Telecom Cost Reduction Checklist

Note: The following is in no particular order or priority, and is by no means complete, but is meant simply to indicate the range of cost reduction possibilities we may evaluate for our clients.

Teleconvergence:

• Performs traffic engineering and evaluation to determine real bandwidth and trunking requirements, identifying underused or unnecessary facilities (as well as overextended ones).
• Creates statements and/or diagrams of the existing network and usage patterns, outlining financial opportunities to save money.
• Identifies circuits or services for which a client is contractually obligated but underutilizes as determined by SMDR traffic analysis and which can be:
  • Downsized or otherwise cost-reduced in exchange for modification of other contractual obligations which have no negative effect on the client
  • Beneficially modified or reused to provide redundancy or backup for critical facilities or services in event of unexpected demand or emergency contingencies
  • Parleyed or renegotiated to obtain additional needed circuits or to initiate bundled services that meet new or anticipated demands at little or no additional cost, or that provide additional cost savings over existing technologies or methodologies
• Identifies circuits or services that should logically exist but for which billing is ambiguous or which may be mis-billed and/or overpaid elsewhere
• Creates statements of contractual obligations
• Creates statements of contractual opportunities (Ambiguities and discrepancies, wiggle room, possible consolidation tradeoffs)
• Determines billing irregularities
• Determines if suppliers are billing contrary to contractual terms or tariffs or FCC regulations
• Evaluates contractual obligations to reduce costs where possible, increase coverage when necessary, and renegotiate on favorable terms as soon as we can. Examples of such contractual obligations are:
  • Long distance and International Calling agreements
  • Cellular Agreements and Usage
  • Data Networks and Internet Bandwidth
  • ISP and Managed Service Agreements
  • Equipment Leases
  • Maintenance Agreements and Time & Material Agreements
• Accumulates many of the details that will be required to issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) or RFB (Request for Bid) for new or replacement services
• May ultimately ask such questions as:
  • Why does so much capacity or capacity exist in this area, when demand or usage doesn't seem to justify it?
  • If this area is so important, and you've concentrated services under one supplier/circuit, etc., to save money, what plans exist to back up this circuit/service if it goes down? In other words, what's your Plan B?