Telecom Expense Management and Managed Mobility Blog

How Will You Ensure Your Telecom Expense Management Implementation is a Success?

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.

 

New Tip: Cut out the Chaos with Authorization Policies

Another quick tip I came across for you guys that will help cut out some of the chaos in your telecom expense management practices.

Many organizations struggle to keep their telecom environment in control....(well Duh!, right?). It gets even more difficult and complex when that environment includes many locations and limited control over what the people in those locations request from your Telecom Service Providers.

One way of civilizing such an environment is to establish an authorized personnel policy. Creating a list of authorized personnel helps to ensure that only trained people are able to place service orders, request repairs and even sign telecom contracts. An authorized personnel policy entails determining who is authorized for each task and either (1) giving those lists of authorized personnel to each Telecom Service Provider or (2) providing authorized personnel with a password which is then given to the Telecom Service Providers for policy enforcement.

You know we love telecom expense management best practice processes! Well, creating such policies also provides an easier method of creating and implementing telecom processes, as it creates a smaller group of people to whom processes are rolled-out and enforced. This may seem daunting, but the effort you make to create an authorized personnel policy pays you back several-fold in terms of process efficiency, resource management and cost control.

Thanks for another great tip AOTMP.

 

New Tip: Telecom ENVIRONMENT Management

The Telecom Tip Junkie is back in full force! I hope that you found my recent post on RFP tips helpful and informative.

I came across another great tip from AOTMP.  This one seems particularly relevant right now as us consumers are constantly lured into buying the latest technology (iPhone 4.whatever's next, Droid X, etc.).  Lets be honest, it is starting to get difficult to stay in "the know" with the latest developments or even drawbacks.  For instance, what kind of data plan is necessary when purchasing the Droid or will I need rabbit ears from my old TV in order for my new iPhone to work.  Personally, I don't have a clue.   

What I do know is this dynamic environment combined with hundred if not thousands of users, poses a number of challenges for those of you charged with evaluating the options and managing the infrastructure.  While blindfolding and gagging your company's early adopters whenever a new mobile device is released has some appeal, its probably against your HR policy.  As an alternative, here is a little tip that may help a little.  

Tip #265: Environment Management - Periodic Technology Reviews

New technologies may enhance current business operations or may not be practical at all; however, you shoul establish a periodic review of what is available.  it is possible that you might not need to replace what is in use now, but you may find bundled packaging or pricing of services is a current offering from you Telecom Service Provider.  There are several methods by which you could conduct these reviews.  One way would be to require a meeting with your Telecom Service Provider representative every six months.  Alternate methods might be to consult the technological savvy people within your organization, conduct research on the internet, or check the Service/Price Guides of the providers to evaluate promotional offerings.  New technology may increase efficiency, but to make a sound decision about new technology offerings, you need to also consider functionailty, implementation costs and recurring costs in your assessment.

Until next time.

 

"I want a partner to tell me what I need, not what I want."

I promised to blog about CCMIs National Summit on Telecom Expense Management and some of the sessions.  While Ian’s keynote presentation was by far my favorite, of course, I really enjoyed a session presented by Steve Martin the IT Financial Officer of Liberty Mutual Insurance. He presented a Case Study that discussed the RFP portion of his company’s Telecom Expense Management provider selection process.

Steve’s presentation resonated with me personally.  In my earlier days at Quickcomm, I was the person responsible for responding to any RFX that came our way.  Responding to an RFX takes a significant amount of time, thought and….patience.  To say that this portion of my job was both grueling and frustrating is a complete understatement. I am still wondering what I did in a previous life that warranted this task to fall on to my plate.  I have received RFXs that were over 200 pages (which didn’t include our response), ones that required 9 copies printed while asking how we will help them “go green”, ones required on blue paper, one that inquired into Quickcomm’s preferred snack choice is and I won’t even get into some of the off-the-wall questions we have had to respond to. Don’t ask.  

Sorry, I digress.  Of course, I understand that the RFP process is a necessary evil for some organizations.  And while it is a huge undertaking on the supplier’s part, it is even more so for an enterprise.  Scoping, writing, reading, evaluating and down-selecting is far more difficult than simply responding.  When I saw Steve’s case study, I absolutely had to attend as I was really curious as to hear from an enterprise what the thought process was behind this huge undertaking.  I left the session wanting to sing Steve’s praises from a mountain top. He really had some valuable knowledge and tips to share that helped both enterprises and suppliers.  Here are some:

• Don’t ask questions just because you can.  Only ask what is necessary. His RFP was originally 413 questions which after second review was whittled down to 255 questions.    
• Discuss RFP scoring BEFORE the RFP is launched.
• Create a supplier background RFI process.  Ask repetitive bidders a standard set of questions and keep the responses on file and leverage for future RFX.
• Focus on your company’s specific needs.
• Create a company overview document for Telecom Expense Management.  Provide as much current state information and historical data as possible.  Include current workflows and processes.  (I can’t stress how much this helps suppliers properly scope, respond and price your project.)
• Define team roles and responsibilities.  Ensure that everyone on the RFP Team understands roles and responsibilities before the RFP launches.
• Summarize all of the supplier responses along with the following comparison
  • Did they provide the same answer, if “Yes”, eliminate it as a differentiator
  • Level of confidence in the response
  • Follow up questions you may have
  • Supplier edge
• Interact with the suppliers during the process.  View a demo, discuss the RFP, clarify responses and discuss your potential issues and concerns in detail.

