone customer’s long-distance service provider to another carrier without the customer’s permission. In recent years, this practice has lessened because customers now have to go through a series of verifications to change their long distance service.

”Modem hijacking” is a variation on cramming. It occurs when software, usually delivered through a pop-up ad, is downloaded onto a business computer over the Internet. It then uses dialing software to reroute the computer modem to dial long-distance numbers. The fees charged for this can be ridiculously high.

6. Unreimbursed Refunds or Credits

Another error involves a late or absent refund or discount from a telecom provider. This occurs when billing errors have been brought to the attention of the provider, but the expected refund is not given. A special rate or discount reserved for business clients may likewise not be actualized. These delays and errors can be frustrating, increasing the animosity between client and provider.

The wide range of errors that can effect your bottom line, and the subsequent monitoring that preventing them entails, is a time and resource drain that is sometimes best managed by professionals who have the industry experience to know both the needs and demands that business clients have. Though it is possible for some small clients to adequately manage their telecom expenses on their own, for most the task is demanding. Effective TEM should not be relegated to beleaguered employees already busy with other daily obligations. Using experienced experts provides the peace of mind to focus on the more important task of successfully managing your business.

Three Ways Telecom Expense Management Saves You Money

Telecom expense management is one of the fastest growing areas in the telecommunications industry for one simple, obvious reason: Companies want to keep their cellular and landline costs down. Ten years ago saving money on these items was a relatively straightforward research and accounting task, but in the age of the smartphone, cell phone plans alone are complicated enough to demand attention from an expert. As multiple-service platforms subject to sophisticated (and according to some, deceptive) pricing schemes, modern phones often inflict the second highest expenses on businesses – just after payroll.

Telecom expense management experts put communications costs under a microscope, examining them for savings opportunities. A full service telecom expense management firm can not only generate savings requests for proposals (RFPs) but implement them through its own team of certified experts. According to telecom expense management firm GILL Technologies many cost audits discover savings based on the following three factors. These aren’t the only ways telecom expense management services save clients money, but they’re prominent enough to draw attention to in this article.

Cell Phone Billing Errors: Many people are surprised to learn that wireless carriers routinely overcharge out of sheer error – some estimates put the error rate as high as 30%, with most mistakes leading to added costs. Many billing errors are subtle and difficult for a non-expert to spot, such as erroneous dates for service migration and cancellation. Others are more blatant, but can fly under the radar in an enterprise-scale organization, such as when carriers charge for extra handsets.

Cell Phone Usage Analysis: Although gigantic cell phone bills display usage (along with other line items that are incomprehensible for the non-expert) they don’t provide any easy way to analyze your company’s usage across the entire fleet. Telecom expense management professionals don’t just find the cheapest plans based on basic costs, but on how members of your organization actually use their phones, down to the minute, message and bit of data. In a more dynamic environment where use fluctuates, RFPs will often feature pooled minutes and other shared resources to compensate for these changes. Otherwise, it becomes possible to select billing that fits your usage needs as closely as possible instead of one size fits all packages that effectively overcharge you for data, messaging and minutes you won’t actually use.

Carrier Analysis: Telecom expense management experts study the carriers as intensely as they do your business. That means they’re fully conversant in the major carriers’ latest pricing schemes and administrative procedures. This allows an analyst to renegotiate your contract from an educated standpoint, migrating services to a new carrier if need be without changing or interrupting any aspect of your existing service. You keep the same phone number and handset and at minimum, the services you’ve always used, but you pay less. Consultants can manage billing and services across multiple carriers in a way that would be impossible (or at least impractical) for an in-house accountant.

Once you add these tactics together you may be looking at a significant cost reduction. For example, some GILL Technologies clients have saved over 50% on their billing compared to their previous plans. These real savings (telecom expense management consultants typically draw profits from a percentage of the savings, so costs never increase for their clients) demonstrate why telecom expense management has become such a popular business to business service in both prosperous and uncertain economic climates.

What is the Value of Telecom Expense Management & Managed Sourcing Today?

Reston, Virginia – Enterprise businesses are more than ever seeking outside expert help to ensure they are properly managing their telecom and IT networks. The rationale for seeking outside help is as simple as the solution is complicated. Effective leaders know that they and their teams cannot be all things to all people. To strive for such a goal is an exercise in futility and a sure fire way to reap poor results and incur excessive costs. It’s well understood that you must leverage your greatest strengths and minimize your liabilities to the greatest extent possible, in order to vigorously compete in the global marketplace, have expectations for success and still have peace of mind enough to pursue a social life.

