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.

Blog Banner image

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List: Reporting

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List: Reporting

May 5, 2011

Last but not least in our posts on telecom expense management tasks made easier with TEM software., we’re going to cover reporting. Granted, this is not an exhaustive list of tasks, by any means, but it’s a good start. You can go back and see what we had to say about inventorymanagement, cost allocation, telecom contracts, telecom invoice management, order & change management and issue tracking. And now for your reading pleasure….

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Issue Tracking

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Issue Tracking

May 2, 2011

After discussing how telecom expense management software can assist with order & change management, we need to talk about issue tracking. Granted, we’re sure YOU never have problems with your telecom vendors/inventory/lines/devices/users/credits etc, but you know, some people do. And it’s a pain to manage.

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Order & Change Management

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Order & Change Management

Apr 29, 2011

If you’re not sick of it yet, we continue in our overview of telecom expense management tasks that can be streamlined with a good TEM software, we’ve covered inventorymanagement, cost allocation, telecom contracts and telecom invoice management. Another challenging thing to keep track of is….

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List: Telecom Invoice Processing & Payment

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List: Telecom Invoice Processing & Payment

Apr 27, 2011

Speaking of document management, one of the biggest pain points of telecom has got to be invoices. Little missiles of irritation that arrive in the mail to ruin your day. Sometimes by the boxful. And you knowyou should really look at all of those – line by line, every single month – to make sure they are accurate. But really, who has the time?

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List: Telecom Contracts

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List: Telecom Contracts

Apr 25, 2011

As we’ve been discussing ways to make your life easier and save you time, document management comes to mind. In the modern era, no one wants a file cabinet stuffed full of papers hulking in the corner of their office. And they certainly don’t want to have to dig through it to find contract information. A contract should be electronic, easy to find, and cross-referenced with the items it pertains to.

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Cost Allocation

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Cost Allocation

Apr 22, 2011

Another telecom management task that will conjure up memories of your Mother, or maybe your Father, is the age old question – “Who is going to pay for this thing?” Now that you know what you have, your CFO probably wants to know who is responsible for each particular business expense. Those Accountants, always so picky. But that is what you pay bean counters to do – count beans. And sometimes they even want the beans split into pieces! It is not uncommon to have one inventory item being paid for by multiple departments.

Good reminder to go green and recycle your cell phones – Wisconsin E-recycling law sees great success in first year

Good reminder to go green and recycle your cell phones – Wisconsin E-recycling law sees great success in first year

Apr 20, 2011

Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves that thefancy technology we are surrounded by doesn’t just dissipate at the end of its lifecycle. It has to go *somewhere* and it is greatly preferable that the somewhere be a recycling center than a landfill. So with Earth Day coming up this weekend, the continued success of Wisconsin’s e-cycling law is a welcome bit of news. If your state doesn’t offer convenient e-cycling, a quick Google search will turn up a number of organizations that can help you setup a good cell phone recycling program.

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Inventory Management

Telecom Expense Management Software Task List – Inventory Management

Apr 20, 2011

Now that we’ve discussed what TEM is and why you need it, and gone over the power of a SaaS telecom expense management application, we’ll walk through the tasks you can manage to help control your telecom costs. And we’ll start with:Telecom Inventory Management

Valicom Honored As A Top Woman Owned Business by DiversityBusiness.com

Valicom Honored As A Top Woman Owned Business by DiversityBusiness.com

Apr 19, 2011

Madison, WI (April 19, 2011) – Certified woman-owned telecom expense management software and telecom auditing firm Valicom is proud to be honored as part of DiversityBusiness.com’s 11th Annual Business Awards. Each year DiversityBusiness.com collects and compiles their ‘Top Business List’ on a State and National basis. The data is used to determine the most successful woman and minority owned entrepreneurs across the United States for their awards program.

The Need for Flexible Telecom Management Partnerships

The Need for Flexible Telecom Management Partnerships

Apr 15, 2011

A challenge facing the telecom expense management channel is the increased sophistication of our clients. And mind you, a “challenge” is not a “problem”. Having a better educated, more informed marketplace has always been a goal at Valicom, as we feel the more we all know, the better we can serve each other and our end user customers.

Who Needs Telecom Expense Management?

Who Needs Telecom Expense Management?

