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Telecom Expense Management
Published January 10th, 2017 by

How to Determine the Best Telecom Expense Management Software

Nowadays, the demand for telecom expense management software in both small and big businesses is increasing. This is because there are numerous advantages in using this management tool. The best telecom expense management software can actually simplify many tasks that are difficult and exhausting if done physically. These tasks include processing, making payments, and checking overheads initiated by employees. Thus, many businesses really want to integrate this kind of software into their current business systems and operations.

Aside from the common issues that you can resolve with the various features provided by the this management software, you can also brace yourself for many of its very interesting qualities. First, the software manages everything that has to do with the company’s finances. Moreover, it oversees expenses by employees as well as other people who are important to the organization. This act of checking the validity of every single expense of the business is essential in ensuring that the company receives its actual return of investment.

The top telecom expense management software usually focuses on telecom expenses, while other types of software deal with utility and travel expenses. When you use this software, your company can efficiently manage all reimbursement requests. Moreover, the software will be the one to determine the validity of each request. It automatically detects missing or incorrect information, and it checks and eases the entry of expense reports. In fact, when you are using your telecom expense management software, you will have an easy time checking expenses reports as well as monitoring them.

The traditional way of checking company expenses related to telecommunications is through the manual system and spreadsheets. However, this is only ideal for companies with minimal expenses. If you are planning on growing your business with more and more employees being hired as a result, the traditional manual way of assessing expenses can be very difficult to use. This is the reason why companies would prefer a good telecom expense management software. Thus, it is important to know which software is the best.

Know Your Purpose for Getting the Software

Before you try getting a telecom expense management software, make sure that your purpose is clear. There are many businesses that benefit from this type of software so you should make sure that your primary purpose is tailored according to your specific type of business. According to Getapp.com, you should be able to ask yourself a few questions before you can possibly choose. First, do you feel that your process of managing telecom expenses is not doing you any good anymore? If so, then you should try to get rid of this manual way of handling expense management.

Moreover, answer this question: “Are you suffering from a bulk of invoices that needs constant processing?” If so, then you should try to go for telecom expense management software that deals with invoices. Also ask yourself if your overhead expenses and labor costs exceed your total bill of amount or allocation for telecom expenses every month. If so, then deal with this problem with a good telecom expense management software of your choice.

Lastly, you can ask yourself if your company is facing a lot of challenges when it comes to the flexibility in managing the telecom needs of your business. If your wireless expenses and rate plan negotiations are causing more trouble than gain, then you should try to remedy this with your desired telecom expense management software. Most software solutions include services that you can use to keep track of wireless expenses as well as other aspects of telecom management that are hard to determine with manual tracking.

Check Accuracy in Recording of Data

Reviews of the best telecom expense management software indicate that the best software includes those that are accurate when it comes to recording data. There are so many tasks that a telecom expense management software does. One of these is data recording. Make sure that your desired telecom expense management software can perform this task very well. If not, then you will suffer from discrepancies of data.

There must also be accuracy when it comes to the approval of the reports submitted. Your software must be able to detect forms if errors are committed. The purpose is to call your attention to it so that you can send it back to your employee for immediate and necessary correction. Moreover, your software should be able to check your report thoroughly before it is endorsed for reimbursement. The software should also be able to efficiently generate the report of accounts payable according to what data is entered in the form.

Determine Cost and Ease of Use

When purchasing your telecom expense management software for the first time, always try to consider the cost. It should not exceed your budget but at the same time it should not compromise quality. Make sure that you choose a software that is reasonably priced and fulfill all your current expense management needs. Moreover, when you go for a good telecom expense management software, you should go for one that does not have hidden charges. Hidden costs will slowly eat up your monthly financial gains until it disturbs your entire business.

Before committing to buy a software, you should have all the pricing options available. Make sure that you choose carefully whether you should opt for a one-time license or a subscription-based contract. Weigh the costs in the long run and decide on where you can save better. Moreover, make sure that the quality somehow outweighs the costs, if possible. Besides, you are buying software to manage your telecom expenses well and not just to save money.

Moreover, you should also see to it that the telecom expense management software that you are about to purchase is not too complicated to use. If the software needs a high level of expertise when it comes to its operation, then you will have a difficult time getting someone to handle it. You cannot just choose a software that is too difficult to operate, otherwise you will have to pay more to the expert who will use it.

Check for Essential Features

Every good telecom expense management software must have essential features that make it capable of accomplishing the purpose for which you intended it. First of all, the software must have an order and provisioning function. This function involves simplifying the deployment of telecommunication carrier network services as well as mobile assets. Moreover, the software needs to have an inventory function, too. This is crucial to the centralization of your asset database as well as to the tracking of purchases and receipts.

There are many other interesting features of a good telecommunications expense management software. It must be made up of both wired and mobile services that include data usage and voice usage. Every telecom expense management software must also be able to manage telecom expenses easily in order for the company to handle telecom setups more efficiently. If you have no software to do this, then you will have a very difficult time handling and managing expenses. Any mistake or problem in this aspect of your business will practically disturb business operations.

Another common feature of all telecom expense management software is that it also automatically spots areas where you could lose money. It tries to give you suggestions as to how to fix this problem. For example, if you are sending out 20 sales clerks into the field for sales with their mobile phones, you might end up losing money every month. This is due to the overpaying of data on mobile phones as well as unused call allocations. Only a good telecom expense management software can actually remedy this problem.

Moreover, good telecom expense management software systems are capable of various types of management. First, there is invoice management and ordering management for accessing and tracking telecom services. The software also takes care of usage management and tracks usage permissions based on invoice data. It also employs sourcing management as it keeps a database of market prices and constantly provides suggestions for reducing company expenses. Lastly, the software may also have auditing functions and support for third-party integrations.

Go for One With Good Customer Support

Before you purchase your first telecom expense management software, remember that nothing beats a vendor with excellent customer support. Those with good customer support are equipped with ways to deal with all the technical issues that may arise as you begin using the software. Otherwise, if there is no customer support or if it is not available 24/7, then you may be forced to find solutions on your own. Moreover, without good customer support, your business will not grow to your desired goal.

Bad customer support always cost you your reputation. If technical issues with your telecom expense management software delay your business operations or complicate your financial records, then your business may be negatively affected. What is worse is that you may have made promises to your customers earlier but technical issues with your software may delay these. However, nothing beats a wrong financial statement if your telecom expense management software is having some technical problems. Wrong financial statements will also affect payrolls and payment schedules.

When it comes to telecom expense management, the best software is one that would fit your purpose and fulfill your specific telecom management needs. You should also try to go for something that is reasonably priced while not sacrificing quality. Moreover, it should have the essential features common to the best types of telecom expense management software, including accurate recording and reporting of telecom expense data. Lastly, it should be purchased from a vendor that provides 24/7 customer support so that you can easily deal with technical issues. If you want to take a look at the list of recommended telecom expense management software for your business, then you should go check out CrowdReviews.com.

Our rankings are completely independent, transparent, and community driven; they are based on user reviews and client sentiment. These telecom expense management companies had to earn their way up and didn't just pay their way up.

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