As we all know, the past 5 years has been the most expansive in the technology launch for Hospitality. There have been better developments in PMS, On-line Reservations, Central Reservations, Call Centers and Guest Centric Systems. The function of this software is to create control and visibility of Front Office Cost Centers. But what do they really do for Front Office Operations? They help organize operations, create financial gain and happy, productive employees and raise profits, sometimes exponentially.
Today's businesses are focusing on drastic cost cutting, the bottom line and profits. Telecommunications costs represent a significant amount of the budget so now companies are researching better ways to increase ease, productivity and efficiencies from their Telecom and IT Departments.
Currently, the primary focus, which offers the greatest opportunity for savings, is within the indirect cost structure of the Telecom Department. These indirect costs may be attributed to a loss in payroll, human error, delays in carrier transaction and communications, ultimately, delaying the productivity of the people, property or facilities. By addressing these indirect costs an improvement in the overall operations can mean significant savings.
Financial losses in Telecom are often attributed to natural attrition of the budget. By allowing operational organization and better internal departmental communications, it is possible to have a real-time, at-a-glance view of your expenses and budgetary needs.
Telecom Inventory and Expense Management Software Tools are designed to assist FO Operations with the automation and integration of information within the FO internal departments. Specifically, the IT Department is linked with the Finance Department, allowing two separate entities to share information and work cohesively, efficiently and productively all the while saving the property extraneous expenditures.
The challenge in optimizing Telecom Expenses is in understanding the values of the services created by the Telecom Inventory and Expense Management software for your IT Department. Telecom Inventory and Expense Management is best explained as a TOOL to offer better procurement procedures, identify & allocate inventory, invoice payment and for auditing and billing recovery.
What is the detail of Telecom Expense Management Tool, what does it do and how will it work for my organization?
Cost Control - Inventory Management - Vendor Management - Employee Utilization
Cost Control
• A comparison between the services invoiced and your Customer Service Records (CSR's) from Service Providers.
• Assess a management baseline from which budgeting and expense management activities can be measured.
• Enables you to audit the accuracy of Services and Charges along with determining the necessity of those services/charges.
• Cost Distribution by Service Type - a cost breakdown by voice, data and wireless services
• Lets you know what is installed, what is contracted for and what is invoiced.
• Offers a baseline for validation against contracts and invoices.
• Creates a management baseline from which budgeting and expense management activities can be measured.
• Invoice Processing / Payment
• Documents vendor trends.
• Contract Management: gives you the leverage you need in vendor negotiations.
Inventory Management
• Location Inventory - an inventory of all voice, data, Internet and wireless components by location this includes: room phones, two-way radios, headsets, cellular phones etc, for not only the property but also for your employees.)
• Wireless Directory - an inventory of all wireless users by wireless number
• Cellular Detail Charges - a list by vendor of each account and all wireless units for that account including cost per wireless unit for the timeframe selected.
• PIC Report - a list of interlata and intralata long distance carrier codes by line.
• Line Verification Report - a report illustrating ownership and functionality for each voice line.
• Circuit Report - a list by vendor of circuits with base costs and all associated locations.
• Vendor Listing - a summarized listing of all vendors, contact information and associated locations.
• Enables you to easily see discrepancies or inefficiencies in your telecom environment.
Simply put, a Telecom Inventory and Expense Management is the best way to organize the IT Department, get an ROI on previous investments, consolidate all telecom information into one place, give an 'at a glance' at the total telecom environment; expenses, inventory, contracts, budgets, forecasts, invoice payments and vendors and allow for real-time management of your total telecom environment. Ultimately, Telecom Inventory and Expense Management will give you supporting documentation and accountability for your day to day business decisions.
Most importantly the Inventory and Expense Management Tool gives you power and knowledge you need to drive your business ... the power and knowledge you need to operate in the most efficient and cost effective manner possible.
One of the key benefits of the Telecom Inventory and Expense Management Tool is; you own the software and have complete Managerial Control. This is NOT a web-based program which you are merely granted access to with a PIN Number. Telecom Inventory and Expense Management Tools are cost effective and easily managed in-house. There is no need to rely on outside Consultants or Agencies to run the program for you. There are no monthly commitments based off of your telecom usage or the number of facilities within your enterprise or extraneous billable telecom hours. You own and house the program within your organization granting full accountability for your Financial and IT Departments. As an added value, there are e.courses available to you for your finance department. The primary courses for study should be: Telecom Terms, Understanding Taxes, Surcharges & Fees, Telecommunication Invoice Validation, Auditing Telecom Invoices, Correcting Invoice Errors & Obtaining Credits for Overcharges, How VoIP Works and Wireless Management Strategies. By incorporating both of these programs you will have complete autonomy, operational efficiency and overall financial savings.
Since we use software programs to organize our day-to-day business operations, doesn't it make sense to incorporate a Telecom Expense Management application to organize our most costly and prized necessity...?
On a side note, regarding service providers and vendors... Its okay to step out of the box of 'hospitality providers' when procuring vendors and providers. There are no differences between 'Hospitality' and 'Enterprise' clients in telecom. Please don't allow your property to become held hostage to antiquated equipment or service providers because you feel it's merely 'what you have to choose from'. Telecom has evolved. You might find a more competitive environment and people who are willing to work smarter for your business.
I had a great professor once who told me: 'Everything we do, we do in the name of Hospitality'.... We are in the Service Industry. This is what we do. We provide excellent Service. It always brings me back to the fundamentals of this business. The Power to Serve and to be of Service. I love this industry and I am passionate about it. Anything I can incorporate which creates efficiency, productivity and profitability with low out of pocket expenditures, rest assured, I will use it. And at the end of the day, 'all' the numbers are what gage our success.
Thank you,
It has been my pleasure.
877-24-KAREN
The Telecom Concierge
www.thetelecomconcierge.com
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