Call Accounting Featured Article

Going Back to School Shopping? Pick Up a Call Accounting Solution

  By Alicia Young, Web Editor

We’re entering mid-August, which means that we’re about to be bombarded with “Back to School” sales and commercials. Soon to be kindergarteners will be perusing the aisles for their very first lunch boxes and pencil cases, and college freshmen will be storming Bed, Bath & Beyond locations to get the best deals on the coolest new furniture for their dorm rooms. While kids of all ages prepare to go back to school by hitting up every possible sale known to man, schools need to start preparing as well. One way to get ready for the incoming classes is to implement call accounting solutions into operations.

For universities in particular, call accounting solutions can be especially beneficial. Universities deal with a lot of turnover; teachers come and go, students graduate, and administrators swap schools like it’s part of their job description. This is all fine, except for the fact that most universities don’t have processes in place to activate and deactivate phone lines. If several faculty members have left for some reason, but their desk phones are still active, the school is wasting a ton of money. Not to mention the fact that a lot of faculty have cellphones under the university’s name, and don’t always give them back after quitting. Too often, carrier bills go unreconciled, and inventory records are practically nonexistent in regard to phones or devices dispensed to employees. Plus, with multiple departments with which to allocate costs, keeping track of who owes what can become highly troublesome.

All of these things end up costing universities money, and poor organization is largely to blame. Without solutions in place to keep track of phone lines and spending, how is any organization supposed to keep tabs on everything? A small business would have a hard enough time doing so, let alone a massive college or university with thousands of students and staff members.

That’s where call accounting solutions can come into play. ISI’s (News - Alert) Telecom Audit service (Telecom Profit Optimizer, or TPO), for instance, provides a simple way for educational institutions to get a picture of their telecommunications expenses. According to the company, “ISI analyzes a company's telecommunications expenses at no cost, and provides analysis and an itemized report identifying areas that will provide potential cost-savings. Fees are based on a percentage of the savings that ISI finds for the company. ISI is paid only when implemented recommendations lead to real savings.”

In a large organization, such as a university, saving money is a large part of achieving success. It’s impossible to save money if you can’t even keep track of it, but call accounting solutions are here to help.