Fortunately for most communications network operations executives, they get it right. The solution: keep the competent and the willing on their existing internal telecom / IT network team and partner them with outside Telecom Expense Management (TEM) expertise capable of delivering a high-performing and operationally sound network at competitive market pricing. This pragmatic approach allows companies to retain the proper internal talent and control needed to effectively work with and manage the relationship with their chosen outside TEM provider, while still extracting the priceless niche expertise provided by the TEM provider.

The stakes are high today and the choice of forgoing outside TEM help is often tantamount to driving your car fast through the fog or driving it for years on end without professional servicing. You may get away with it for a while, but it will catch up with you eventually. And when it does, you will wish you had made the proactive TEM choice as opposed to the reactive one of embracing complacency until an emergency dictates otherwise. The former choice is the responsible one and always the cheaper one in the long run.

Because of these realities, the TEM industry has exploded in the past few years. Gartner reports that there are now over 100+ TEM firms offering their assistance to companies all along the enterprise spectrum, from companies with revenues of a few million to Fortune 50 giants. And the future looks bright for TEM providers, as the TEM arena is estimated to grow at an annual compounded rate greater than 30% through 2010, at which point it’s estimated to total .5 billion.

What exactly is Telecom Expense Management (TEM)?

Although definitions may vary between firms depending upon their focus and point of view, Telecom Expense Management (TEM) is generally defined as the discipline of effectively managing a communications network to achieve desired levels of service delivery / quality of service (QOS), while keeping costs contained to levels at or – even better – below current market levels.

“For us, it’s fairly straightforward,” says Source Loop’s Managing Director & Founding Principal Chris Lee, “We help companies realize maximum telecom cost savings and increase their Return on Investment (ROI), while ensuring improved operational and network performance. “ That’s certainly the result outsourcers are looking for, but how do you achieve these results, is a question many potential TEM clients will be interested in.

According to Chris, “Source Loop drives telecom costs and network performance to optimal levels through our holistic Telecom Life Cycle Approach. Source Loop is a full service TEM, so our offerings include Auditing, Cost Avoidance / Telecom Cost Elimination (TCE), Rate Benchmarking, Network Optimization, Network Assessments and our TEM practice embraces an Industry Best Practices standard that we apply to all our TEM processes. Specifically, processes involving Invoice Management, Payments, Reporting, Budgeting, Cost Allocations, Order & Inventory, Vendor Management, Technology Alternatives, Contract Negotiations etcetera. Our clients essentially become our partners; we focus on their TEM needs so they can focus on their core business. Our TEM approach is proactive, integrated and committed to providing innovative best-in-class network solutions to our clients. Our TEM clients have averaged over M in realized savings.”

What exactly is Managed Sourcing?

If a solid TEM practice is essential to a healthy network, especially on a recurring basis, then Managed Sourcing acts as the spearhead at the vanguard of effective Telecom Expense Management. Managed Sourcing may generally be defined as the systematic procurement of telecom services at competitive rates. According to Source Loop Managing Director & Principal Daren Moore, “A good sourcing practice is arguably the best way to save on Telecom Network costs, since savings are realized up front, before ever leaving the company coffers. Our clients have averaged in excess of 38% realized savings to date.”

From Source Loop’s perspective, Managed Sourcing is critical to controlling and managing your telecom spend, since this is often where the greatest opportunity for network savings is realized. It is perhaps one of the greatest services a competent TEM can provide. Source Loop’s Managed Sourcing practice utilizes its sourcing experience and current market data to evaluate rates for data, LD, voice, local and wireless services; develop and manage the Request For Proposal (RFP) process; and ensure that best of breed terms and conditions are secured from selected vendors. Enterprises would find it difficult, if not impossible, to gauge the current telecommunications market without some form of outside assistance. “When selecting a TEM provider, I would highly recommend that you evaluate the firm’s Sourcing capabilities, as this truly is a powerful driver of network cost savings,” says Daren.

Source Loop’s managed sourcing solution includes: the development of a complete inventory of services; a comprehensive network assessment; full rate and term benchmark comparisons of existing services to best available for comparable spend; RFP development; leads negotiations with vendors; and provides full read-outs and recommendations to clients.

