By Rob Tyler, Sr. Marketing Technical Writer
Who needs telecom expense management (TEM), and why? The reasons are as diverse as the types of organizations that invest in TEM. Sometimes it’s the end result of a company testing the waters with an audit or other professional service.
In other cases, the TEM solution evolves gradually – from call accounting, for example - to bring more spend under management. Or it’s a strategic response to a sudden, business-critical need. Let’s look at two case studies that illustrate these scenarios.
Organic Evolution
A major non-profit health insurance company had been using call accounting software for years to track telephone usage by its client support representatives. But carrier invoices were still being processed manually, which was labor intensive and prone to errors. The company decided to expand its call accounting solution with invoice loading, processing, and management.
Now invoices are received in electronic form and loaded directly into the TEM system. They enter a process workflow that enforces best practices and streamlines validation and approval.
According to the customer, the new system “has made it easier to charge back services.” And it automatically alerts staff members to billing variances, such as new services, charges above or below threshold, and 3rd party billing, saving them time and money.
Mother of Invention
The deployment of TEM is sometimes a matter of necessity, as in the case of a prominent east-coast med school. Until recently, the university had been owned and managed by the state, which billed each separate area of operation for their telecom charges every month. When the university recently assumed ownership of the telephone system, they had to deal with carriers directly for the first time.
The university installed a TEM system to collect and consolidate telecom expenses and charge them back to departments. They use the system to track and manage inventory and MACD on a daily basis. Monthly bills are emailed to department managers, who can link directly to billing details to review their charges and identify unnecessary lines that can be disconnected to reduce their annual telephone budget.
The university’s previous chargeback process was very time-consuming and tedious. According to the customer, “What used to take hours or days now takes minutes.”
Solutions that Fit
TEM can save you time and money, too, but look for a provider who can design a solution to fit your business needs. TEM solutions are as diverse as the organizations that deploy them…and the reasons for doing so. It’s your business, after all. Would you want it any other way?
LEARN MORE – download our white paper “The Low Risk Approach to TEM”.
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