By Mark D. Hearn, CEO and President of Network Control

Telecom Expense Management (TEM) firms help companies manage their telecom and telephony infrastructure and expenses. They do this by making sure your company is getting the best deals on service contracts, using the most efficient equipment, and making sure you’re not getting overcharged. With all of this, however, it’s a good idea to have a telecom audit conducted by an auditor — at least periodically — to audit your invoices. Auditing scrutinizes what your company pays out, and what you’re being charged to save you money.

Frequent Audits Are Essential

The more frequently your TEM team or outside auditor perform audits, the better. Periodic audits can save you money, but still many things can slip through the cracks. While telecom consulting and auditing are great assets to help find errors, they rarely find out why the mistakes happen in the first place, which means you’re likely to see yourself in the same boat again in a few months time after having lost money.

Another considerable advantage to periodic auditing is the potential for your auditor to find you deals and ways to save that you otherwise wouldn’t have known. In today’s business world, where every penny counts, it’s vital you make  the most of your money because you can be confident the competition is watching their wallets too.

You Need A TEM Auditor; Now What?

Okay, you’re convinced that your company needs a TEM auditor to scrutinize your company’s telecom assets. This is quite different from TEM software. The best bet is to seek out and hire a full-service management team whose expertise lies in carrier billing as well as current and emerging technologies. You’ll also want a firm that’s capable of overseeing the entire telecom portion of your company because knowing your systems in and out gives them better insights on how to pick the services that are the best fit for you and to ensure you’re getting the right service you’re paying for. Also, by knowing your system in and out, and your company’s needs, the TEM team can react quickly when new tech that will save you money or make you more efficient becomes available.

Another vital role your full-service auditor will do is to continually be on the lookout for better contracts and deals when it comes to cellular and data plans, and long distance plans.

Lastly, your full-service TEM auditor will scrutinize every invoice to ensure you’re not being overcharged, not being charged late fees, and make sure your invoices are paid on time. While it might not seem like much, the fact is that just by going over invoices with a fine-toothed comb, a medium-sized business can find thousands in savings.

Don’t Worry About Cost

It’s natural to wonder about costs — hiring a professional TEM team isn’t cheap, but consider all the lost money you’re not aware of when it comes to late fees, surcharges, and billing mistakes that go on every month. Most good TEM auditors pay for themselves within the first few months on the job.

 

About the Author

As CEO and president, Mark D. Hearn leads the vision and direction of Network Control. He has been an active steward in the telecommunications management marketplace since 1987 and is recognized as a pioneer in the TEM industry, having started one of the first software-based TEM companies. As a former president and CEO of two successful consulting and telecommunications expense software companies, Mark brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and domain expertise to Network Control, dating back to the divestiture of the Bell companies and through the genesis of today’s TEM Market. His passion for exceeding customers’ expectations, drive to do best at all cost, and determination to make a difference in people’s lives is what has molded Network Control to be a leader in the telecom outsourcing marketplace. As a keynote speaker at industry trade shows, he maintains a keen sense of the marketplace while driving to achieve customer satisfaction is his key motivation.

Mark has a Bachelor’s Degree from St. Mary’s College of California and is on the Board of Trustees at the Charles Armstrong School in Belmont, California, and is the Board President of ETMA (Enterprise Technology Management Association) and a member of ITFMA (Information Technology Expense Management Association). He is also active in his community and is on the Church Council at Saint Matthew Church. He resides in Walnut Creek, California, with his wife Susanne and loves to spend time with their three grown children and wagging tail friend “Shasta.”