This is one I had to learn when I got into telecom expense management too, as acronyms are always a pain. CSR stands for “Customer Service Record”. Clear as mud, right?
What is a CSR?
read more
Telecom ExpenseManagementBlogs
Explore our TEM blogs for expert perspective, real examples, and clear guidance to manage telecom and technology expenses confidently, with fresh insights added routinely.
What is wireless pooling?
As a follow-up to our post on Wireless Optimization, we wanted to clarify the term “wireless pooling”. In a nutshell, it means putting all your users on one plan with a certain number of allotted minutes, or Mb of data usage, and having them share it – rather than each one having an individual plan.
The Business Case for 4G Wireless
Reading a great article this morning in our local business magazine, InBusiness, discussing the business case to upgrade your staff to 4G wireless access. While we all know the main drumbeat for 4G is “speed, speed, speed”, they make an interesting analogy to cover the other aspects of what it offers.
What goes into telecom invoice auditing?
As we discussed in our last post on telecom invoice processing, the first step in doing telecom invoices auditing – at least the way WE do it – is software. Why? Because the key to successful telecom invoice auditing is visibility.
Cursory Telecom Invoice Auditing: Software Tools Make it Easy
Telecom expense management software can be a useful tool in the process of identifying cursory audit items. The program can visually show you your invoice queue, reflecting legitimate invoices that are pushed through the tool, providing one month and six month cost trending information along with percentage variances.
Telecom Savings Case Study: Cursory Telecom Invoice Auditing
Want a good example of low hanging fruit? Cursory telecom invoice auditing. Whether you do it yourself via a web-based telecom expense management software like Clearview, or hire an outside TEM firm to do it for you, this is a first step in cleaning out your telecom closet. Cursory auditing just means identifying, flagging, and correcting easy-to-find issues during regular telecom invoice processing. In other words, actually LOOK at your bills and see what is wrong.
Telecom Expense Management: Not Just for the Big Boys Anymore
Being in telecom expense management for over twenty years, Valicom has seen a lot of trends come and go. Something that is trending now, and that we don’t see stopping anytime soon, is the adoption of telecom expense management tactics by smaller and smaller firms. What used to be the territory of enterprise-size giants is slowly sneaking into the mid-market and even some SMBs.
Use new information technology to transform your business models
The newest information technologies on the block – social, mobile, cloud and data analytics – can and should do more than boost your organization’s efficiency. Far more than past IT innovations, these new technologies can positively transform your organization – where it competes, why it wins and how it operates. Smart leaders understand this. Meet one in this blog.
Valicom Joins TEMIA, the Telecom Expense Management Industry Association
Telecom expense management software and services firm Valicom is pleased to announce its membership in TEMIA, the telecom expense management industry association. Delivering excellence in telecom and wireless management since 1991, Valicom has always strived to be a leader in bringing expertise and technology to the market. By joining TEMIA, it can better help shape the future of the TEM industry and educate mid-market to enterprise size firms on the benefits of a strong telecom management program.
Managing Your Telecom Expenses: The Best Money You Never Spent
Building a business from the ground up is hard work. Keeping it standing can be even harder. With the diverse economic pressures coming to bear on modern business owners, it is often hard to stay on top of best practices in managing your expenses. Payroll, insurance, shipping, training, bathroom tissue, paper clips…. the bill seems to get bigger every day.
Valicom Announces Promotion of Jeff Poirior to President
Madison, WI (January 16, 2012) – Effective immediately, telecom expense management firm Valicom is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeff Poirior to President and COO. Under Jeff’s leadership over the past 5 years, Valicom has achieved many major goals and milestones and anticipates further growth and expansion in 2012.
5 Telecom Cost Reduction Resolutions to Start the New Year Right
Telecom cost reduction should be at the top of every business's priority list as the new year begins. Learn more about telecom expense management and how a few simple steps can make a measurable difference in your annual spend. A fresh new year, a fresh new start....
Don’t Sit on the Bench, Benchmark!
Are you in charge of reducing business costs by negotiating your telecom and data contracts? If so, you may be wondering if you are being offered the lowest rates.The standard for your industry has been set by benchmarking, how else do you know how you stack up against the competition? Why not take the same approach to further help reduce your telecom expenses?
Telecom Expense management: Does size matter regarding expense control?
How big does your organization need to be to benefit from Telecom Expense control? What tool do you utilize to manage this function? Are you using a spreadsheet? How about telecom cost management software? Typically, there are plenty of soultions out there from pure outsourcing to expensive telecom expense management (TEM) software that requires a ton of care and feeding.
Periodic wireless optimizations can save you lots of money and time
Inside the telecommunications expense management world, wireless is one of the fastest changing and most behavior based portions of a company’s spend to manage. One great way to head off some of the clean-up effort, is to periodically perform a wireless optimization.
Telecom Expense Management Solution for the Small to Mid-size Business (SMB)
The current telecom expense management (TEM) competitive landscape is made up of TEM solution providers focused on the upper end of the market (companies with over 5,000 employees). According to “The Value of TEM to the Small to Mid-Size Business (SMB)” authored by AOTMP, “there is a common perception of greater effort and cost than financial gain” causing “small and medium size businesses to shy away from implementing a TEM program.”
Valicom Posts Record High Client Satisfaction Scores for Q3 2011
Valicom, a twenty year veteran of telecom expense management, reports continued high client satisfaction survey scores with its third quarter 2011 results. A strong combination of web-based software, flexible delivery options and excellent, experienced Telecom Audit teams creates an environment for client success, savings and satisfaction. The client satisfaction scores were 3.89 on a 4.0 scale, a record high.
Confused about the need to outsource Telecommunications Expense Management?
Historically, the decision for companies to outsource their management of telecommunication expenses and desire for telecommunication optimization has always been directed at C-level. This decision can be complex in having to determine if Telecommunication Expense Management (TEM) is a part of the company’s core competency. Then the task was to create an Request For Proposal (RFP) and select a partner that will benefit the company the most.
Mid-Market and Enterprise Companies Need For TEM Automation
Over the last decade, most organizations have reclassified their internal telecom expense management as an IT function and handed the responsibility to an already overburdened IT staff that is generally not knowledgeable about telecom services. In addition, a well-managed internal telecom expense function involves a cooperative effort between the IT/Telecom staff and the Accounts Payable staff. This also requires streamlined, well-defined and automated processes.
Telecom Contract Negotiation: Mind Your Terms & Conditions
When conducting telecom contract negotiations, large businesses know and expect to scrutinize all areas of those contracts prior to signing them. They not only review the contracts for pricing negotiation, but also for terms and conditions negotiation. The latter, the so called “T’s and C’s”, are what we often see small and medium size businesses overlook.
Strong Response to Strong Tactics White Paper
If you have, then the next steps would be to determine where your company fits in the range of telecom expense management solutions we offer. As we remarked in a recent post on TEM options, telecom management best practices can come in one of three flavors. Contact us for more details on any of these, or to setup a short discussion so we can recommend something for you.