* Source Loop is a privately held (LLC) Telecom Expense Management & IT consulting firm based in Reston VA, with an office in Alpharetta, GA., offering both professional and managed services designed to enable companies to effectively manage their Telecom / IT networks and service providers. Source Loop provides Sourcing, Network and Operational Assessments, Audits and Optimization services. In addition, Source Loop also provides a recurring managed service for all telecom expenses. Source Loop may be reached by phone at 1-866-834-0476 or via website at http://www.sourceloop.com.

Telecom Bill Auditing – The Most effective Way to Come across Telecom Auditing Guide

Locations of specialization in telecommunication expense management comprise the following:

?Conventional cellular phone solutions
You also have to take into consideration the size of your telecom needs. Take into consideration regardless of whether you are required internationally for the reason that you may well have to phone in international authorities.

What if your web page goes lower? These are inquiries that you will need to ask your self in advance of you modify anything or make a decision to perform with a particular telecom corporation.

You should phone in a person that will comprehend your necessities.

?Voice messaging
A different item to think about is the relevance of your telecommunications to users around the world. This way, you will know the quantity of spots that demand to be worked on and the team that will carry out the employment.
?Text messaging
There are a variety of areas in telecommunications that require to be audited and all of them will will need a qualified auditor specialized in that location. Identify your organizational wants and the type of communications that fit into it.
?World wide web

?Social media
Even so, if you are operating in a town exactly where you may perhaps not have fine choices you’ll be forced to seek the services of them from other locations. Apart from affordability, they provide you with advice on how to make the most out of your encounter in auditing. Select a TEM vendor that has positive reviews in the business. Hiring the services of folks from far off areas will desire much more revenue for accommodation, traveling and food. Take into account the area of the auditing firm to spend less on travel payments. Hiring the products and services of telecom auditors commonly saves a good deal of income. A awesome url that will handling Manage Telecom Expenses.

Telecom Fees Management (TEM) is pretty difficult. On the contrary, an auditor who deals with cellphone techniques may perhaps know definitely next to nothing concerning DSL procedure in TEM. Having said that, most individuals do not know just where they can discover telecom authorities that specialize in what they want.

Be sure to checkout Telecommunications Expense Management.

What is Telecom Expense Management?

One of the most pressing concerns for most medium to large sized businesses is keeping telecommunications costs under control. This is especially difficult when a company uses a variety of services and hardware, including long distance, mobile and broadband Internet. Smart businesses develop formal procedures for cost reduction and tracking – something professionals call telecom expense management.

It’s easy to define telecom expense management by its goals – cost reduction and expense tracking – but when you get into the actual methods of telecom expense management you’ll discover that best practices involve a number of combined tactics to the point where many companies employ professional telecom expense management services. GILL Technologies is one such company, and it employs the following methods to keep client telecom costs down, while helping them identify critical elements in their billing and usage.

Error Detection: Erroneous charges are common for virtually every carrier and service. These include everything from miscalculated per minute charges for wireless bills to suspected fraud. Telecom expense management professionals audit billing, usage and contractual entitlements. When they don’t match up, the telecom auditor requests an adjustment to reflect the true expense.

Contract Auditing and Management: By examining the client’s real usage requirements, a telecom expense management professional can determine whether or not existing contracts provide the most cost effective solution. For example, companies routinely pay for more minutes than they actually use, or make use of certain services more than they anticipated. For example, if a client routinely goes above the usage ceiling for his company’s broadband or mobile data, the company will be subject to punishing additional charges. Telecom expense management discovers the best plans for a company’s actual needs.

Market Analysis: A skilled telecom expense management service provides an unbiased service that directs clients to the carriers that best suit their needs. Telecom expense management professionals are aware of the latest hardware, network and contract developments for carriers and can pick the most budget conscious options. In some cases the professional will recommend different carriers depending on the service, and can provide management services that allow clients to easily distribute services across multiple carriers so that if (for example) the best carrier for mobile is different from the best for broadband, the client can take advantage of both. The best management services ensure that on the client end, this is no more difficult than using a single carrier by providing a unified single point of contact.

Telecom Expense Management and Reporting Software: Best practices in telecom expense management require transparency so that the client understands company usage and savings under the management regime. The easiest solution for the client is access to specialized software. GILL Technologies provides access to its own telecom expense management software to enable clients to monitor their own usage and costs in addition to the services of a telecom auditing professional. This visibility allows management to detect misuse, understand usage patterns throughout the company, and enforce telephone, mobile and internet policies.

