Financial Management
It may sound like the most obvious thing in the world but the first step to reducing the cost of mobility is knowing what those costs actually are - in detail!
It is not uncommon for Australian enterprise businesses to have limited control of their mobile fleet. Let's face it - only 10 years ago there was no such thing as corporate mobility.
Phenomenal technological growth along with the aggravating factors of business growth, geographical spread, independent business units, staff turnover, remote workers, constantly changing offers from network providers - has resulted in fragmentation and complexity.
However, mobility is now a business-critical tool of trade and a dramatically increasing expense. It is imperative to control costs, manage expenditure and forecast accurately.
VoicePlus TEMS solution focuses on three key outcomes for financial management outcomes:
- Benchmarking Costs: knowing exactly who has what device, and service, and detailed expenditure records
- Total Cost of Ownership: understanding the current and future ownership costings
- Budgeting: being able to accurately forecast reasonable expenditure
For many companies an audit of current information records will be required to establish accurate ownership of mobile devices and plans.
The most effective means of auditing the mobile fleet is to conduct an Employee Mobility Survey.
A survey of employees will authenticate any existing records by confirming device ownership and service plan ownership, and this will allow a benchmark Asset Register to be created.
Mobile SmartFleet Survey is a web-based survey with associated automated workflows which has been developed by VoicePlus.
The survey can be accessed 24/7 from smartphone, tablet or an office desktop.
In the first instance the survey forms are developed and auto-populated with existing device and service contract records. Employees are notified of the survey by an automated workflow of emails and text messages. This communication program ensures that survey compliance typically runs at 90%. Any non-respondents are followed up with a voice call to the mobile number.
Total cost of ownership is not just an individual's monthly telco bill.
Total cost of ownership is all the costs associated with an individual's mobility and, aside from usage, may also include:
- Device payments (mobiles) or lease (laptop/PC)
- Service plans
- International roaming
- Contract exclusion fees
- Excess charges
- Software - application licences
- Device maintenance - repairs and replacements
- A percentage of outsourced/third party service charges
For accurate forecasting, the business will also need to understand the current expenditure trends, whether they have shifted over time, and where they are heading. Emerging technologies also need to be planned for.
An example of a expenditure trend impacting budgeting over the last two years is the clear and obvious shift away from voice activity and towards data consumption by employees.
This trend has resulted in increased data costs, and required adjustment of mobile plans and services to mitigate the costs.
As a minimum knowledge base, the business needs to be certain about current expenditure and the prevailing historic trends.
VoicePlus TEMS solution provides comprehensive historic expenditure trend analysis, on which to base forecasting.
This information is coupled with VoicePlus expert TEMS Account Managers, who provide advice about new and emerging technologies which may impact spend.