Finding: Telecom Expense Management Suppliers with Deep Market Knowledge Perform Better
October 27, 2014
By Matt Paulson, TMCnet Contributing Writer
Picking a partner to handle Telecom Expense Management (TEM) services and hardware is crucial for businesses with extensive communications systems, according to a recent blog posting on the issue.
Not only are specialists better equipped to organize and bundle expenses, but they are also closer to the industry and are able to secure cheaper deals from telecom giants with their unique skills. This creates a symbiotic relationship between TEM partners and businesses as well as TEM partners and telecom providers, where the TEM specialists act as the “man in the middle” and connect the two companies.
The best TEM providers are not just the ones with the best connections and the most experience, however. Even though these are important traits, a thorough knowledge of the current vendor markets is far more practical and profitable. According to a recent blog posting from Business to Community, vendor market knowledge should be among the top priorities that businesses consider when choosing a long-time TEM partner.
Finding a TEM partner with good market knowledge requires a little research on your own to see which vendors are offering the best service at the most competitive prices, but this knowledge comes with its own advantages. Ideally, businesses are best off when picking a TEM provider that already works with businesses in the same industry. Because they already have experience with companies with similar needs, they will know which vendor best caters to those specifics.
A TEM partner with extensive experience is also able to secure ongoing long-term savings as well by choosing companies that are growing and performing well over those that are desperate and struggling. While the low prices of one of these vendors may be attractive to inexperienced TEM partners, these unstable companies will often raise prices unexpectedly, while a more stable vendor is likely to be more reliably priced.
It’s something worth thinking about when deciding who to partner with.