Posted by John Bruce on Mon, Aug 16, 2010
Taking a leaf out of Gartner’s book, TEMIA’s code of Ethics for the Telecom Expense management industry is a clear declaration of intent by the serious TEM vendors to establish the ground rules for an industry that’s determined to be above disparagement.
I really do applaud the intent, but one of my particular concerns with the initiative is that it must have teeth to succeed. An approach that I do want us to promote, is the ethics@temia.org mailbox. If any vendor or TEM customer feels that a member’s behavior is in conflict with the code, then please mail in details to the address. It’s being monitored up by the ethics committee who are keen to hear about it.
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Tue, Aug 03, 2010
With many companies on their third Telecom Expense Management vendor, it is hard to deny that the lack of customer experience and satisfaction is a major problem in this industry. We're hosting a webinar entitled How Will You Ensure Your TEM Implementation is a Success? The Keys to Making Your Telecom and Wireless Expense Management Project Successful.
No two telecom expense management projects are alike. Every project is different—different requirements, resources, data, policies, processes, etc. While this is all very true, there are a number of areas that you can focus on to ensure the implementation process is a smooth one. By narrowing down a few key initiatives to focus on such as mutually agreed SLAs and setting qualitative and quantitative goals with your supplier, you can help guide the implementation process providing an optimal experience.
Join us August 26th at 2:00pm EDT for a webinar with Brian Rafferty, Sr. VP of Professional Services. During this presentation, Brian will provide you with the necessary information needed to ensure your telecom expense management implementation process is a success. Additionally, Brian will offer case study examples of past successes.
As a TEM expert and well-known industry speaker on TEM topics, Brian will help educate participant’s on:
- Creating a communication plan with your Supplier
- Setting realistic schedules and expectations
- Negotiating mutually agreed upon SLAs
- Defining Qualitative and Quantitative Goals
- Questions to ask during the purchasing/RFP process
- The Top 10 Steps for a Successful Implementation
- Establishing guidelines
Register Here! or go to http://quickcommevents.webex.com.
Posted by Brian Rafferty on Mon, Mar 29, 2010
I have been working in the Telecom Expense Management space for 12 years. By now I have determined over time that there is a one thing that all the providers in this industry would a agree with,
No two TEM/WEM projects are alike.
Every project that we undertake is different. Different requirements, resources, data, policies, processes, etc. But there are certain areas that every organization must weigh and consider prior to implementing a solution. My next few posts will address some of these common areas that most companies need to consider when initiating the project on a global scale.
It doesn't matter if you choose a managed service or a software solution or even a hybrid of two, you will face a very important decision right off the bat. Should I take a regional approach or should I roll it out to all of my entities simultaneously?
The projects that have been most successful are ones that are tackled regionally or in phased steps. When taking a phased approach you are able to pace the project and can be easier to manage. This way, we also find that our clients like to take the lessons they learned while implementing one entity and apply it to the next entity.
Another benefit that we typically see is because there is so much focus on one area, you are typically able to better identify savings opportunities more quickly. Why is this so important? FASTER ROI. Unfortunately, sometimes when undertaking a project of this magnitude, there may be internal resistance toward adoption. Company wide buy-in becomes difficult. Lets be honest, it takes time and serious effort to implement any effective management program that requires business process change. The faster word spreads that the project has already produced an ROI, the more quickly people want to get involved and back it.
There are a few cons to this approach that must be mentioned but I still think that the benefits outweigh them by far. A phased approach can, in some cases, take more time to implement. You will also need to weigh whether or not a region will have to be 100% complete before moving onto next region.
Hope that this helped you in your quest to start your project off on the right foot. Good luck! Check out this post for some more implementation tips.
photo by amyvdh
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Mon, Jan 25, 2010
I was recently reading AOTMP's State of the Industry Report on the Telecom Expense and Wireless Expense Management Industry. You can find it here There was some interesting feedback from clients who have engaged in TEM projects. There was one question in particular that resonated with me.
"If there was one thing you would do differently with your TEM program, what would it be? "
Some of the respondents regretted their approach to their project. This got me thinking...... what advice do we typically give so that there are no regrets? We are asked daily for suggestions on how to ensure a TEM/WEM initiative is successful. The following tips may help you start off on the right foot.
Tip #1 - Give everyone a heads up - TEM projects require change...change that sometimes scares people. The more buy-in and comfort you can secure from the groups involved, the quicker and more effectively your program will be implemented. Lay out the key organizational goals and the reasons why certain tasks must be done. If this is clearly communicated in terms of those that stand to benefit from the solution - cooperation and enthusiasm should be strong.
Tip #2 - Start gathering your info NOW - Getting your arms around your inventory and billing can sometimes be a pain. No matter who you choose, most vendors will ask for very similar information, so you benefit regardless of who you select. Even put aside a box in your office or a folder on your desktop and start adding bills and records that you think may be useful when the time comes 
Tip #3 - Dedicate resources to the project - One of the biggest reasons that an implementation is delayed is due to insufficient resources. It is important to prepare all of the groups involved and clearly define who responsible for what tasks and share this information with the vendor you choose. If a vendor recommends a specific headcount, trust them. They typically know how many man-hours tasks will take.
Tip #4 - Speak up and discuss expectations - Of course this applies to the vendor but it also applies to you. There are certain areas that are MUST tackle subjects. For example, project timeframes, internal goals, expectations, target dates should NEVER be assumed. Any client engagement should start with a project initiation meeting where timeframes are mutually developed, mapped and signed off on by both you and the vendor. Schedule a discovery session ...it will be worth your time.
Tip #5 - Clearly define the scope of work. -The more information you can gather regarding the scope, the better. Again, this is another area that must be clearly discussed and outlined with your vendor. The scope of work should be clearly defined and mutually agreed upon. A plan should also be discussed and mapped out that cover how to handle out of scope issues that arise during the engagement.
photo by Arenamontanus