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Reading this edition's article about our friends at WellStar reminded me that even smart organizations face big challenges when trying to handle telecom expense management (TEM). Without the right approach and tools, it can be a proverbial needle-in-a-haystack effort to unravel complex charges and identify hidden savings. Fortunately, that situation is changing.
TEM Savings – Not Just for Big Companies
Over the last six months, robust, new tools have finally emerged that make it practical for smaller companies to adopt TEM without a huge investment in new technology or resources. That’s a big change from the way things were in the past when only large enterprises could afford to optimize their voice, wireless, and data investments.
This exciting development means that sophisticated TEM capabilities are now within reach for companies with just $1 million to $2 million in annual telecom expenses. New tools and services make it practical to automate workflow and eliminate tedious manual processes.
How to Take Advantage
TEM is a great way to discover "found money" in any budget. For smaller companies, I offer three points of advice.
First, find a credentialed, experienced, objective, outside expert to guide you through the process. TEM isn't a one-size-fits-all proposition. It requires special expertise to design and implement.
Second, ask for an assessment of your existing environment before making significant changes. This step helps you to determine how far you are from best-in-class TEM, and it enables you to benchmark and prioritize investment objectives.
Third, require the vendor to deliver a plan for implementing the TEM solution. For success, you need more than a set of tools. You must have a plan to use as a roadmap for policing your expenses and eliminating waste.
Whatever you do, don't continue business-as-usual. With TEM, there are a thousand opportunities to build a better infrastructure while also reducing your operational costs.
Scott Fogle, Advocate Networks co-founder and co-president