How to Survive Telecom BPO

Orlando, FL – June 27-- Auditel Inc. of FL announced today that it’s becoming more common for companies to outsource their phone and telecom bills to bill processing companies for bill payment and audit services.  While it can be efficient and convenient you have just become once removed from what’s really happening with your telecom expenses.  Now you must rely on reports and your BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) Provider.  All the CFO receives is a list of reports and the BPO is in control of all your phone bills.  They know that you will not be making any quick decisions which could effect your services, to take their BPO service back in-house so there is a confidence here which should be earned, not given.  Having your Telecom BPO independently reviewed is to your advantage.  Without an unbiased telecom professional verifying and auditing their services (and your expenses) you may be one of the casualties of BPO. 

Now’s the time to take a step back and decide what you really wanted versus what you are getting from outsourcing your telecom. 

Here’s how:

Set goals:

• Do you want a BPO to handle all or just a portion of your telecom expense? 
• Do you want your phone bills audited, or do you just want the telecom invoices paid by the BPO? 
• How in depth of an audit do you want or need based on your total telecom expense?
• Budget considerations – How much do you want to spend annually for these services? 

These are the types of questions that should be decided before engaging a BPO. 

Devise a plan that will benefit your company from a cost perspective and will increase productivity.   

There’s more to selecting a Business Process Outsourcing Provider than eliminating non productive positions.  

A good BPO can:

• Eliminate the need for Accounts Payable department to pay your telecom bills
• Consolidate your bills and move them to EDF (electronic data format)
• Dramatically reduce your telecom expense with no loss of service
• Obtain refunds and credits for miss-billings, overcharges, etc.
• Provide you with software detailing all your lines and circuits, giving you reports based on published lines, non published numbers, detailing each feature associated with the lines and circuits.
• Traffic studies conducted to determine actual services required with reports given on line counts and GOS (grade of service) calls measured and details given to client: including data on PRI, T1s, DS3s, circuits, long distance T1s, etc. with further testing conducted on all data including reports on frame relay packet usage plus any data backup services.
• Monitor contracts and evaluate best costs practices.  They will keep you apprised of your current telecom contracts and details. 
• Develop and maintain a telecom voice disaster plan (not just a data disaster plan) for emergency situations
• Place all orders for telecom adds, moves, and changes including ordering telecom equipment, phone systems, internet services, frame relay services, etc.
• Provide training to your telecom service department for accurate recordkeeping and order processing, if you decide to keep this in-house.
• Provide detailed monthly telecom cost benefit analysis summaries for monthly budget review – not just fluff without showing you backup.
• Provide proof of monthly savings and refunds/credits recovered for your company in the form of before and after, actual telecom bill copies.
• Provide you with a timeline for service implementation.

Be alert if this occurs:

• Service outages
• BPO plan is based on changing Long Distance, Internet, Frame, or Local Service Providers.  You don’t need a commissioned “reseller” claiming to provide telecom services that they themselves outsource.
• After the first quarter your bills don’t reflect any noticeable cost reductions. 

With tight budgets, companies need to maximize their outsourcing dollar.  With an independent telecom BPO review you can be certain you are getting what you contracted for: competent work at reasonable rates.  Contact FW Clements of Auditel Inc. at 1-800-473-5655 or auditel@auditelinc.com.