These are just a few of the tactics used in a combined telecom expense management strategy. It’s easy to see why top quality telecom expense management requires professional help. The cost of the service is more than offset by savings, and a quality telecom expense management company can show these savings down to the penny. It’s a net negative expense – a benefit to your bottom line.

Telecom Cost Management (TEM) – three Measures to Auditing Your Charges

1. Comply with these 3 steps to do a basic telecom audit and you will be nicely along the way to cutting down your telecom charges and engaging an auditor for a extra thorough critique with assurance.

two. When was your deal negotiated last? This is vital for the reason that the older your commitment, them additional probabilities for error and prospect for price reductions. If you have increased month-to-month recurring cost, you will emphasis on the charge every support for each place. The audit could possibly nonetheless locate problems with the companies you reviewed, but the findings ought to be smaller and will be in locations that demand distinct expertise.

The telecom auditor typically requires a percentage of the findings as their charge. Call a telecom consultant (1 who does not function on contingency) for a easy benchmark for charges. Establish where most of your wasting is on your costs. Auditors will at times comprise these benefits in their findings, so you will be superior off determining irrespective of whether your interest rates are cut-throat now. Manage Telecom ExpensesOn the every month recurring side, do an analysis on a for each circuit basis – does the average make feeling? Be sure to include things like only like products and services, T1s must not be mixed with DSL or T3s. But what if the auditor does obtain a specific thing, some thing massive? Will you be in a position to go to your CFO for a massive commission payment to the auditor for discovering a billing error on your view? That may perhaps be an unpleasant circumstance. several. Yet again, obtaining a benchmark from an sector consultant is effortless and can aid you easily figure out if you are in the ball park.

Make sure you are acquiring your correct lower price and call your account manager to confirm the base pace (usually referred to as the “tariff rate” even however most prices have been de-tariffed).

So, consolidating your toll visitors onto committed providers are really lucrative pursuits.

Manage Telecom Expenses

This will give you a excellent notion wherever the industry is and irrespective of whether a cost savings option exists.

Utilizing a telecom expense management (TEM) product can hold your telecommunications shelling out in verify above the extended-phrase, lowering the demand for audits and delivering a comfort and ease degree that your telecommunications charges are precise.

At times a long term contract will just point out a low cost amount. To make certain that next to nothing as well large will be determined for the duration of an audit, you might want to conduct an internal telecom audit of your own.

You can do a swift efficient toll cost level every moment analysis employing the summary reports on your payment. The frequent way this happens is for a firm to employ a telecommunications payment auditing consultancy have them seem to be at the monthly dues and contracts, compare the charges and see if you are becoming billed properly. Reduce Telecom Expense

The audit is a rather straight forward worth proposition – it fees you practically nothing unless the telecommunications auditor finds one thing.

If you have substantial long-distance usage charges, aim on your price each moment. Do you have plenty of switched visitors that could possibly be consolidated onto a committed facility? (BTW, this is a great deal easier with cut-throat carriers!) Do you have toll no cost products that can also be moved? Dedicated charges are generally much less than half the comparable switched charge. One particular of the primary measures in any telecom expense management system is to audit your charges. Pull out the long term contract and make sure the state long term contract fee is close to your useful charge. If your deal is much more than a few years old, renegotiating or hunting for choice companies may perhaps yield considerable cost savings. Search at your toll and nearby targeted visitors mix.

Why Your Business Needs A Telecom Audit

There is a very clear reason that so many new technologies appear every year – new technologies help keep businesses competitive and successful. As computers grow ever more capable and inexpensive, businesses continue to take advantage of them. This causes the tech industry to continually come up with new models, in an incredibly profitable feedback loop.

The same phenomenon has begun in the world of business communication. In addition to the classic hard line telephone and radio systems, there are now digital phone options, voice mail, videoconferences, email, and many more options. If a business needs to communicate, the world of telecom offers a solution to their specific need.

I Can Do What With My Telephone?!

Of course, every new technology brings new problems and challenges. Much as computers introduced a whole range of compatibility issues and headaches for early adopters, modern telecom technologies have raised a range of new issues.

Relatively few members of any organization actually understand the specific workings of any one telecom system in their office, let alone how the entire system operates. A lack of understanding about any one portion can directly impact the company’s bottom line.

