If your company is like most, reducing telecom costs is only one goal you’re looking to achieve when you consider initiating a broader Telecom Expense Management (TEM) strategy (also known as Total Telecom Cost Management or TTCM). In addition to cutting costs, most companies also cite greater visibility into their telecom expenses including better inventory management, invoice processing and service management.

In today’s economic environment, reducing cost is the top priority, and telecommunications spending – including both fixed line and wireless – is often a target … and with good reason:

• Telecom expenses typically rank in the top 5 among enterprise business expenses
• According to industry analysts Aberdeen Group, an average of 7 to 12% of telecom service charges are in error. Gartner has similar findings, stating that companies forfeit 10% or more by not auditing telecom invoices on a regular basis.
• Large enterprises may receive as many as 15,000 telecommunications bills in a year.
• As demand for wireless services increases, the pressure increases to contain mobile expenses. Gartner reports that through 2014: The vast majority – more than 80% -- of corporations will spend at least 15% more than they should on wireless expenses during that time.

Every corporation is different. Understanding where waste in telecom spending is occurring is the first step. The best way to obtain the business intelligence you need is by conducting a thorough Telecom Expense Audit. With a comprehensive analysis of fixed line and wireless expenses, you’ll get increased visibility into the primary sources of excessive telecom spending, such as:

- Overcharges by telecom carriers that go undetected through normal invoice processing channels.

- Since they are soft costs, the management expense associated with identifying, coordinating and recouping these charges from the carriers is also frequently not captured.

- Unused phones and services that are still a part of your telephone bills, accruing charges even though they are never used. This is especially critical after any sort of corporate reorganization or change in the workforce when many fixed and wireless telecom assets remain on the books without being used – or continue to be allocated to old business units not properly reflecting the balance sheet for each department.

- Improper Asset Management, such as permitting the purchase of “best of breed” technology or services, when less expensive options more than satisfy the business needs.

- Technical support and service requiring expensive maintenance contracts or specialized headcount that cannot support other systems or projects.

- Call Accounting, including usage tracking and allocating telecom expense back to the right business units. Among wireless expenses, employee misuse and abuse may be especially problematic.

When is comes to finding the right solutions for your company’s Telecom Expense Management needs, rely on TeleManagement Technologies Inc. TTI’s expertise in the area of controlling TEM expenses can save your corporation as much as 20-35% or more across the entire enterprise. Through TTI, you can achieve a number of cost management goals, including:

• Improved Invoice Management and Processing that identifies overcharges and recoups refunds in a more timely manner
• Asset Management, including tracking, technical support and device maintenance across the entire enterprise
• Streamlined Inventory Procurement and ordering procedures that maintain your corporate approval process while allowing maximum flexibility
• Telecom Expense Software that automatically audits telecom bills for rate accuracy and overcharges, while providing maximum visibility into usage by business units, departments and other budget categories defined by you
• Mobile Expense Management, which carries its own unique challenges and an opportunity to save as much as 40% in wireless expenses
• Call Accounting, to ensure proper tracking and accountability within each business unit and department

Find out more about how your organization can achieve significant savings and greater expense control:

• WinBill® Telecom Expense Management Software and services
• WinCall® Call Accounting Software and services