READY FOR THE NEXT EVOLUTION IN TELECOM EXPENSE MANAGEMENT? CLM IS HERE
Communications Lifecycle Management (CLM) is telecom expense management (TEM) for companies on the leading edge. You may be familiar with TEM as a management platform that helps keep communications costs down. Since telecom expenses are one of the top-five budget lines, managing these costs is a must. TEM, for many companies, is just automated invoice reconciliation. CLM takes TEM to the next level with integrated management of all aspects of communications technology. Going beyond just catching invoice errors, CLM tackles the financial, technical and compliance issues (click here for more details) associated with communications and managed mobility services.
What Falls Under CLM?
Enterprise telecommunications has expanded well beyond traditional landlines and switchboards. This category now includes mobile devices, sensors, SIM cards, video, VOIP lines, messaging apps and more. With these new technologies comes the need to manage all of these disparate devices and channels through a single, streamlined platform. This is where CLM comes in. All communications networks, software and hardware falls under the same CLM umbrella.
Why is TEM Evolving into CLM?
Complexity is an increasing problem in the world of enterprise communications. Where once IT departments struggled to keep servers and terminals maintained and updated, they now add in a variety of mobile devices – often using different operating systems – wearable technologies, and app development and management, along with deploying new software. CLM puts inventory management at the top of the list. It allows you to track hardware, software, maintenance, services and the labor needed to handle these tasks.
CLM also rolls in functions like sourcing and contract negotiation, invoice processing, chargeback resolution, contract enforcement and dispute resolution, as well as many other managerial tasks. By keeping all of these management goals under a single dashboard, you can reduce the costs associated with telecom and IT. Tracking things like unused voice lines, “necessary” device replacements, download volume and international roaming charges on mobile devices allows you to cut costs associated with managed mobility services. Did you know that the average cost of downloads per device is $50 each year? When you are looking at more than 2,000 devices deployed across your workforce, that number offers a lot of room for improvement. The same is true for international roaming charges, which could be reduced with better controls over usage and international value plan enrollments.