Deciding to pursue telecom expense management (TEM) is a process, as you navigate the type of solution best suited for your enterprise and the company that can provide you with it. There is also another major decision that must be made, which is: Should you outsource TEM? The answer is it depends on your current resources and budget. Many enterprises choose to incorporate a combination of managed and unmanaged services, which includes using TEM software managed by experienced consultants. In this article, we will review the advantages of outsourcing TEM, so that you can make an informed decision.
To Outsource or Not to Outsource? That is the Question
Maintaining telecom experts within the organization can be burdensome. Aberdeen Group points out some of the issues associated with internal telecom experts, which include operational costs associated with managing the billing process and vendor relationships. In addition, there is an indirect cost, which has to do with head-count resources within the organization. Outsourcing telecom expense management has many advantages, such as the following:
- Freeing up employees’ time to focus on the enterprise’s core competencies.
- Quicker invoice processing time and refund cycles.
- Eliminating the need to maintain staff, tools and other resources to manage telecom.
- Flexibility for the enterprise to grow or downsize, as needed.
When you outsource telecom expense management, you will have access to a third party that can manage carrier work orders and internal service requests. Plus, TEM consultants will verify charges, reconcile work orders and inventory and approve and process payments. Outsourcing this cumbersome business process will improve efficiencies overall, because your enterprise will have access to the best in expertise and methodology.
As your enterprise considers outsourcing telecom expense management, make sure you have a point person within your organization who will take charge of the outsourcing process and relationship. You should also ask critical questions before choosing a provider, so we encourage you to read our article, Selecting a Telecom Expense Management (TEM) Solution: 10-Point Checklist.
About Softeligent
Softeligent is a hosted TEM solution that is customizable to your organization. Our software is easy to use and implement, making the transition to a TEM solution that much easier. We also have consultants who can manage telecom for you. For more information, contact us today. We will provide you with a custom quote and demo of our SaaS solution.