And my absolute favorite was:

• Approach the RFP as if the supplier knows best.  I know it seems self serving that I would say this is my favorite but hear me out.  I will be the first person to say that you know your business best…here comes the “but”.  While you may know your business best, some suppliers are experts in telecom expense management.   TEM suppliers have been implementing these projects and processes for clients of all shapes and sizes.  And we have been doing it for a long time and have had to overcome some unique challenges.  

Steve noted during the session that the way they were currently doing things wasn’t necessarily the best way.  I loved it when he said, “We weren’t doing the right thing in the first place, and we needed someone to tell us that.  I want a partner to tell me what I need, not what I want.”

Upcoming Webinar - KPIs for Telecom Expense Management ROI

Hi all,

Its been a busy two weeks with the launch of our new site and a quick jaunt to Aruba (I will post on that later)!  But I am fully back in action now.  First order of business...a webinar. I recently sat on a webinar featuring marketing KPIs and it reminded me that we (myself included) all need to communicate the value of our efforts to our C-level executives.

You know it's critical to measure the value and success of your Telecom Expense Management program--but how do you measure the value efficiently? Relevantly? How do you know what to DO with the results? And who do you communicate all of this information to?

By identifying internal project goals and a few KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), you can show value immediately within your organization and have a foundation of effectiveness to drive serious results.

Join us June 30th at 2:00pm EDT for a webinar entitled Killer KPIs: Key Performance Indicators for Telecom Expense Management ROI with Ian Murray, VP of Channel Management. During this webinar, Ian will offer guidance on how to measure ROI using Key Performance Indicators and provide valuable information to help you better understand and communicate the objectives of you TEM project to your C-level executives. As a TEM expert and well-known industry speaker, Ian will help attendees: Identify the stakeholders in a TEM project

• Understand stakeholder objectives 
• Keep all parties informed to gain positive exposure to your project 
• Learn how to define KPIs for your organization 
• Gather meaningful metrics and KPIs that successful managers use 
• Gain C-level support and decision making

Ian will also present a case study featuring a global company spending approximately $100m on telecom annually. He will review their objectives and the KPIs they chose to track since they implemented their global TEM project. Click here to register now or go to http://quickcommevents.webex.com.

Drumroll, Please......Quickcomm's New Website has Launched!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our new Website!! The dramatically re-designed site embodies Quickcomm's forward-thinking vision and commitment to our customers and partners.

We added a number of informational resources to the site such as videos and demos, a savings calculator, and industry news section. With all this new interactive information, we hope customers, prospects, and partners will make better informed decisions as it relates to their telecom expenditures. The new resources section covers a broad range of topics related to telecom expense management, mobile management, invoice processing, auditing and more.

In response to Carrier and Service Provider requests, there are now sections that speak directly to them and how they can leverage our solutions and become a Quickcomm Partner.

What's up next?  By now, you probably know that I am a self proclaimed "Tip Junkie", so we will be adding an additional section dedicated solely to telecom and managed mobility tips.  Additionally, we will be adding a section for our clients that will house Quickcomm Solution-specific tutorials, videos, FAQs, and tips.

Please check out the new site and let us know your thoughts! We would love to hear from you.

Which Mobile Device Should I Get? The Chicken or the Egg

I came across an article entitled BlackBerry vs. iPhone for the Business yesterday and it left me curious.   

The article presents the argument that the iPhone is positioned to overtake the BlackBerry as the "ultimate business phone".

What struck me specifically was the decision by Standard Chartered Bank to offer all of their employees the opportunity to ditch their BlackBerries for iPhones. I guess I was really curious as to what the thinking was behind this.  From an employee perspective, I thought, "wow, that was really nice of them".

But, from a mobility management perspective, I had bunch of questions as to how they arrived at the decision to implement this mass initiative. Then I was reminded of a great video by Philippe Winthrop that addresses the question we run into daily, "What mobile device should I get for work?".  Check it out, it is short and to the point. It approaches this question like the 'Chicken or the egg' argument from a mobility management strategy standpoint. 

We agree with Philippe in the thinking that this should typically be the last question (not the first) you should ask when considering a mobile device for work.

You should actually consider two other areas prior to the actual device itself.

1. The Individual Who actually should get a device?  Who needs it to perform the job effectively? Sales probably need them while HR may not. 