Apr 6, 2011

To conduct business today, we know you need tools and you need technology. This means telephones, mobile phones, pagers, expensive high-speed internet connections, laptops with wireless capabilties, the list goes on and on. And, over time, the list not only gets longer as new gadgets hit the market, but the number of people within your organization who needs these things goes up. All of that leads to complexity, and complexity can lead to errors.

What is Telecom Expense Management Anyway?

What is Telecom Expense Management Anyway?

Apr 4, 2011

Essentially, it is an all encompassing term that refers to the overall monitoring and handling of wireless, voice, and data assets for your company. This is a process you can do yourself, via a web-based platform like Clearview, or you can partner with a firm like Valicom to do these services for you. Whoever does it, in plain language, it means gathering all of your telecom bills and looking for overcharges through a telecom audit, searching for contract violations, finding ways to save money, and negotiating directly with vendors to get a better deal.

RIM Dives into the Tablet Market with the Playbook

RIM Dives into the Tablet Market with the Playbook

Mar 31, 2011

The faltering Blackberry maker RIM (Research in Motion) has thrown their hat in the tablet ring with the release of their new Playbook. As more firms and individuals move away from the recently ubiquitous “Crackberry” for business use, the addition of a tablet to their product stable is a move intended to keep RIM relevant in the market. But will it work?

Using Your “Almost New” iPad as a Doorstop

Using Your “Almost New” iPad as a Doorstop

Mar 18, 2011

Not that I have one, mind you, because personally I’m rather cheap. But if I did have an original iPad, I’d probably be pretty grumpy right now as the new ones came out at the same price point as the one you might have purchased at Best Buy the day before.

Using Telecom Software to Project and Manage Telecom Savings

Using Telecom Software to Project and Manage Telecom Savings

Mar 15, 2011

Data provides the basis for Telecom and IT professionals to “make better decisions faster”. When I managed data centers and telecom activities in the past, management usually looked at the IT and telecom function as a necessary evil and an overhead department that detracts from the bottom line profits. IT and telecom can always find something to spend money on. New computers, servers, wireless devices, infrastructure upgrades, etc. Some companies treat these functions as enabling their profits and allowing them to grow through technology.

Wireless Cost Management for Healthcare

Wireless Cost Management for Healthcare

Mar 10, 2011

The HFMA newsletter had a great article calling out the need for wireless expense management in its latest issue. This is a challenge we see as well, with our healthcare clients. Industry stats show that healthcare spending on telecommunications is expected to increase by 44 percent over the next three years, approaching a cost of $12.4 billion by 2013. As newer and faster smartphones and tablets hit the market, monthly fees and data plans increase, and vendors merge and maneuver, the complexity of managing wireless gets harder every year.

Wireless Visibility: Wireless Expense Management Reporting

Wireless Visibility: Wireless Expense Management Reporting

Mar 7, 2011

Many medium to large organizations utilize a variety of mobile management software and wireless inventory solutions whether purchased or created internally. Specifically on the Wireless side, we see many of those companies strive to provide the managers and directors with the ability to see wireless information of the employees under their leadership, using their expense management tools.

The Day the Device Died: Telecom Inventory Management

The Day the Device Died: Telecom Inventory Management

Feb 25, 2011

How Do You Know When Your Device Died?One of the key challenges of telecom has always been Telecom Inventory Management. When did you get this thing and when did you disconnect it. It’s pretty important to keep track of that or your John Doe iPhone may end up in a drawer.

Telecom Expense Management Takes Valicom to Enterprise Connect

Telecom Expense Management Takes Valicom to Enterprise Connect

Feb 23, 2011

As anyone in the telecommunications industry knows, the old VoiceCon, now Enterprise Connect, is a great opportunity to visit vendors, learn new trends and hear some of the top minds in the industry deliver keynote addresses.

The Importance of an Accurate Telecom Inventory in Cutting Costs

The Importance of an Accurate Telecom Inventory in Cutting Costs

Feb 15, 2011

AOTMP, a telecom expense management industry association, released a research report today showing that accurate inventory of telecom assets generate nearly 400% in audit and optimization savings. After twenty years in the telecom auditing business, we would agree with those numbers. The challenge of tracking assets for both fixed and wireless services is a growing problem.

Are there “Values” in Telecom? What are your values?

Are there “Values” in Telecom? What are your values?

Feb 11, 2011

The traditional approach for some enterprise level companies has been to outsource Telecom Expense Management (TEM) to TEM providers. While companies search TEM expertise in Mobile Management and Telecom expense control, how much research do companies actually do to ensure that their potential partner has values that are aligned?