Once limited only to a few large companies with vast internal telecom networks and a huge fleet of mobile devices, telecom expense management (TEM) has presently become a necessary practice for enterprises of all sizes, operating across any industry/business sector.

Because the very function of managing telecom seems to be a necessary evil, the concept of outsourcing it becomes a bit more viable – appealing even.

Here are 4 common beliefs that can cloud the value of outsourcing:

1. Telecom is Messy and Chaotic

The industry is full of many different service providers, carriers, agents, consultants, hardware providers, Telecom Expense Management (TEM) companies, mobility management firms, phone providers, and IT management firms. With so many options to choose from, it becomes difficult to choose the right provider or technology for your business needs. The result is too many vendors pointing fingers at each other when something goes wrong.

Answer: A strategic, holistic partner who will look out for your organization’s needs. Telecom outsourcing eliminates the hassle of managing multiple carriers, and multiple vendors and having to navigate through complex technologies and solutions.

2. Telecom is Not a Core, Strategic Part of Business

While potentially confusing and certainly frustrating, telecom is a necessary aspect of your business, critical to its daily function. However, the management and optimization of telecom is not a core part of your business. Telecom tends to fall under the umbrella of IT management, but as such does not have the luxury of qualified, devoted resources for effective daily operation. As with other business functions in the enterprise, such as human resources, accounting, or operations, telecom should be separated out as its own entity within the enterprise. Impact: IT teams are focusing on the day-to-day tasks of telecom.

Answer: Because telecom tends to burden multiple business units with the day-to-day tasks of supplier and expense management, a telecom outsourcing solution becomes a highly desirable option that will get your complete organization back on track with its own departmental strategic initiatives.

3. The Amalgamation of IT and Telecom

Although IT and telecom do seem to blend together with the emergence of complex technologies such as MPLS, Ethernet, cloud computing, and disaster recovery, IT needs to focus on how enterprise technology can enhance the business from a strategic perspective. Managing carrier contracts, telecom expenses, mobility devices, and helpdesk support, while crucial to an enterprise, is not a valuable consumption of IT’s time. The result is that both telecom and IT suffer: strategic IT priorities take a back seat to the immediacy of telecom-related problems.

Answer: Complete telecom outsourcing allows your IT organization to contribute to core aspects of their job, furthering enterprise-wide IT initiatives.

4. Effective Telecom Management Requires Dedication and Ownership

While IT and telecom go hand in hand, each discipline requires acute time dedication and ownership. Ineffective management and outcomes result from attempting to meld two distinct businesses into one. Precious time and budget dollars are spent on the people, processes, and technologies required to effectively manage telecom services internally.

Answer: Telecom outsourcing releases management time and reduces the total cost of telecom ownership and total cost of telecom per employee.

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