Telephone Expense Management (TEM) Tool

D&M’s COMMauditor system is a proprietary software program that serves as the backbone of our telephone expense management tool. Using this system D&M’s experienced Project Managers can:

• Quickly and easily determine if your invoices are accurate and point out all discrepancies
• Track your telephony-related assets
• Allow you to generate and follow trouble tickets from creation to resolution
• Highlight savings opportunities based on underutilization of resources
• Monitor wireless assets
• Help you take control of your communication and data expenses

How does COMMauditor work? Each month, at your option and through special arrangements with the leading carriers and service providers, your invoices can be downloaded directly into the COMMauditor system. The rates, equipment and line charges are analyzed and checked against the information in the inventory database.

Any discrepancies are instantly detected and brought to the attention of a D&M Project Manager via an email generated from COMMauditor’s notification program. The Project Manager will immediately contact the vendor to rectify the billing error and either have a new invoice sent or have credits issued.

More than just a static system that detects billing errors and maintains your telephony inventory, the COMMauditor program allows you to generate and track trouble tickets in real time, check the status of any number of projects being administered by D&M, as well as generate C-level reports that track trends and predict future usage and expenses.

The system also provides insight into areas of savings based on underutilization of resources. For example, if you have a satellite office that is paying for three T1s, but historical traffic suggests that one T1 can easily handle the load, the system will alert your D&M Project Manager of the savings opportunity.

Not limited to tracking only voice, data and Internet lines, the system’s robust resources allow you to monitor wireless usage as well. When combined with the inventory tracker, you will never pay for another ex-employee’s phone bill, or for their wireless computer card or BlackBerry. Once the system receives notification that an employee has left the company, the resources associated with that employee will either be flagged for use by another employee or turned down. You can also track “heavy users.” Plus, all wireless bills are analyzed to ensure you are being charged at the contracted rate and only for the equipment in inventory.

Aside from tracking voice, data, Internet and wireless assets, COMMauditor tracks all vendor contracts, including providing reminder notices via email six and three months prior to the notice period to prevent an automatic renewal clause from going into effect. And when it comes time to negotiate or renegotiate your contracts, because of the data gained from the COMMauditor system, D&M will be able to do so from a position of strength.

Another helpful feature of the COMMauditor system is an online calendar that tracks and provides a history of all MACD (move, add, change, delete) orders. The calendar also shows all trouble tickets (issue date, status updates and resolution), installation dates and times as well as contract issue and expiration dates. The calendar is set up in 5-year increments, to coincide with the maximum length of a carrier agreement.

The end result is a powerful tool that can reduce your communication expenses by 23% or more, and allows you to take an active role in controlling one of your largest line item expenses.

September 5, 2010