That’s Not How We Do It

This issue affects larger businesses in particular. A small, local baker really only needs a simple phone line and voice mail system, for example. An interstate or international corporation, on the other hand, needs an entire phone system for each of its offices, and perhaps a larger network tying them all together. This kind of effort requires not only a major investment, but it rarely develops all at once.

Businesses acquire other companies, adopting their offices and existing equipment, and occasionally the communications contracts they’ve already signed. This creates an inherent difficulty in oversight and control over the communications network, and can be a source of costs that a business shouldn’t have to pay.

For those companies that don’t want to keep ignoring – and paying for – the problems, there is an alternative; the professional telecommunications audit, (similar to the concept of a tax audit but without the pain and fear). Simply put, a telecom audit is a professional, thorough review of an entire telecommunications network, encompassing billing and contracts as well as data integrity and security, efficiency, and policy.

Specifically, a telecom audit can cover three general areas. First is the review of records and information. This portion of the audit covers areas like data integrity (ascertaining if the information is being stored and archived properly, for easy and long term access) and data security (is the information accessible to people it shouldn’t be?), and can include recommended policy revisions for better performance.

Next is a review of the technologies themselves, and whether adopting an alternative system might improve matters. Finally there is the review of the financial side, ranging from the obvious (comparing different phone contracts for pricing and options) to the esoteric (tariffs and call volume versus network capability). Not every audit will include every portion. As mentioned in the bakery example, not every business has the same telecom needs.

The Devil That You Know vs. the Devil That You Don’t

The defining reason to get a telecom audit is one of information. Auditors don’t come in and solve a business’ communications problems; they simply review the procedures and options currently in place and make recommendations on how to improve the state of things compared to how it exists. Frequently, some of their findings aren’t related to external matters. A department could be losing customers because employees are not filing customer contact information properly, leading to longer wait times and missed calls or appointments, and an audit could catch this.

The advantage lies in having an independent, external audit when possible. This doesn’t imply wrongdoing on the part of internal users, or anyone attempting deception. Simple familiarity with a system could prevent a user from seeing that they aren’t using it to the best of its capability, and an outside pair of eyes can provide an impartial, expanded view.

Communication is the lifeblood of the modern economy. It doesn’t matter how critical a piece of information is, nothing is gained if it is not communicated to the proper audience. As businesses grow more and more dependent on advanced telecommunications systems, new problems will emerge. Every system develops difficulties as it grows more complex, a fact of nature that cannot be avoided. A professional, independent telecom audit is a useful tool that can identify these problems, and allow a successful business to take steps to maximize their communications potential and their bottom line.

Telecom Expense Management Software-A Great Audit Tool

Business telecom expense management software has arrived.

As a professional telecommunications audit professional, I’ve been bucking the Telecommunications Expense Management (TEM) software trend for many years now.  But lately,  I’ve come around as I’ve seen the magic and technological wizardry and ultimate cost savings first hand that TEM truly offers. I am sold on TEM and I’m ready to tell the world that TEM has finally arrived and is truly ready for prime time.  As I’ve reviewed and sat in on various TEM presentations and as a CEO of a company myself, and have now actually used many of the TEM software applications, I must say I’m now convinced that TEM software helps me better manage company costs and reduce expense.  If it is good enough for me, it’s good enough for my telecom audit clients.  Perhaps we should even change the name from telecom expense management software to telecom audit software.

TEM software offers value and allows for automated telecom audit and telecom service reviews which ultimately results in significant cost savings for many kinds of businesses.  TEM software can help businesses not only save money on their telecommunications services but also allow for far better control over invoices.  Control is so very important because telecom billing across the large business enterprise is so complicated and many enterprises have lost the ability to consistently have control over telecommunications expense.  Cost savings and control was something that traditionally only human auditors could accomplish, however, automated TEM software tools compliment the skills of the human auditor.

Does this mean that the manual telecommunications audit is dead and that telecom auditors are a dying breed?  No, however, the further that I delve into what TEM has to offer and see the benefits, the more that it is evident that both the manual audit and automated TEM tools can co-exist and actually benefit and compliment one another.  In fact, traditional auditors can still add value to the TEM marketplace and like myself, they can successfully offer TEM software applications to their clients because it finds errors that a human auditor can easily miss.

