"It's not what we know that gets us into trouble, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so."
— Mark Twain
When it comes to Telecom Expense Management (TEM), a lot of organizations think they've got it figured out. They've invested in sleek TEM software, they've got dashboards full of colorful graphs, and they feel like they're in control. But here's the thing: knowing you have a problem isn't the same as solving it. That's where the gap lies, and it's why relying only on software can lead to costly assumptions.
From Red Flags to Real Savings: The Action Gap
Let's be honest, we've all been dazzled by sleek dashboards. They're pretty, they're informative, and they make us feel like we've got everything under control. But when your TEM software spots a 20% spike in costs, then what? That flashing red alert won't pick up the phone and haggle with your carrier. It won't comb through the fine print of your contract to find that obscure clause that could save you thousands.
That's where humans, actual breathing people with experience and determination, come into play.
The To-Do List Syndrome
Have you ever stared at a to-do list without actually doing anything on it? That's essentially what happens when businesses rely solely on TEM software without follow-through. The software shouts, "Hey, something's wrong here!" but then… silence. Meanwhile, those extra charges keep piling up month after month.
Here's the thing: fixing these issues often falls to your already swamped IT team. Picture your brilliant network engineer, the one keeping your critical systems running and fending off cyber threats, spending hours on hold with a carrier to dispute a $200 charge. Talk about a waste of talent. It's like hiring a Ferrari mechanic to change the batteries in your TV remote.
Stop Wasting IT Talent on Telecom Disputes
Let your engineers focus on engineering while our experts handle carrier negotiations and billing disputes.
The Missing Puzzle Pieces: Why Software Can't See the Whole Picture
TEM software is smart, but it's not psychic. It can't access information locked away in filing cabinets, scattered across email threads, or tucked in someone's memory. Those activation dates, notice periods, renewal terms? They're gold when it comes to negotiations, but they're often invisible to your software.
The Half-Baked Cake Analogy
It's a bit like trying to bake a cake with half the ingredients missing. You might have the flour and sugar (the billing data), but without the eggs and butter (those crucial contract details), you're not getting the results you want.
What Software Sees
- • Current billing data
- • Usage patterns
- • Cost anomalies
- • Basic invoice details
What Software Misses
- • Contract terms in filing cabinets
- • Email negotiation history
- • Verbal agreements
- • Market intelligence
- • Vendor relationships
The Renewal Dance: Where the Real Money Hides
Here's a little secret: the biggest savings aren't in fixing billing errors. They're in how you handle renewals.
Remember that time you asked for a raise and got a measly 3% bump? But when your colleague waved a competitor's job offer in front of the boss, they suddenly found room for a 15% increase? Telecom contracts work the same way.
Just nodding along with an auto-renewal is like accepting whatever raise your boss feels like giving you. But bringing competitive offers to the table? That's when carriers suddenly discover they can offer much better deals.
TEM Software Alone
Spots billing errors and anomalies
Strategic Renewals
Negotiating at renewal time with competitive leverage
Comprehensive Approach
Combining software, expertise, rightsizing, and strategic migrations
Ready to Maximize Your Telecom Savings?
See how combining TEM software with expert negotiation can deliver 30% or more in savings.
A Real Story With Real Money (That Could Be Yours)
We recently worked with a financial services company that was in a tight spot. They needed new firewall services but couldn't stretch their budget any further. Sound familiar?
The Success Story
While their engineer focused on testing the new firewall (you know, doing the job they were actually hired for), we dug into their telecom contracts. By the time renewal season rolled around, we didn't just accept whatever the carrier offered, we pushed back hard.
The result? An 18% reduction in their telecom costs.
Not just a few dollars here and there, but serious money that freed up budget for those critical firewalls they needed. And yes, we also helped them secure managed services for those firewalls. Talk about a win-win.
Beyond the Dashboard: Finding Your TEM Sweet Spot
So what's the takeaway here? TEM software is useful, and it can help spot issues that might save you 2–4% on your telecom spend. That's nothing to sneeze at.
But strategic renewal negotiations? Those can net you 5–10% savings. And a comprehensive approach that includes rightsizing services and strategic carrier migrations? Now we're talking potential savings of 30% or more.
The Secret Sauce
The secret sauce isn't in choosing between software or human expertise. It's combining them. It's having the visibility that good software provides, paired with the expertise and follow-through that only comes from experienced professionals who know the telecom landscape inside and out.
After all, a dashboard can show you where you're going, but it takes a skilled driver to actually get you there. Wouldn't you rather have both?
Conclusion: Avoiding the Trap of False Certainty
As you consider your TEM approach, ask yourself: Are you acting on what you think you know, or are you digging deeper to uncover the whole truth?
Because in the end, Twain had it right: "It's not what we know that gets us into trouble, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so."
And in telecom, that misplaced certainty can cost millions.