2. The Use or Purpose What will the device be used for? what are the applications that will be required? What kind of data will be stored on it? Is it sensitive data? What kind of secuirty will be required?

The answers to these questions should drive the answer as to what device an employee should receive.

If one mobile device works for every individual and for every type of use across your organization...great, sounds like smooth sailing from a management perspective for you.  If you don't fall under this utopian scenario, I hope you will consider the approach above. 

Have a great weekend!!!  

 

 

Tip #258: TEM Process Management

I wanted to apologize for slacking on the blogging front.  I promise that it is for a very good reason and soon you will find out why.  I have to tease you just a little bit...exciting announcement will be made soon!

In the meantime, I wanted to share a good tip with you that I came across.   

Plan, Monitor, and Revise

One of the most efficient things you can do to manage your telecom activities is to have established processes in place that are supported with documentation. This documentation should be written in a "how to" manner, addressing specific actions. For example, your organization probably has an established procedure for handling multiple resource billing. Proper process management recommends that you have this procedure documented with specific steps on how to process this type of invoice presentation. Monitoring the efficacy of this process is integral to your team since it can reveal duplicate actions, FTE skill-sets and opportunities for improvement. Should such conditions for optimization be found, the process should be refined. A revision of procedures should also be implemented if there are changes to the environment that impact the current plan. Using the example above, the telecom service provider might begin offering billing through their portal, negating the need for any physical invoice methods. This would naturally change the processing of this invoice, which, in turn, should be documented, monitored and adjusted accordingly.

At Quickcomm, we strongly believe that two important philosophies must be considered to ensure a telecom expense management program is successful.

 1. It is NOT Telecom Expense Management, it is Telecom Management.  It is impossible to manage telecom expenses without also managing infrastructure, governance, procurement and logistics.

 2. Software merely provides a tool that enables telecom management best practices.  It is the business process that is important. 

With any business process change, it is critical that the transition is planned and executed with fastidious supervision, documentation and diligence.  It is the quality of this transition that will determine whether the project is a success or not. As important - understand that there are many areas that affect the telecom management process. Let's face it, the environment is dynamic and growing. (if it wasn't, we wouldn't have the iPhone, right?)  It's a moving target - technology changes, your organization changes, people move on, carriers change. Your business process must keep up with these changes and will need to be adjusted as time goes on.

 

Your Corporate Mobile Policy: Its Time to Stop Procrastinating!

With over 90% of companies today have employees using smartphones within their organizations (according to Strategy Analytics), there is an area that needs to be immediately addressed by all.  You need a company-wide mobile policy. It is an absolute essential!  At a minimum, a strongly defined and enforced mobile policy can help keep expenses in control, protect your data, and produce a more efficient workforce.  It can even ensure that your organization is not held liable for employee-incurred damages.   

I understand that creating a corporate mobile policy is easier said then done. Until now. During a webinar we hosted today, Philippe Winthrop, our guest speaker discussed this topic in depth and he shared an AWESOME FREE TOOL for IT and LoB decision makers who are struggling to define a mobility policy for their organization.  The document provides a number of policies and sample language that you can use to build your policy. Click here  or visit theemf.org to download it.

By now, you all know that I am a Tip sharing junkie...so here are two that were uncovered during the webinar.

#1 Create a task force that includes individuals from different areas in your organization to help create your policy.  Solicit members from IT (obviously), HR, the executive team, Sales, and so on.  All of these areas help bring in different perspectives to ensure your policy is in line with productivity, purchasing profiles, security needs, etc.

#2 Your mobile policy should be updated, reviewed and signed by employees annually at a minimum.  And don't forget about new hires...they should see it as soon as that Blackberry hits their palm.

So there, no more excuses..stop procrastinating! 

by walknboston

Tip #148: Invoice Processing - Service Provider Name Changes

I recently came across another good tip for you guys. 

Tip #148: Invoice Processing  - Service Provider Name Changes

With all of the merger and acquisition activity that has been taking place in the service provider world, it can be difficult to determine how the past and present names of local, long distance, and wireless providers connect together. Changes reflected on invoices often add to the confusion when the invoices include multiple service provider names. For example, AT&T now encompasses AT&T local, SBC, BellSouth, AT&T long distance, and Cingular.

The most effective way to ensure a payment will go to the correct vendor is to tie each payment to an account number. The account number will then tie to the correct name of the vendor. If automated payment systems are used, care should also be taken to ensure vendor names have been changed to reflect the most current service provider naming convention. - AOTMP

We all know what a delay in a payment to the correct vendor can lead to, right?  Hefty late fees and even worse, service disconnection.  It is a simple pitfall to avoid.  Keep this tip in mind when you are establishing your telecom management processes.  If you are currently looking into a telecom or mobile management solution, this should really be a "must-have" feature that you research during the information gathering process. 

Hope that you found this helpful!

Photo by Bob B. Brown