Here is a breakdown of what TEM software now offers businesses and how it can help with the telecommunications audit process:

Ability to reap huge telecom cost savings and establish control over telecom services and billing
Effectively Identify, track and file billing disputes
Robust reporting package
Centralization, simplification of the telecommunications billing network
Online access to the program from anywhere
Software backup of TEM program
Allocate costs to all or some users and cost centers
Successfully audit a wide range of telecom services effectively
Compliment a manual telecom audit
All billing media can be loaded into the program
Best pricing advantage across the enterprise
Increased speed of processing telecommunications invoices, approval and audit
Increased Budgeting effectiveness
Better ordering processes for new services
Telecom Billing interpretation and review in foreign languages
Inventory telecom

Finally, the reporting function of TEM is absolutely phenomenal.  For example, if you need budget numbers and breakdown by cost centers (we always do) I now have immediate information and not just a summary of the total telecom spend across the enterprise.  I can now break spend down by company telecom services, geographical location or cost center in a matter of minutes instead of days.  I can break down telecom spend data in so many ways now and so can you.   Invoice error and exception reports are available with a keystroke each month.  Once you locate the errors, you can send off a email note to the carrier with your refund request, all in the same process.

In summary, things usually change for the better and so has traditional telecom auditing and TEM.  It is time to examine TEM for your enterprise and use this great tool to compliment the skills we as telecom auditors have honed so well over the years.

An Overview of Telecom Expense Management (TEM)

What is TEM?

Telecom Expense Management (TEM) is a term used to define an approach to managing all telecommunication service expenses such as voice, data and wireless with a combination of software tools and manual auditing. In managing all these services and related processes, its goal is to minimize costs and maximize process efficiency.

For a small company, it can be as simple as checking over your phone bill every month to make sure you aren’t billed for services you don’t want. For larger companies, it is a more formal program to optimize spending on telecom services. Most of the attention goes to bill auditing and getting refunds for billing errors, but an effective TEM program can do more than that.

A Little History

The cost of voice and data communications is dropping. One casualty of this price plummet is that you no longer have experienced account teams who know your account and are your single point of contact. The new breed of account representatives there to serve you is inexperienced with your telecom needs and is more sales-oriented than needs-oriented.

For many businesses the overall telecommunications expense is growing. Workers are more mobile and the amount of communications between companies and their employees, including the huge volume of information they exchange, has been growing as well. Email, Internet, PDAs, ecommerce and our increasing tele-commuting workforce all lead to an increased demand for instant and continuous exchange of information using many kinds of telecom devices. The increased complexity of devices and services and the lack of transparency in carrier charging models have led to confusion and a need for a way to manage and control telecom costs.

In today’s business landscape, many companies are downsizing support staff, carriers are providing less support, and communication in general is becoming larger and more complex. Out of all this confusion, Telecommunications Expense Management was born. TEM provides a structured and professional way to manage the telecom spending of a company, no matter how large or small. This management can be in the form of software used by a manager or an outside telecom expert.

What Are the Problems?

There are quite a few. These include but are not limited to:

1) Using multiple carriers for different services that use different invoice formats. This makes it difficult to match and allocate costs effectively;

2) Not having a complete inventory of the company’s assets including wireless devices, headsets, hardware, computer networks, etc.;

3) Difficulty in being able to apportion telecommunications costs to divisions, teams or departments with any accuracy;

4) Not having the company resources to manually audit each invoice. Between 7-12% of bills are in error. For large companies, this is a substantial amount of money they could be losing every month; and

5) Not understanding costs. You can’t control the cost of something when you don’t understand how it’s billed or what you’re getting for your money.

What are the Benefits?

Managing telecom services is complex and requires constant attention. A qualified telecom expert can not only perform systematic audits but can also alert the company to new cost-saving options. Software programs can allow companies to eliminate waste and optimize resources.

Both software and outside experts can help you to: reduce time through systematized processes; reduce costs through error identification; reduce risks through better reporting options; and increase control and thereby accountability.

Software will help the Telecom Manager’s knowledge and understanding of the products, services and costs for his company’s telecom spending. An outside expert can handle disputes with carriers and get price quotes for new services. They can also restructure your agreements and contracts with current providers and find less expensive providers.

A solid TEM platform will provide a centralized solution for inventory control and procurement, contract compliance, budget and spending tracking, and invoice processing. Proactive systems can alert you to policy breaches and contract compliances.

