An underlying theme in any business is keeping costs at a
minimum in order to spur growth and increase the bottom line. As
companies attempt to streamline their costs, an area that frequently
gets overlooked is telecommunications.
This critical function of
an organization is often times plagued with errors and inefficiencies,
especially if it has not been given the proper attention. Problems
include not knowing what services you have, who is providing the
service, how much you're paying, and is it too much. Recognizing whether
or not you have a problem is a difficult task.
However, there is
a tool that companies can take advantage of so they can fully understand
their current telecommunications environment.
Just as a retail
store takes an inventory of what products are on their store shelves,
companies need to do an inventory of their telecommunication services.
Conducting what is called a telecom service inventory enables you to
proactively manage your telecom environment so you know where every
penny is going and the value you're receiving in return.
It's
very easy for unnecessary services to creep into your telecommunications
mix, which in most instances go unused or provide little value. A
telecom service inventory gives you a 360-degree view so you can
accurately gauge your current situation, determine whether service
changes need to be made, and if it's feasible to reduce costs.
What does a telecom service inventory entail? Well, it is
essentially an analysis of where a company's telecommunications
infrastructure is today and what modifications can be made to improve
the organization tomorrow. There are a number of items that should be
covered in a telecom service inventory by a leading telecommunications
provider to uncover errors or inefficiencies. Below are a few key
components.
* Location inventory: an analysis of voice,
data, and video services by location
* Line inventory: a complete
inventory of all voice lines
* Cost distribution by service type:
cost breakdown by voice, wireless, and data services
* Vendor
distribution: cost breakdown by telecommunications vendor or
carrier
* Rate plan report: identification of each rate plan by
usage per user
* Contract plan: an inventory of service pricing
versus invoice pricing to determine accuracy
* Wireless report: a
breakdown of wireless users by number
The end result of
gathering this information is to help those individuals responsible for
their company's telecom environment make educated decisions about what
they actually need.
Additionally, the data enables them to more
effectively manage adds, moves, or changes to equipment and services as
their company expands. It basically puts users in control of their
services, which properly managed can reduce costs and save significant
amounts of money.
Worrying about whether you're being billed
correctly or utilizing your system to full capacity will go away once a
company engages a telecommunications provider that can perform a Telecom
Service Inventory.
Once it's completed, you will know what
services you're paying for, their true costs, and the value they're
delivering to your organization. In order to survive in today's business
environment, you must find ways to increase profitability, improve
productivity, and obtain a competitive advantage. A telecom service
inventory provides you with some additional help to achieve this
objective.
Marc Agar is president and CEO of CA
Communications, a Minneapolis-based provider of telecommunications,
computer hardware, software, service, and support.
