Thierry Zerbib CEO and Co-Founder

Here you are, looking for ways to get your TEM project up and running – and ultimately, successfully generating steady ROI. You see the value of TEM, but perhaps your colleagues do not yet. I’ve spoken with numerous customers about how they moved TEM initiatives forward. Here’s my abbreviated advice on what to do to get it done.

1. Get executive backing. It is critical that you create executive visibility into the project. They need to understand the value (hard dollar, soft dollar, etc.) of the results you expect. Once they get it, you’ll have the support needed to rally all other key players.
2. Use benchmarking to promote accountability. You’ll initially do this as a one-time event to establish a baseline. But over time, it’s wise to set up periodic measurements to continually improve performance in areas such as expense reduction, operational impacts, etc.
3. Report on results. This may seem like a fairly obvious one, but keep in mind that TEM involves different groups within your organization (IT, Finance, HR, C-levels) and each will have specific reporting needs. Establish reporting practices that meet the needs of each audience.
4. Establish value beyond refunds. It won’t be hard to sell naysayers on why you’d want telecom refunds, but you can take this even further. TEM provides powerful tools to help with budgeting and strategic planning, as well as with expense accountability and SOX compliance.
5. Use TEM business intelligence. Offer scenarios of how TEM will strengthen your organization as a whole. For example, you’d have carrier score cards to show Procurement the pros/cons of suppliers. You’d be able to examine the direct relationship between Call Center volumes and sales. You’ll come up with your own examples, but be sure to articulate the value of TEM BI.
6. Control the entire expense lifecycle. No one likes gaps in a system, so sell the beauty of end-to-end visibility. No more wiggle room for mavericks to procure services on their own. No more mysteriously lost dollars within the overall telecom spend. Final note here (and a full-circle reference back to #1): this makes executives very happy.