When looking for a telecom audit, there are three types of consultants in the telecom industry:

Captive, Biased and Unbiased

A captive consultant is one who usually recommends or works with one “preferred” vendor for client projects. For example, IBM has a global alliance with AT&T and generally quotes AT&T network services on projects. This approach, in many cases may not be in the client’s best interest. A red flag should go up if you hear a consulting firm announce a joint marketing or business relationship with a vendor or carrier. Peruse the consultancy’s web site and press releases etc. to see if there are arrangements in place that could affect the consultant’s ability to be completely unbiased and independent.

A biased consultant is one who generally steers the client to a handful of vendors or carriers with whom the consultant has a business relationship. Not surprisingly, these consultants often factor the best commission rate into their selection methodology. A warning bell should go off anytime you hear phrases such as, “we get paid by the carriers” or “our consulting is free to you.” When a vendor or carrier web site lists authorized consultants or marketing partners, this is a tip-off that the consultant has a biased agenda.

Unbiased consultants don’t have financial relationships with any vendor or conflicts of interest that affect their recommendations. If you want an independent telecom consulting firm that will work strictly in the best interest of your business, be sure that they are not affiliated with or accepting commissions from any carriers or vendors etc…. Peruse their web site and ask direct questions to the representative of the consulting firm before deciding to move forward. Also, once you choose a consultant, examine their recommendations closely to determine if they are in fact unbiased and independent and more importantly, in your best interest.

Which description sounds best to you?!?

From negotiating your next telecom contract to selecting the new VoIP platform or simply wanting to optimize your telecom expenses by performing a Telecom audit, many IT and Telecom executives turn to outside Telecom consultants for help. Not every engagement is successful, though many of the problems that occur can be avoided if more time is spent choosing the right consultant. Also, most telecom consulting firms (auditors) will primarily look for carrier related billing errors, which are only the tip of the iceberg.

Unfortunately, the title of consultant is used somewhat generically in the telecom industry, so be sure to know what type you’re seeking. The biggest risk by far is bringing in someone who acts as a representative for a carrier or hardware provider when you want an unbiased professional, working solely in the best interest of your business. This poses a significant conflict of interest between the consultant doing what is ethical and right for the client and their real motivation, which is earning the highest commission possible. 

This is only one example of how Network Mapping Associates differ from the rest of the Telecom Consulting industry………

The TeleMap process developed by Network Mapping Associates has proven so unique, and so effective for our clients that we were Voted #1 in Fast Company’s Global Search for the Most Innovative Leaders in Business Today! No other telecom consulting firm can say that! This award wasn’t given to us because we perform a simple telecom audit; this award was given to us because our analysts examine your entire network with ultra fine precision, uncovering cost saving opportunities for your company. This process has been called “Telecom Forensics” by our clients because not only do we examine your network, but we actually map it out and give your company a visual representation of your network, hence the name, TeleMap.

Network Mapping Associates is so confident that our TeleMap telecom audit process will uncover tremendous cost savings for your business that we will work for free until we do. When I say work I mean work. I don’t mean someone in New Deli running some cookie cutter telecom audit software on your system; I mean an off site 90% manual investigation of your entire telecom network. All that is needed is your company’s’ telecom bills for 1 month and the contracts from your telecom providers, and we will generate a detailed blue print of your entire voice and data network that will point out where money can be saved. Your TeleMap is the product of evaluating your bills, contracts, service records, usage patterns, and associated per minute rates to uncover all billing inaccuracies and wasteful spending.

Most Telecom Consulting firms aren’t capable of providing that type of individualized, in depth analysis even when they charge you for it. We do all this for free! Our TeleMap process is so effective that our firm was recently Voted #1in Fast Company’s Global Search for the Most Innovative Leaders in Business Today, but we’ll get more into that later.

According to the Telecommunication Industry Association US businesses spent over 403 billion dollars on local and long distance telephone service and equipment in 2005. That number only represents the cost of one part of the voice and data equation. When you add in the cost of data, that equation becomes a black hole for a lot of businesses. It is a safe assumption that the final totals for 2006 will be even higher. Regardless of the totals, all industry experts agree that, if your business has not performed a telecom audit in the last 12 months there is a 90% chance that you are over paying sometimes by as much as 20-40%. The only way to really know is to hire a Telecom Consulting company to do an audit of your entire system. That’s why!

The only problem with that is the fact that there are a lot of Telecom Consulting firms out there. Every single one of them will tell you they are the best, but how do you determine who really is the best?!?

The ultimate test would be to find one that is willing to “put its money where its mouth is” and offer its service for free until it finds you savings. Yeah, right you say! Well, Network Mapping Associates is one such company…..

This is the time of year, the April 15th time of year, that no business likes to hear the word audit, but there is one type of audit that more times that not, results in businesses getting money back rather paying money out.  That is a Telecom Audit.  Most businesses probably aren’t aware of what it is, why they need one, or even who to turn to in order to find out.

That is the reason for this blog.  To help educate companies on what Telecom Consulting is, and why they desperately need it.  A Telecom Audit can help reclaim hundreds of thousands, if not, millions of dollars erroneously paid to telecom providers.  The majority of businesses get their phone bills, and pay them trusting that their telecom provider is not over charging them.  Come on, we all know that never happens on our personal phone bills right?  Why would we think that if it happens over tens of dollars on our home phone bills that it wouldn’t happen on our business phone bills where the potential for over changing could be thousands of dollars?  Well, it does happen, and it happens every single day!  It’s probably happening to your business right now, and you don’t even know it.  We are here to rectify that!

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