Kae Zulager

After over 7 years in wireless expense management (WEM) industry, we started to hear the same questions from our new clients. And rightfully so. WEM is a new, complex methodology – in fact, many executives are not even aware it exists!

Those executives that do know of and utilize WEM, understand what an incredible impact it can make on wireless spending.

So in an attempt to spread our love and passion for this growing industry, here are 8 of the most frequently asked questions about Wireless Expense Management:

1. What exactly is outsourced wireless expense management?
It is a business method that outsources the management of corporate wireless billing and expenses, while optimizing for (in most cases) dramatic cost avoidance. Each element of wireless expense management (WEM), is critical because this method combines multiple cyclical processes with technology.

2. What’s the difference between Wireless Expense Management VS. Telecom Expense Management?
Although very close relatives, the methodology (and services provided) vary between the two. Most importantly, wireless expense management manages and optimizes the variable expenses that accrue from wireless voice, data, roaming, devices, plus any soft costs (i.e. communication time with carrier, internal management resources, learning curve). Historically, TEM is associated with the management of landlines.

3. Do we have to change my current carriers or devices?
Not at all. Most companies (including The Bill Police®) can work within your current wireless environments and still achieve a high level of cost avoidance.

4. How is managing wireless bills and rate plans going to save my company money
WIth daily changes in voice plans, devices, data plans combined with varying employee usage, most companies who are not proactively managing their wireless expenses could be leaving big money behind every month.

5. What is Mobile Expense Management?
It’s another term for wireless expense management, no difference between the two – they can be used interchangeably.

6. Is there any risk when outsourcing wireless expense management?
Very low – usually a zero “out-of-pocket” expense if there’s no savings. Plus, reputable firms should be able to guarantee a savings amount to be achieved during the optimization period.

7. How “hands-on” is it? Is this going to take up much of my own resources?
One of biggest benefits of outsourced wireless expense management is that experience for the client is literally “turn key”. By leveraging the expertise and technology of the WEM firm, organizations are able to completely outsource all functions related to managing wireless expenses – usually for much less than what it cost to manage everything in house.

8. How do I know wireless expense management is right for my company?
Wireless expense management is for organizations who subscribe to at least 200 or more phones on a monthly basis, and who are not proactively managing these expenses. Most organizations reduce their wireless spend by 25% almost immediately. (Some of our larger clients have reduced wireless costs by 50% or more)

Do you have a question about wireless expense management? Shoot us a quick message or leave a reply below.

Take our 7-question quiz to see whether or not you could use some expense policing:

1. Do you know if you are on the best wireless plan for your business? Yes or No

2. Are you spending lots of time on hold with the carrier to have your questions answered? Yes or No

3. Do you know if you are being billed correctly? Yes or No

4. Do you know where your spending is the highest and where you have opportunities for improvement? Yes or No

5. Can you easily break out costs between different departments or cost centers? Yes or No

6. Do you have one point of contact for your billing questions? Yes or No

7. Do you have trending information to insure wireless technology is being used properly to make your employees more effective? Yes or No

---

If you answered Yes for each question, congratulations! You must already be working with the Bill Police.

If you had 1 – 2 No’s, you are a wireless expense “pro.”

If you had 3 – 4 No’s, you are an “aspiring amateur” and could possibly benefit from our wireless expense management services.

If you had 4 or more No’s, “Emergency, emergency!” – you could be potentially spending 12%-53% more than what you should be. Contact us now for a free, no obligation, 30-minute consultation.

It is the middle of the work day. Do you know where your MAC attainment is? Better not rely on the carrier to know.

With another carrier negotiation comes another insight that the carriers have become so big that many times they are not even sure how they are billing enterprises for their wireless. Nor do they understand their own complicated rate structures or their own math for their requirements they mandate customers abide.

We recently underwent 4 very long iterations of MAC (minimum annual commitment) attainment figures with a carrier and one of our customers. The original current MAC attainment given by the carrier was overstated by 20%. That is, when we asked what the customer was spending today in MAC attainment numbers, they gave us a figure that was well above what the customer was actually spending. This is troublesome only because that is the amount that the carrier uses as a determining factor in the discount structures. If you are spending more, you get a bigger discount which is great– unless what the enterprise is spending is not what the enterprise is actually spending. Then, you get penalized by a lower discount.

Because of our industry knowledge and previous negotiations like this, we (The Bill Police aka TBP) debated the MAC amount several times with the carrier coming back each time stating that the previous figures were indeed incorrect. Their MAC number kept decreasing; ours remained constant. We even heard a statement made that said, “here is the correct MAC. The old MAC was wrong, but we can’t tell you why”. Really.

They even asked if we could provide them information on how to come up with our MAC number and why their figures were incorrect. Really.

Those conversations were still 2 MAC discussions before the final where our numbers finally were confirmed after seeing that in the last attempt, the carrier had added several items two times and therefore falsely inflated their numbers. Math: can be tricky sometimes. Yes, really.

Let us end on a happy note that the outcome was a better overall financial position for the customer in the end (to the tune of about a 20% savings each month on the bill from what they were spending). In the carrier’s defense, they are not in the business of making your bills right nor optimized. That’s our job. Their job is to get you a device that allows you to be mobile while doing business and being exceptionally more productive. They do pretty well with that.

So, keep a check on your MAC. It may be wandering aimlessly with no control nor oversight and if you aren’t watching it, few others are — keep it safe.