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 Wed, Feb 10, 2010
If you missed the educational webinar (Devices out of Control? Wireless Mobility Management for the Enterprise) we hosted yesterday with AOTMP, you can still view it at your leisure.
I was really pleased with the audience's questions and feedback from the session. It was a really informative seminar that mixed in a number of tips enterprises like yourself can apply when establishing your mobility management program. I will try to blog about some of the new tips I learned in the near future.
In the meantime, click here to view the recording.
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
Posted by Jennifer Burns on Mon, Jan 11, 2010
We recently organized and recorded a webinar featuring Cliff Cibelli of Verizon and Mark Evans of Quickcomm. The webinar was designed to leave attendees with a knowledge of the building blocks required to successfully create your company's managed mobility program...and hopefully alleviate some of the stress that the recent mobile explosion is causing many of you out there.
Feel free to fill out the form and watch the playback at your leisure. Click here to access.