RealCom Offers a Complete Telecom Expense Management Solution
Managing your telecom expenses is a complex process and for many businesses with far-flung branch offices and different business units. It requires constant attention and an organized approach. Naturally, any organization faced with a task like this would seek to outsource its management as a permanent solution. But with any telecom expense management (TEM) system, communication is key. Software is only effective when it’s properly supported. If the TEM software developer fails to communicate or if it’s difficult to use and doesn’t integrate into existing systems, the solution becomes part of the problem. The following case study will examine the story of one of our recent clients and what happens when a TEM solution fails to monitor and report company telecom expenses.
Overview:
Our client is a professional employer organization serving over 100,000 clients across 60 U.S. based offices. They came to us dissatisfied with the customer service and value they were getting from their previous TEM vendor. Among these complaints about their previous vendor, the client said their portal was difficult to use and they had no way to support their customers, meaning they were stuck with difficult and time-consuming tasks. We had a better way.
The Problem:
The previous vendor had set a hard software termination date. In fact, the client had only three weeks before they lost TEM coverage. This left little time to gather and implement data for account, location, GL code(s), contracts, and other important information. This transition and the limited time window meant we needed to overcome a number of issues:
- The client needed to reroute all invoices to avoid a potential gap in coverage from their previous provider.
- The client needed increased transparency into their telecom spend across many locations and service levels in order to plan upcoming budget and location changes.
- The client needed reporting to be completed shortly after the go-live date for location and service types in order to plan upcoming budgets and move orders.
The scope of services for this client included:
- Wireless procurement
- Wireless audits and optimization
- Invoice processing
- Asset management
- Inventory management
- Billing error discovery
- Order submitting and tracking
- Bill payment
- Customized reporting
The Solution:
Through a comprehensive IT and telecom audit, our experts discovered circuits that were incorrectly billed, something the previous TEM provider overlooked. This single discovery saved the client over $5,000 in annual savings. Additionally, the client avoided late fees due to the expedited transition. Our solutions saved the client hundreds of hours, allowing us to contact, review, and negotiate with vendors. We worked to settle disputes, agree on pricing, and track orders.
On top of the work that needed to be performed within a short timeframe, we needed to train our client’s employees to use our system. We prepared a demonstration and training program so they could hit the ground running.
The Result
We met the target date, educated their employees, and most importantly, we installed a TEM solution that not only solved the problems of the past but set them up with a solid TEM solution for the future. Through experience and knowledge, we were able to establish a stable TEM solution for our client.
“Our previous TEM provider’s portal was not useful. The data was not even imported correctly by the vendor, and they had no process to assist us as their customer. I had to do all the work, and it was extremely time-consuming, which pulled me away from important projects and meetings.
The CarrierComplete TEM portal and it captures all necessary data and contract renew notices. Dispute status access is always easy, with no downtime. It met all our SOW criteria and was the perfect portal for us.”
–Senior Technology Finance Specialist
RealCom and the Streamline TEM Platform
At RealCom, we believe that the technology solutions you deploy should drive your business. Anything that can be measured can also be controlled, especially by taking a results-driven approach. We help you optimize, consolidate, and control your telecom expenses. This is accomplished by digging deep into your current solutions and analyzing every aspect of your telecom expenses. We do this through:
- Expert RFP support
- Vendor analysis and negotiation
- Wireless environment optimization
A large part of our success is the Streamline TEM tool. This web-based platform can be used by internal staff alone or paired with our dedicated team of telecom experts.
If telecommunications is important to your business, then you need a TEM strategy that reduces costs, tracks spending, and maximizes your resources. Through RealCom, you can proactively handle all aspects of what you spend on telecom. Reach out to us today and let us show you how our solutions can deliver the results you need.
