Increasingly we find large enterprises trying to manage their way towards telecom savings opportunities and optimization only to be blocked by lack of trust in the information they have been collecting. Often at the center of this information void is a tool, TEMS, which by its very presence should be the answer to this challenge but is often at the root of these missed opportunities.
What is TEMS?
Telecom Expense Management Software (TEMS) is a specialty IT Management discipline involving the application of systematic analysis to telecom service orders, inventory, invoices, and processes so that a company gets only the telecom services they order and pays the correct amount for only the telecom services they have implemented.
Why doesn’t my TEMS solution do what the supplier promised?
Time and again we hear about:
- Clients not satisfied with the audit capability of their system because it had missed what turned into a $250,000 billing error, leaving them to hire an audit firm every few years to “check behind” the TEMS provider.
- TEMS solutions most often pursued with the best intentions of using most, if not all, of their advertised value propositions. During implementation however, best intentions meet reality as project priorities change for the client, the TEMS supplier struggles with less than accurate client supplied information, and the need for a timely completion affect the quality of the installation. As a result both process and control suffer, leaving an inaccurate view of inventory, a lack of visibility into spend and a heavier reliance on manual processes instead of the intended automated solution.
- Legacy systems built on short-sighted architectures with no means in which to offer many of the now standard features. This creates an attitude of ‘you can’t get there from here’ and ‘my once sizable investment is now lost’.
- Many companies implement TEMS solutions to gain control over their telecom expenses, but over time expansion and change quite naturally erode the accuracy of the data. Too many companies don’t implement the necessary systems and process to update and maintain their TEMS data, thus leaving themselves with questionable analysis when future savings and infrastructure investment opportunities arise.
These scenarios present a conundrum for many companies. They have invested considerable time, money and resources, and yet are only receiving a small percentage of the benefits that were promised.
Do I have to replace my TEMS solution?
Not necessarily…….
Most companies with doubts about the effectiveness of their currents TEMS solution will benefit from an in-depth assessment of their TEMS solution and processes to define the performance gaps. You will want to identify IT process, business reporting, and end user issues, as well as system constraints and limitations. The ultimate goal is to either salvage the investment or rationalize the business case for a new system.
At the conclusion of a TEMS optimization assessment you should have a clear picture of your company’s:
- Expense management processes for all voice/data/wireless telecom services, both manual processes and processes using the current TEMS solution.
- Existing TEMS solution
- process and capabilities as currently implemented, including service delivery and client account management
- maximum capabilities compared to current market-leading vendors
- ability to meet business needs and long term telecom expense management goals
- Process and system roadmap recommendations to achieve optimal TEMS results.
TEMS does hold the potential for being a very useful business tool and sound investment. Key to a TEMS solution’s effectiveness is the understanding that the integrity of the data placed within the solution is paramount. Data has a limited shelf life and your TEMS solution is only as good as the processes that use TEMS capabilities to ensure data is kept up-to-date. Accurate data coupled with well crafted business processes put companies in the best position to maximize their TEMS solution and optimize their telecommunications infrastructure services.
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