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CONTROLLING_WIRELESS_COSTS_Are_You_Overspending_In_These_4_Key_Areas
| CONTROLLING WIRELESS COSTS: Are You Overspending In These 4 Key Areas?
Controlling wireless costs can be the most difficult task of all
areas of telecom auditing and cost-reduction.
These days, many employees and salespeople would consider the
use of wireless devices more of a necessity rather than a
privilege or convenience. Problems arise, however, with the
sheer volume of wireless users, accounts and bills that even a
relatively small company can accumulate over time.
Whereas 50 land lines may be shared within a company of hundreds
of workers, cell phones are rarely shared or passed between
employees. In comparison, 300 wireless users results in
potentially 300 separate accounts and phones to control, track
and audit.
The good news is that the wireless portion of your telecom
department is ripe with potential savings opportunities. Even
small accounts can reveal plenty of areas for considerable
cost-reduction.
What is "Over provisioning"?
Deregulation of the telecommunications industry has resulted in
a dizzying array of options and plans for wireless users. Over
provisioning occurs when optional telecom features or plans are
included or added to an account that do not enhance the end
users' job performance. This can also include phones that are
not in use but still being billed and paid for. Inefficiency
results in unnecessary overspending.
When auditing your company's wireless services, be sure to check
the following 4 key areas for instances of over provisioning.
Are You Overspending in these 4 Areas?
1. Paying for unused or unnecessary features or functionality.
Items and features such as voice mail boxes, 3-way calling,
call-waiting, call-forwarding, group talk, etc. can add
excessive monthly charges to a wireless account.
Each wireless account should be reviewed for any and all
features that carry an additional monthly fee. If the feature
does not enhance job performance or is rarely used, eliminate it.
2. Paying for nationwide plans when regional or state coverage
would be sufficient.
Nationwide wireless plans are higher priced but do allow for
in-network calls without roaming charges. An employee who never
travels more than 50 miles from the home office may never use
this feature. Always check to determine that the plans chosen
for each employee are an exact fit for the usage needed.
3. Paying for wireless insurance coverage, pager protection or
roadside assistance coverage.
On accounts with several wireless devices, paying for insurance
protection is not cost-effective. On single accounts, insurance
coverage may be a good choice, especially if the equipment is
top-of-the-line and the coverage premium is reasonable and the
insurance comprehensive.
Roadside assistance is one of those "peace of mind" features
that can add $40 - $50 per year to each account. Let common
sense be the guide here. If the user never travels for any
length by car, eliminate it entirely.
4. Paying for wireless phones that have been lost, stolen or
unused.
If a medium to large-size organization fails to properly track
wireless inventories, duplication of billing for lost, stolen or
even unused wireless phones may result.
Example: an employee is transferred to a new office and brings
their wireless phone along. The new office provides them with a
new wireless phone. The retired phone is kept inside a desk
drawer only to collect dust - and in the meantime the bill is
still being paid each and every month by the previous office
manager!
Establishing procedures for ordering and maintaining accurate
wireless inventories should be routine for organizations that
want to keep costs down.
Be sure you keep and maintain a complete inventory of handsets
along with their respective bills and accounts. Paying for
wireless services that are no longer being used can be huge
source of unneccessary spending.
For free materials on how your company can reduce telecom
spending, visit www.telconassociates.com
About the author:
Karen Thatcher is President and CEO of TelCon Associates, a a 32
yr old telecom cost-reduction and management firm. To receive a
free CD ROM entitled Telecom Tips and Strategies for Businesses,
visit http://www.telconassociates.com
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