Telecom expense management (TEM) should not be viewed as a quick-fix solution to reduce telecommunications expenses.
So says Neil Buckley, owner of Apex Business Intelligence. TEM is more than simply putting a plan together that will reduce telecoms expenditure, he says.
TEM is a business approach to managing an organisation's telecoms environment, which includes both fixed and mobile communications, as well as voice and data.
TEM has many benefits when implemented, he says. It provides the ability to forecast and budget for telecoms expenditure, as well as to track savings initiatives and call rates against vendor commitments, Buckley notes.
According to a report by Gartner, the TEM market has stabilised in terms of the services offered and delivery channels. The market grew from slightly more than $750 million in 2009, to just under $895 million in 2010.
Buckley says the key area organisations need to consider when evaluating their current telecoms environments is whether telecom expenditure is managed and paid for, on a stare and compare basis. Organisations also need to be aware of how they are tracking value in return for the spend outlay. How frequently does this happen, he asks?
If at least one of the questions posed above cannot be answered, then Buckley suggests the organisation may be a candidate for TEM. There are a few 'must-haves' when it comes to TEM, Buckley says. There needs to be defined role-players responsible for TEM; there also needs to be supplier independence, as well as business intelligence tools, he adds.
Buckley is a speaker at the ITWeb Business Communications forum, taking place on 22 November, at The Forum, in Bryanston. If you would like to hear more about how organisations can benefit from TEM, be sure not to miss this event. Click here for more information.
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