If your telecom and technology management systems are outdated, you’re wasting time and money. One of the biggest wastes is that in managing everything the old-school way, in spreadsheets or desktop software. Follow along as we uncover why it is critical for complex telecom environments to manage their infrastructure, contracts, and invoices in an intuitive cloud-based solution instead of tedious, error-prone, and heavy updates of your outdated solutions.
The Problem with Spreadsheets
Many organizations maintain their telecom inventory with a patchwork of spreadsheets or desktop and/or server-based software. Some clients even rely on their ERP software to maintain and make sense of it all. This poses many risks, including:
Lack of version control
Tedious software updates requiring IT admin approval
Higher error rates and missed variances
We should note that many organizations with a modest annual telecom spend (less than $250,000) can manage their environments well in these systems. However, if you don’t have the appropriate resources or expertise to manage this project, things can get messy fast.
The Hassle of Hardware & Desktop Software Solutions
If your organization has a strong information technology strategy, hardware upgrades are deployed frequently and diligently. With a desktop software solution, whether it is a homegrown solution or licensed tool, OS patches, and license procurement drive up labor costs and waste time. One of the best pieces of feedback we hear from those who have made the transition to a cloud-based solution is how happy their IT team is to not have to worry about frequent updates for another software, pinning in their credentials, and running the update.
Happy teams are productive teams!
The Sensibility of the Cloud
Clients come to us with the need of replacing those outdated tools with a purpose-built inventory and invoice management system designed for telecom and residing in the cloud. With real-time updates and unlimited user access, everyone can work with the latest data. No need to worry about lost files or spreadsheets, no more working in static silos of information, and no more frustration over version control. A cloud-based solution makes it easier to collaborate with many team members and work on the same sets of data with secure, role-based access.
Scalability is another primary benefit of cloud management. Cloud infrastructure is specifically designed to scale up and down with great ease meaning you can move quickly on anything that works and shut down initiatives that don t work with minimal disruption.
About Clearview
We hope this information helps you understand the importance of upgrading your IT inventory tracking and expense management solution. Clearview is a cloud telecom expense management platform, designed with IT inventory tracking in mind. Tracking your telecom and IT inventory is the backbone of telecom expense management. With accurate, real-time transparency into your environment, you can negotiate better rates and secure data insights with reporting.
Clearview also is well known for the streamlined invoice management process. Track, review, and approve invoices at multiple levels with variance tracking to make sure rates don’t skyrocket with unexpected fees. This invoice management tool is also used for other recurring bills, such as waste, utilities, and fuel cards.
Ready to take control of your telecom spend?
Contact us today for a free cost savings analysis to estimate just how much you will save by using our solutions within the first year. Those on-going savings are a major bonus.
Let’s get started.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JEFF POIRIOR
Jeff brings 25 years of telecommunications and information technology management experience in voice and data networking, server support, and telephony and security; with a significant emphasis on customer service. Prior to joining Valicom, he was chief of the infrastructure support section for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Jeff was the vice president of operations for CC&N, overseeing telecommunications, help desk, data, and desk side support services. Prior to that, he served as the associate director of technical resources for Covance, responsible for managing systems and network operations supporting 1700 users in Wisconsin and Virginia. He has also led data center operations at Magnetek Electric, supporting mainframe systems, client/server applications, telephony systems, and computer-aided design. Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cardinal Stritch University and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. In addition, Jeff is a past board member of the Wisconsin Telecommunication Association.