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Wireless Network Call Accounting

 

How call accounting users can expand their systems to report on both wireless and wireline activity

Call accounting software provides visibility into and control over wireline usage by collecting and analyzing call detail (CDR) records from the switching system. However, with the explosive growth of wireless networks in many organizations, fewer calls are going through the traditional switch. Visibility into this wireless calling activity, and all the benefits such visibility can provide, has become a priority for many organizations.

Veramark provides an upgrade path for VeraSMART Call Accounting software users who need to expand their systems to include both wireline and wireless activity. VeraSMART can be upgraded to incorporate the latest invoice management processes and technology as well as other components of the VeraSMART Telecom Expense Management Suite.

 

Electronic invoice processing

Wireless service invoices provide usage information that is similar to that
provided by CDR data for wireline activity. While this information is not provided
in real time, it is in other respects a viable source of visibility into, and control
over, wireless usage and spend.

Using this information effectively poses a number of unique challenges. The
wireless calling activity must be gleaned from complex carrier invoices, which
can run to hundreds of pages or more. This can be a daunting and expensive proposition if undertaken manually. To cut this task down to size, the VeraSMART invoice management solution accepts wireless invoices in electronic form and processes them automatically. Management lets you generate wireless usage reports that show how much individuals are using their wireless features (as compared to plan allowances) and the amount of overage charges. It also
provides wireless usage exception reports that compare the latest invoice with wireless category usage/charges and highlight exceptions.

Wireless usage information captured from invoices can help organizations realize many of the recognized benefits of call accounting. Additional benefits of invoice management include lower processing costs and a reduction in late payment penalties. But this is only a small part of the total savings that invoice
management – and telecom expense management (TEM) – can provide.

 

The gateway to telecom expense management

Many organizations, initially interested in invoice management merely as a way to gain visibility into wireless, have instead opted for a broader, centralized solution. Veramark’s comprehensive TEM solutions enable best practices and for wireless and wireline usage, invoice, inventory, sourcing, ordering and provisioning, and dispute management. The implementation of multiple management capabilities, beyond wireless invoice management alone, has a synergistic impact on cost reduction and productivity improvement.

While invoices provide information necessary for wireless call accounting, invoice validation requires an integrated inventory management system. The combination of invoice and inventory management opens the door to a range of capabilities, including:

• Change management – Managing moves, adds, changes, activations, and deactivation is an inherent capability of an effective inventory management system. Centralization of this process reduces the cost and inefficiency of ad hoc, decentralized methods of wireless ordering and provisioning, which plague many distributed organizations that do not have a TEM solution in place.
• Contract management – TEM solutions that include invoice management capabilities allow invoices to be validated against contract terms and rates, improving the accuracy of validation and reducing the likelihood that you will pay more than you owe for services used. The usage information collected by your TEM system, in addition to vendor performance data, provides the data you need to negotiate the most favorable contracts with your wireless service providers.
• Dispute management – An automated invoice validation process will generate exceptions that may warrant dispute. Armed with accurate invoice, inventory, MACD data, and contract information, organizations are far more successful in winning disputes against carriers.
• Workflow automation – Workflow automation multiplies the value of a TEM solution. For example, the VeraSMART Wireless Procurement solution – accessible to employees through a secure Web portal – can enhance productivity, enforce process and policy compliance, and improve cost accountability. Online procurement systems can present users with customized catalog selections and route their requests to appropriate individuals for review and approval.
• Plan and policy management – Management of service plan selection and policy design are critical to wireless expense management and should be part of any comprehensive TEM solution. Your mobile users must be made aware of their rights and responsibilities with regard to plan compliance and appropriate use of their wireless devices and services.

The heart of TEM

VeraSMART Call Accounting software remains an effective stand-alone solution for managing wireline usage. But for organizations that want to manage their wireless costs as well as wireline, the comprehensive VeraSMART TEM system provides the most cost-effective solution. Available as licensed software, SaaS, or as fully managed service, Veramark Telecom Expense Management offers a comprehensive, life-cycle approach that provides the visibility and control necessary to reduce both wireline and wireless costs.