Cost Control of Wired and Wireless Networks





	Cost Control of Wired and Wireless Networks: Best Practices Wireless and mobile communications now account for 30% or more of the total annual communications expenses in many—if not most—enterprises. And many of the carriers/service providers have more than a 30% error rate on the monthly bills sent to customers. In short, enterprises pay thousands of dollars in overcharges each month, and the situation is likely to get worse as you migrate to IP Telephony and Unified Communications, and as the carriers expand into hosted and managed services, security, and other areas. The new communications technologies coming into the market are wonderful, but only one thing is certain: You’ll face more complexity and more chances for billing errors. Learning how to control your telecom and network costs isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. You need to understand where the leverage points are, and to become familiar with best practices for cost containment and control. This course begins with the fundamentals—the hows and whys of telecom cost audits, and moves into analysis and explanation of the Telecom Expense Management (TEM) tools and practices that will help you better manage your network, your budget and your career. Who Should Attend This course is designed for (but not limited to) Communications and IT Managers, Analysts, CIOs, CTOs, CFOs, Controllers, and other professionals interested in proactively controlling enterprise communications expenses without compromising productivity and network performance. This program is for professionals who seek to gain control, deploy proven best practices, and tangibly affect major communication budgets and expenses. What You Will Learn Recognize how communications costs have escalated to be among the largest expenses in today’s enterprise. The control of these costs can dramatically impact your company’s bottom line! Identify where to look to avoid overpaying your carrier/service providers. The dollar value due to billing errors is staggering—as much as 30% of your annual carrier spend, plus taxes and surcharges. Identify best practices for controlling and reducing costs. It’s essential that you understand that components of carrier contracts and how to leverage that understanding to reduce the rates you pay. Learn how to find unnecessary lines/services, the cost-benefit analysis for replacing older data networks, and learn how to leverage IP Telephony/VOIP, video over IP, audio conferencing and Unified Communications, and how to reduce maintenance contract costs. Leverage techniques for managing wireless communications—they’re much different than wired—and the best ways to handle mobile billing (corporate vs. personal) for your organization Learn about the 3 most dangerous telecom trends that will affect your bottom line over the next 3-4 years. Understand how cutting-edge telecom expense management practices can be leveraged in your organization based on trends in the wireless market, invoice management control and available new technologies. Dramatically reduce your communications services costs. Improved efficiencies can be achieved during procurement that can save you as much as 65%; you can realize savings of up to 50% via better, smarter audit procedures; reduce your costs of managing network expenses by up to two-thirds. Understand the best Telecom Expense Management (TEM) practices and learn about the available products. Compare selected TEM vendors, products, and services. Manage and create a self-service environment for allocation and execution of costs back to departments on a monthly basis, Demystify all of the steps involved for implementing telecom audits and TEM in your organization, Identify the best ways to establish baselines and consolidate carrier billing for your organization. Course Details Course Overview and Introduction Defining Telecom Audits Defining Telecom Expense Management Cost avoidance vs. costs savings Understanding Contracts as a baseline Categorizing recurring billing network types Data hardware Voice hardware Carrier Services Wired Wireless Virtual workers Best Corporate Environment Measurements Market Trends Consistently erroneous Telecom billing Carrier pricing plummeting as new services are offered Increased bandwidth requirements Automated vendor billing feeds Electronic Portals and Payment Going Green with Telecom billing SLAs and associated Credits Insource, Outsource, or vendor source Short Pay or Overpay—which way to go Cell mobile market increasing extemporaneously Managed and self-managed models Converged network models, IP-only networks VPN models, remote worker models Reduction and elimination of unused technologies Extended contracts More sophisticated procurement processes VOIP networks, Video over IP—and how this affects short and long term TEM Departmental allocation—what works and what doesn’t Extended carrier services offerings Strategic and operational issues of IT departments Understanding Telecom Circuits and Billing components Carrier networks—transport methods Dial-up—POTS Lines, ISDN, T1, PRI, OPX, FX, other Packet switching—Frame Relay, MPLS, ATM, SONET, Internet IPVPN, Ethernet, other Access Networks—DSL, cable modem Dedicated—Leased line (data, voice)—OC-48/12/3, T3, T1, Fractional T1, other Bypass—Microwave, Satellite, dark fiber, other Hardware components LAN and WAN differences PBX vs. Centrex Cellular and mobile technology Data infrastructure Routers, switches, firewalls VPN clients Understanding circuit components Local Loops Mileage Charges Bandwidth EUCL charges USOC codes Taxes and surcharges, including FCC, USF, other charges Casual Billing Discounting Slamming Bundling and additional managed services used Added services to circuits Rates per minute, vendor carrier PIC selection and rate plans Telecom Audit—The Baseline and Short Term Refunds The Audit process Review copies of current Telecom bills (LEC providers, IXC providers, CPE providers, ISP providers, etc.) Determine annual Telecommunications spend (voice, data, Internet, cell etc.) Identify lines and circuits, verify purpose, and determine identified and unidentified costs Contracts—review contract components Scope Monthly, annual minimums, discounts SLAs and penalties Key contact points for reference purposes Considerations for modification and consolidation within contract period Maintenance and subscription agreements Analyze T1s and PRIs for possible reductions, modifications Learn how to document variances Learn how to obtain ETAs for change in billing, file for refunds, and ensure refunds Carrier settlement letters and proof of implementation Mobile/wireless/cell Rate plans and term agreements Optimize for best aggregate rates Geographies/coverage, International Corporate vs. personal liable and tax implications Master best practices for managing costs Billing Consolidation Deploy best practices for consolidation and internal billback/internal billing systems Utilize Electronic and CD billing as required, as offered, as needed TEM—Understanding the Process and Tools Best Suited For Your Environment TEM as a process Tracking invoicing on a monthly basis—multiple carriers, invoices, and billing formats Aligning your organization for an efficient TEM model TEM purpose Manage carrier costs and inventory, internal billback Manage CPE voice and data hardware assets Facilitate a self-service departmental bill back model Identify viable TEM Tools Call Accounting: Wireline, Wireless Invoice Processing Asset Management Financial Management, Departmental Billback Service Ordering and Help Desk Functionality Work Order Management Directory Services Wireless Reports and Analysis International Aspects Understanding TEM offerings On premises Off premises Hosted offering—rental/lease Hosted offering—purchase TEM Cost Components Modules Sizing—number of sites, total number end points Purchase, Install Maintenance Subscription costs (ongoing) Upgrade costs Evaluating TEM providers, The RFP Process TEM Design and Needs Assessment—start Model Sites: Modules required and optional Proof of concept Trialing, test bedding the application Competitive, single trial Before or after procurement TEM Procurement Specification development—with short and long term growth considerations RFP development and issuance Pre-selecting vendors with right fit Evaluate based on best services offering, cost and technology offered Review of vendor proposals, evaluation, recommendations Contract analysis and awards Comparing major TEM providers—a sampling in key areas TEM Implementation and Best Practices Managing the TEM Environment TEM Implementation Field trial and test bed Feedback from field trial Systems Integration Implement Hardware Implement Operating system software Implement Applications software Verify And Test Perform Measurement Reports Implementation, acceptance and internal marketing promotion Training, delegation of operations and troubleshooting Documentation Ongoing Support Maturing and development of TEM and applications New applications and projects Organizational processes and logistics Logistics procedures and changes through growth Server(s)/network performance issues Tracking and measuring Reduced costs Cost avoidance Proof of TEM Further deployment throughout the organization Course Leader: Stephen Leaden, President, Leaden Associates, Inc.


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