Wireless communication costs can use up a large portion of a company's or department's budget. A wireless rate plan optimization works to lower cellular costs, keeping more money in the proverbial corporate pocket.
Voice Plan Optimization
The emphasis of a wireless rate plan optimization is placed on analyzing primary and secondary voice plans (a secondary voice plan is added onto a primary data plan).
If a company is currently utilizing a pooled or shared plan, steps will be taken to ensure the voice user base has an appropriate pooling buffer (a pooling buffer is the percentage of minutes that are available in the pool after all the users' monthly usage has been calculated, less any free mobile to mobile minutes or night and weekend minutes). If necessary, adjustments to increase or decrease the pooling buffer will take place.
If a company is currently on individual plans, any underutilized plans should be identified as well as any devices that are incurring significant overage, and the appropriate plan changes will be suggested. A pooling analysis may be run to determine if moving to a pooling plan would benefit the company.
In the case of flat rate plans, an analysis would be run to ensure that the cost per minute rate is still more cost efficient than moving to a traditional individual or pooling plan.
Feature Add-On Optimization
Feature add-ons (such as messaging, international discounted plans and data add-ons) may be looked at as well during a wireless rate plan optimization in an attempt to further lower wireless costs. Savings opportunities will be identified for devices that could either benefit from having a feature added, or are not currently using a feature and could cancel it, eliminating its monthly recurring cost.
Finding a Wireless Optimization Provider
Outsourcing a wireless rate plan optimization is the best way to ensure impartiality as well as a thorough analysis. Several Telecom Expense Management (TEM) firms offer optimization services and solutions that can benefit businesses of any size.
It is important to ask for business references before deciding on a TEM firm to handle ongoing wireless optimization needs. An RFP (Request for Proposal) analysis should be provided by the prospective Telecom firm in order to demonstrate the presentation of the analysis and sample savings opportunities.
Depending on the size of the wireless user base, a wireless rate plan optimization should be run at least once a year. Typically a quarterly or twice a year analysis is more common.
Cutting communication costs can be painless and simple if a company takes advantage of rate plan optimization services.
Lorraine Sauer - Lorraine C. Sauer works as a full-time freelance writer.
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