Copyright (c)
2009 Nermine Shaker
The Sygnal Group
http://www.SygnalGroup.com
Telecom
spending can be a very large part of a company's operating costs. Companies are
always looking to keep their costs under control and telecom spending is one of
the more difficult areas to manage.
Even with the increase
in value and flexibility from new technology, companies have also seen an increase
in their telecom costs. Mobile phones, remote network access and broadband solutions
have simplified our workspaces, but have complicated the telecom accounting procedures.
Although
you can't just forgo your telecom services to cut your budget, you can curb and
control them. Here are a few ways to tame your telecom budget.
Assess
Your Inventory
What do you have? What do you use? Sometimes
you don't use what you have. Take an inventory of all your lines, services, hardware,
mobile devices, and contracts. As you do this you may find that employees have
left but you are still paying for their cell phones, or departments have closed
and you are still paying for their phone lines.
Wireless
devices can be a huge drain on your company pocketbook. Sometimes employees are
given mobile devices that the company pays for and sometimes they use their own
and are reimbursed. Organizing and setting up a company policy for wireless devices
takes time but can save you money in the end.
Audit Your
Bills
Check your contracts and see if the pricing in the
contract matches the pricing on your bill. If not, you'll need to apply for a
credit for those overcharges. If you were promised a refund or rebate in your
contract, make sure you received those. If you've done a complete inventory, matching
bills to the inventory is a great way to identify problems.
Assess
Your Usage
Now that you know what inventory you have and
that you are paying correctly for that inventory, you need to look at your services
with an eye to how your company is using them. Is your company growing or downsizing?
Don't just cut back to cut back. Look at the value the services provide to your
company.
Employee personal usage of business telecom services
should be addressed as well. If you provide perks like home broadband, business
mobile devices and WiFi access, boundaries should be addressed with employees
in a telecom company policy. Managers must take responsibility to enforce whatever
controls the company puts in place.
If your business has
multiple locations or if many of your employees work from home, voice over Internet
protocol (VoIP) might be a cheaper option. VoIP can connect offices and remote
workers and could offer big savings.
Renegotiate Your Contracts
After
you have reviewed your contracts and current usage, it might be time to renegotiate
your contracts. If it's been a while, you might be able to get a better deal.
Or, after looking at what you have, you may decide to consolidate or cancel some
services. Carriers would like to have all of your business, so in consolidating
with one, you may get a higher discount. Shop around to make sure you are getting
the best deal. Sometimes, it may be better for your business to use flat rates
and per-user or per-month services. This will give you a predictable monthly payment.
If
it is possible, you many want to consider adding a "business downturn"
clause when you renegotiate your contracts. This clause will allow you to renegotiate
your contract if there is a downturn in your business, such as having to close
one of your multiple offices.
Automate Your Telecom Bill
Paying Process
Many businesses use multiple carriers for
all of their telecom services. These carriers each send a separate invoice and
sometimes they charge extra for sending a paper invoice. Automating your telecom
billing and payments can save you money, both in internal processing costs and
in staffing resources.
When you automate your billing, you
can still have the opportunity to review all your charges. You will have access
a variety of reports that can break down the charges by service, circuit, department,
location, or carrier.
Consider Hiring A Telecom Management
Company
For smaller companies, the business owner is often
in charge of telecom spending. As the size of the business increases, telecom
responsibility moves from one person to a group or a department.
A
telecom management company can help assess your spending and inventory, provide
automated billing and can negotiate contracts for you. Since they are familiar
with all the telecom carriers, they will be especially helpful in finding you
a good rate and negotiating the contract. They can even apply for refunds on your
behalf for services that were incorrectly billed.
Dealing
with one telecom management person is always preferable than having to deal with
10 different service providers. And, when you work with a management professional,
they will always be looking out for other ways to save money in your telecom spending,
something you can't always do.
It's tough to tame your telecom
spending. It takes time and effort. These days, cost cutting is a must and we
are all trying to do more with less money. Getting organized, especially in the
telecom area of your business will help you to see where you can cut costs and
make sound telecom business decisions.
