Sometimes, at Inverse Technology Solutions, we ask ourselves why more businesses don’t outsource their telecom expense management services. It doesn’t make much sense to us. From what we can tell, few small to medium size businesses have the expertise necessary to do it well. We have found that most in-house resources are already stretched, handling other priorities. TEM often takes a back seat. And large and enterprise companies, who might be able to staff up for it, usually have determined it is not a smart use of their internal talent. To us, it would be the same as a company handling its own legal affairs or complex tax issues in-house. And similar to TEM, those problems and challenges can take on enormous proportions if the company conducts business in several states because each state has its own laws and tax requirements. The same applies to tariffs, rates, regulations, and more for telecom, data, and utility services. It can get out of control quickly.
Here are a few possible reasons why a business would not want to outsource its TEM services.
- Cost considerations: While outsourcing TEM services can bring efficiency and expertise, it may come at a cost. This might be true in some cases, but from our perspective, there is an easy way to identify savings vs. expenses early in the process. Our clients have found it financially beneficial to use our TEM services.
- Internal capabilities: If your business is relatively small and you have only one location, maybe it wouldn’t make sense. But as your business grows, you should consider it in the future. And if your business is enterprise-level, you may have found a way to develop in-house expertise, systems, and tools. Only your accountants can tell you if it has been a smart investment.
- Security concerns: Telecom expenses often involve sensitive information, such as billing details, contracts, and usage data. We understand. We’ve been in this business for decades, and this has never been an issue with any client. We take all the necessary precautions.
- Strategic considerations: For some companies, telecom expenses may be closely tied to their core business operations, and they see it as a strategic area where they want to maintain direct control and oversight. This reason is one we agree with; if, in fact, it is a critical aspect of your business, it makes sense to keep it in-house.
- Industry-specific requirements: Certain industries, such as healthcare or finance, have specific regulations and compliance standards that govern their telecom expenses. Again, we understand the reluctance to outsource. However, we have enterprise-level clients in the healthcare space, and together, we ensure that industry-specific requirements are met.
Considering the potential benefits of outsourcing your TEM services, savings being a leading one, not to mention freeing up internal resources to focus on core functions, virtually every business should, at minimum, explore what outsourcing their TEM services can do for them. We’d happily provide our thoughts, recommendations, and a complimentary pilot audit to identify your potential savings.
Call 800-854-2444 or visit our website, www.inversetech.com, for more information.