Large companies are the prime candidates for Telecom Expense Management. However, small and mid-size companies that need to organize and monitor their telecom spending would benefit as well.

For most small to mid-size companies telecom spending is the responsibility of an IT person, an office manager, an accountant or a combination of all three. For these types of organizations, the benefit of a TEM solution is based on labor saving efficiencies through automation. This benefits both telecom and financial sides of the company by providing a way for them both to monitor, control and report on company telecom.

Considering the importance of telecommunications in the operation of your daily business, Telecom Expense Management is a critical business strategy. Your company needs to not only track its spending, but also to maximize its telecom resources. TEM lets you make informed decisions rather than educated guesses.

Negotiation – Basic Techniques for Telecom Expense Management

Everyone has to negotiate at one stage or another. These negotiations could be in the form of promotions, sales calls, hiring, and more. For companies, negotiations are in the form of contracts, business deals and cost management. The rule of thumb for most negotiations remains the same although the situation, process, and result may be different.

Negotiation: Basic Techniques

1. This is the most important aspect of any negotiation – never be unprepared. Understand the subject, your benefits and losses, and how the outcome will affect the organization.

2. To maintain an advantage, try to understand what the other party may tend to ask for or believe in. Get as much information as possible on their stance on the subject, what they are looking for and also what they are expecting from you in the offer. Understand the rationale behind their negotiation to get a better insight into their negotiation tactics.

3. Know the least you may need to settle for without incurring losses. You can also treat this as a yardstick to build up your negotiation tactics.

4. Show an openness, flexibility and willingness to talk about the negotiation.

5. Calmness and patience should be your armor. If you sense that you are losing control of yourself or the situation, take a break. Decisions made in anger are almost always wrong.

6. Be as clear as possible with your terms and conditions.

7. If you have the slightest instinct that someone is bluffing, insist on their providing the proof to support their claims.

8. Stressing the common goals is a good way of keeping the negotiations workable.

9. Listen attentively to understand better.

10. Concentrate on one particular issue at a time.

11. Do not consider negotiations as a win or lose proposition or that to win you have to take advantage of the other party. Remember negotiations are the basis of a long and, hopefully, fruitful relationship. Carrying over the animosity by cheating or taking advantage of each other will lead to failure in the long run.

12. If the offer seems even remotely acceptable to you, finalize the deal immediately. Do not give the other party a chance to ponder over things.

Contract Negotiations

Contract negotiation is an intrinsic part of any business arrangement. This is especially true with telecom, since telecom and telecom expense management is vital to business operations and is usually among the top five company expenditures. The bottom line of any successful business venture depends on good communications systems controlled by expert telecom expense management.

Unfortunately, small and medium size businesses frequently do not consider contract negotiation a part of telecommunications management. Often, various people such as the office manager or a systems engineer or the IT or HR department handle the communications. While they may be skilled professionals in their fields, their knowledge and experience in terms of telecom contract negotiation is quite limited. Too often, the need to acquire or operate through a telecom management network is never considered.

By adopting and implementing telecom contract negotiation and control techniques, an average company can save 10 to 30 percent of their annual telecom expense. A professional in telecom expense management carries certain requisites to the negotiating table that a non-telecom professional may not have. People experienced in telecom contract negotiation know that the rate is not the only variable and that, in fact, many more costs can lie hidden in the terms and conditions of the contract. A telecom consultant or auditor that deals regularly in contracts would know the telecom rate traps.

The best way to know your telecom network requirements is to perform a thorough circuit and services inventory of local and distant data and wireless devices that you have and whether they are being fully utilized. Break down your telecom expenses to the minutest detail and understand your trends and needs. Modifying, changing or stopping services should be an ongoing process.

Also consider the refunds and benefits (and loss) from reducing services. A telecom audit will help uncover refunds due to invoice errors, lower certain ongoing expenses, and reveal techniques to improve or optimize existing telecom networks. Getting this done with experienced telecom auditors will reap many great benefits.

The next task is to eliminate unused phone lines. On average, a company with a 100 employee workforce has plenty of phone lines and some of them may remain unused over a period of time while the company is still paying for their service. This alone can run into thousands of dollars annually. Negotiating a workable deal with the telephone company is the best solution for these problems. Having a few negotiating techniques up your sleeve might make the job easier but having an experienced telecom professional on your side will guarantee the best results possible.