With many telecom managers wringing their hands over whether “to BYOD or not to BYOD”, others find they aren’t so ready to jump on the bandwagon. They prefer to get down to business by better managing their current wireless environment, both to control costs and to increase visibility. As the old adage says, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
And in the grand scheme of the telecom universe, some of the best practices of wireless expense management are very similar to wireline tactics.
ONE. Create a strong inventory.
See the point above that you can’t manage what you can’t measure. If you don’t know what you have, how do you know what to pay for? With employees coming and going, and the rapid fire pace of handset obsolescence and tablet adoption, it can be hard to keep track of assets. Add to that the necessity of tracking data and minute plans, or pooling options, and this gets hard to do on paper.
TWO. Keep that inventory updated.
This is where the rubber meets the road. If your inventory goes out of date in three months, someone wasted a lot of time. Utilizing a good telecom management software platform, preferably web-based for easy access, makes this a lot simpler. Track your MACD (move-add-change-delete) activity, HR hires and fires, and all the other relevant data points that affect your environment.
THREE. Match what you pay to what you have.
Once the inventory foundation is set, then you can actually determine if your invoices are accurate. Also scan for any unusual third party charges, setup fees or taxes that smell funny. Review first, THEN pay bills.
FOUR. Get help where you need it.
The beauty of modern wireless expense management is that there are so many a la carte service options. Just want someone to scan in your invoice data and load it into the software? Done. Need help building that initial inventory? No problem. Want someone to show up at contract negotiation time to make sure you get a square deal? Piece of cake. And if you aren’t aware that you can cherry pick the help you want, when you want it, then you’re missing out on the best options of 2013.
As you can see, there is a path to walk to get a handle on your mobile expenses. If you want more good tips, download our latest white paper.
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White Paper: “4 Top Tips to Manage Business Wireless Costs”
It’s no surprise that the top thing on most telecom managers’ minds is mobile. This paper is recommended for anyone responsible for corporate mobile and wireless management, and seeking best practices in wireless expense reduction and cost control.