| The amount of telecommunications information | | | | easily retrieved and tracked. Use of a systematic |
| generated by a typical mid-size American company is | | | | control record for each account is essential for staying |
| staggering compared to 20 or more years ago. | | | | organized. Simple to complex software is now |
| Today's telecom departments are inundated each | | | | available commercially or you may choose to develop |
| month with invoices for local services, long distance, | | | | your own to suit your company's unique needs. |
| wireless, internet services, equipment leases, contracts, | | | | Whatever option you choose, be sure that your |
| etc. Consistently organizing and processing this | | | | system provides a complete visual status of each |
| mountain of information can be overwhelming to even | | | | account onto a single display. |
| the most seasoned of telecom departments. | | | | Compartment #2: Inventory Status |
| Day-to-day management of telecommunications | | | | Maintaining and updating inventory records for all |
| services and systems typically includes many tasks - | | | | aspects of your telecommunications department is |
| authorizing payment of bills, allocating costs, modifying | | | | essential for achieving long term cost-reduction results. |
| and/or optimizing facilities, controlling and curbing abuse, | | | | The term "inventory" applies not only to hardware, |
| detecting and correcting problems, training, improving | | | | such as wireless handsets, but also to station |
| user productivity, etc. | | | | assignments, station numbers, carrier facilities, and |
| Effectively managing and controlling telecom costs is | | | | wiring. |
| directly related to your organization's ability to efficiently | | | | Large organizations will almost certainly use a |
| manage and process monthly telecom information. | | | | software-based automated inventory control system. |
| First Things First: Get Organized | | | | As with any system, the software is only as good as |
| The first step in managing telecom information | | | | the data the system is fed. Before entering any |
| successfully is to implement a compartmental system | | | | information into an inventory database, a thorough audit |
| for staying organized. Operational information should | | | | and inventory analysis of equipment and services |
| be grouped into five major categories - account | | | | should be conducted. Failure to take the proper steps |
| orders and bill tracking, inventory status, usage of | | | | in setting up your inventory system will almost certainly |
| system capabilities and carrier facilities, local and | | | | result in flawed information from the outset. |
| long-distance calling, and service and diagnostic | | | | Compartment #3: Information Drawn From Systems |
| information. | | | | and Carrier Facilities |
| Compartment #1: Account Orders and Bill Tracking | | | | Collecting and analyzing system usage data is an |
| The number and formats of separate bills received | | | | often overlooked area of telecom cost-reduction. This |
| each month from telecommunications vendors has | | | | information is typically drawn from PBX systems or |
| multiplied many times over in the last 20 years. It is not | | | | carrier facilities or suppliers. Most PBX and ACD |
| unusual for even small to mid-size companies to handle | | | | systems store data on how often various features |
| hundreds or even thousands of bills every month. | | | | are used. Older systems maintain proprietary control of |
| Develop an internal system for keeping track of | | | | system access, requiring users to obtain data through |
| account orders and be sure that every bill can be | | | | the supplier. |