Beginning your journey to better telecom expense management can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. If you know what is most important when choosing a TEM vendor and red flags to avoid you’ll be in good shape.
There are fundamental “rules” to follow when searching for software, and there are guidelines you should follow when seeking a TEM vendor. We will cover both scenarios in this article. Customization will be a strong trend throughout, as we believe the best solutions cater to your specific goals and environment.
Fundamental Must Haves
Valicom’s team sat down to discuss the most important questions to ask during the discovery phase of finding a trustworthy TEM vendor. The discussion started with basic questions, which we concluded could be applied to most technologies. These points also specifically had to do with the TEM software provider’s team and who they work with directly. That brings us to the top two fundamental questions:
WHO are you working with?
What is their team like?
Do they align with your values?
Are you going to have the same representative throughout your entire term?
These are good questions to ask because it will set the stage for what you can expect from their customer service, and the emphases they put on collaboration. When our prospective clients ask what our team is like, we often point to our client satisfaction survey. Each quarter, we have our current clients take a survey letting us know how we can improve. This past quarter, our team scored 3.8 out of 4 starts. I am biased, but I often say we are the best team on the field.
Our values include, passion, inspiration, innovation, authenticity, memorable experiences and enduring connections. Our values are behind everything we do which makes Valicom one of the best places to work in Madison, WI. Learn more about our values.
Who do they work with?
Next, we recommend taking a look at who the technology provider works with. Do they work with a partner that will pay them for conversions? This is something I would keep top of mind when discussing with a TEM vendor. Having a vendor that is independent from other carriers and services will avoid biases that you don't want to exist in the decisions you make.
For example, if a TEM vendor is a partner of Verizon, they are most likely getting paid for anyone they sign on with that carrier. Their intent may not be to steer you in only one direction but it could happen subconsciously.
TEM SOFTWARE MUST HAVE FEATURES
Part of our discussion about the discovery phase of finding a TEM vendor included TEM features. Here is a video of Chantel Soumis, Valicom’s Marketing Director, and I (President and COO) discussing the three most important features in your TEM solution. These three features include security, usability, and relative modules.
Security
In today’s environment, one of the most important features of a telecom expense management software is a secure portal. A portal you can access from anywhere in the world. Your TEM software’s security must meet today’s very intense and scrutinized security standards. There are reasons for these high security standards. Did you know,
In 2019, the number of data breaches in the United States amounted to 1,473 with over 164.68 million sensitive records exposed.
And according to Cybint,
A Clark School study at the University of Maryland is one of the first to quantify the near-constant rate of hacker attacks of computers with Internet access— every 39 seconds on average, affecting one in three Americans every year —and the non-secure usernames and passwords we use that give attackers more chance of success.”
Usability
Your software needs to be intuitive. It needs to allow for forecasting and optimization through custom reporting.
Intuitive technology is the user-friendly design of our software solutions, the methods and commands which correspond to the natural, "intuitive" way of working. Everything is made for the user to feel comfortable and work more efficiently.
Ask to see a demo of the software. If the software looks like it’s going to take you 20 minutes to navigate to and from features, say no thank you! Many times, in the TEM space, companies will use RFPs to compare and contrast software. RFPs are like crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s. It allows you to make sure you are accounting for everything that you need.
Here is a very simple example of what a RFP might include: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/rfp-template
That being said, RFPs are not a requirement to finding the best TEM vendor to work with. You can just as easily find a great TEM vendor by writing down the features you need, you business, goals, and making sure that they align with these things.
Reporting
Reporting - we also refer to this as having relative modules. Companies have different reporting requirements. For this reason, your TEM software should allow you to customize reporting to your unique set of goals, that can be turned around in days at no additional cost.
Different variables your TEM tools should be able to track include, but is not limited to:
voice
wireless
data assets
invoices
inventory
invoices
cost allocation
contracts
Our technology expense management software, Clearview, is the right tool for the big data fans, the number crunchers, and the financial trend spotters. Why? The web-based tool offers advanced and custom telecom reporting. So you can slice and dice your invoice data any which way, to analyze and optimize where it makes sense.
Still have questions about TEM? We can help! Click the button below to reach out to a TEM expert today.
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 University of Phoenix. In addition, Jeff is a past board member of the Wisconsin Telecommunication Association.