How To Reduce Business Operating Costs Without Reducing Productivity
Author: Andy Barber
It appears that “doing business” in the business world is not going to become any easier in the future. Increased taxes, higher prices, a planned hike in energy costs, will all be whittling away at your bottom line. Most companies are already searching for ways to cut down on operating expenses, and as things become worse it will be even more important to streamline your business.
What Else Can You Do?
Wireless Expense Management, or WEM, can help. It is a system with which a business can save potentially hundreds, and even thousands of dollars each month on their wireless communications. A recent study by BIGresearch has shown that telecommunications is the third greatest expense of most small businesses. Since the inception of cellular phones, and more recently the advent of wireless data devices, Wireless Expense Management was born and is thriving.
How Does It Cut My Costs Of Doing Business?
The approach is multifaceted. From asset management to expense optimization to Help Desk support, a Wireless Expense Management team will drill down into the nitty gritty details of your telecom expenses and then massage it into a fine tuned and efficient part of your company.
The various components of WEM are linked together to form a cohesive program. Though there may be instances where some of them can aren't needed, it is a best practice to use them in conjunction with each other. They are, in no particular order:
Asset Management. By developing and maintaining an accurate and up to date inventory of all your devices and service plans, you will know the “what/where/and who” of each piece of equipment.
Invoice Validation. The Aberdeen Group discovered that 7% to 12% of all invoices have errors. Most of those errors are in favor of the vendor. (Hard to believe, huh?) Wait…it gets worse. They also found that 85% of those invoices are paid without anyone scrutinizing them. A WEM team can comb through all the billings and find errors and discrepancies, and then recover/avoid over paying for them. Money in your pocket!
Expense Optimization. A Wireless Expense Management team will look at your current vendors and service providers to see if they can find ways to get them to cut you a better deal. They will also look into other vendors and providers in case someone else can offer the same service for a better price. A WEM team should be vendor neutral so they are not bound to using any particular outfit. They can discover group discounts, special sales, and little known offers that can drastically cut your costs.
E-Procurement. This is one of my favorites. If your company has more than just a handful of employees who have wireless devices, the inventory can easily get out of control. Users have been known to lose or damage a device, and rather than telling anyone, they just wander in to the local provider and get a new one. “Why not get the top of the line unit while I'm in here?” they say to themselves. “And I think I'll get the top of the line service contract, too.” Suddenly your company is paying not only for the lost or damaged device, but also for a second device with all the bells and whistles, and no one knows. More money down the drain.
E-Procurement halts that nonsense in its tracks. It is a single, centralized portal through which all device acquisitions are tracked. Whether it is for a new unit for a new employee, or to replace a damaged or lost device, it must get the blessing of E-Procurement. This assures that only approved devices and service contracts are obtained, and that old devices are returned and their services are shut down.
Help Desk Support. When an employee has an issue with their device, they can call Help Desk and have them handle the problem. Without it, the user may spend hours on the phone with the vendor or service provider, being put on hold and transferred from person to person. Help Desk personnel have the experience and knowledge to take care of the problem in an expedient manner. If they aren't able to take care of the problem right then and there, they know exactly who to call and get the process started. It keeps your employee productive and making money for the company.
Bottom Line
The key to proper Wireless Expense Management
is to find an experienced WEM company that can provide the complete package for you. Do the research…talk to the various WEM companies…contact other businesses that are using their services. When you find the right company, you'll know it. And no, they don't do it for free. They generally charge a percentage of the savings they recover for you. That is their incentive to find every penny of savings for you. You save money and they make money. It is a win/win situation.
If you were responsible for your telecom spend, wouldn't your boss be impressed if you showed him how you could save those hundreds or thousands of dollars each month? He would be so happy that he might finally give that corner office with the view to you!
-------------------------------------------------------------
The author works for Integrity Communications, a business specializing in Telecom Expense Management. He is a freelance writer who has created articles about police work, promotional advertising products and marketing. Click here to see some of the offerings from Integrity Communications.
What Else Can You Do?
Wireless Expense Management, or WEM, can help. It is a system with which a business can save potentially hundreds, and even thousands of dollars each month on their wireless communications. A recent study by BIGresearch has shown that telecommunications is the third greatest expense of most small businesses. Since the inception of cellular phones, and more recently the advent of wireless data devices, Wireless Expense Management was born and is thriving.
How Does It Cut My Costs Of Doing Business?
The approach is multifaceted. From asset management to expense optimization to Help Desk support, a Wireless Expense Management team will drill down into the nitty gritty details of your telecom expenses and then massage it into a fine tuned and efficient part of your company.
The various components of WEM are linked together to form a cohesive program. Though there may be instances where some of them can aren't needed, it is a best practice to use them in conjunction with each other. They are, in no particular order:
Asset Management. By developing and maintaining an accurate and up to date inventory of all your devices and service plans, you will know the “what/where/and who” of each piece of equipment.
Invoice Validation. The Aberdeen Group discovered that 7% to 12% of all invoices have errors. Most of those errors are in favor of the vendor. (Hard to believe, huh?) Wait…it gets worse. They also found that 85% of those invoices are paid without anyone scrutinizing them. A WEM team can comb through all the billings and find errors and discrepancies, and then recover/avoid over paying for them. Money in your pocket!
Expense Optimization. A Wireless Expense Management team will look at your current vendors and service providers to see if they can find ways to get them to cut you a better deal. They will also look into other vendors and providers in case someone else can offer the same service for a better price. A WEM team should be vendor neutral so they are not bound to using any particular outfit. They can discover group discounts, special sales, and little known offers that can drastically cut your costs.
E-Procurement. This is one of my favorites. If your company has more than just a handful of employees who have wireless devices, the inventory can easily get out of control. Users have been known to lose or damage a device, and rather than telling anyone, they just wander in to the local provider and get a new one. “Why not get the top of the line unit while I'm in here?” they say to themselves. “And I think I'll get the top of the line service contract, too.” Suddenly your company is paying not only for the lost or damaged device, but also for a second device with all the bells and whistles, and no one knows. More money down the drain.
E-Procurement halts that nonsense in its tracks. It is a single, centralized portal through which all device acquisitions are tracked. Whether it is for a new unit for a new employee, or to replace a damaged or lost device, it must get the blessing of E-Procurement. This assures that only approved devices and service contracts are obtained, and that old devices are returned and their services are shut down.
Help Desk Support. When an employee has an issue with their device, they can call Help Desk and have them handle the problem. Without it, the user may spend hours on the phone with the vendor or service provider, being put on hold and transferred from person to person. Help Desk personnel have the experience and knowledge to take care of the problem in an expedient manner. If they aren't able to take care of the problem right then and there, they know exactly who to call and get the process started. It keeps your employee productive and making money for the company.
Bottom Line
The key to proper Wireless Expense Management
is to find an experienced WEM company that can provide the complete package for you. Do the research…talk to the various WEM companies…contact other businesses that are using their services. When you find the right company, you'll know it. And no, they don't do it for free. They generally charge a percentage of the savings they recover for you. That is their incentive to find every penny of savings for you. You save money and they make money. It is a win/win situation.
If you were responsible for your telecom spend, wouldn't your boss be impressed if you showed him how you could save those hundreds or thousands of dollars each month? He would be so happy that he might finally give that corner office with the view to you!
-------------------------------------------------------------
The author works for Integrity Communications, a business specializing in Telecom Expense Management. He is a freelance writer who has created articles about police work, promotional advertising products and marketing. Click here to see some of the offerings from Integrity Communications.
Article Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_1267203_15.html