The cost and purchase
management specialists
Auditel was a founding member of the Utilities Intermediaries Association in 2006.
COSTS WE COVER
Communications
The cost and purchase
Auditel was a founding member of the Utilities Intermediaries Association in 2006.Understanding Communications in the UK
Day in, day out, companies are bombarded with promises of cheaper telephone calls and services. So, as an organisation trying to streamline and reduce your communications expenditure, how do you make a decision between all those companies that appear to do the same thing?
The solution is to use an independent consultancy that will review voice, data and mobile services to make the best recommendations for your specific requirements.
This is the Auditel approach. As an independent consultancy, we're not allied to any one supplier so we give our clients the guidance they need based on their unique communication profile. Established in 1994, shortly after the deregulation of the telecommunications market, we have 14 years experience in this marketplace, giving us in-depth knowledge to find savings and manage your communication needs, including voice traffic, infrastructure and phone system requirements.
Voice Traffic
First we analyse your current supplier invoices to establish your unique call profile to find the correct pricing structure for your organisation. Then we work with your incumbent supplier to find a suitable replacement tariff or approach other suppliers for a more appropriate package for your call usage.
Infrastructure
Your communications infrastructure encompasses all the phone and fax lines, extensions, switchboards, modems and other devices that you use in your communications systems, whether voice or data. Over time this infrastructure can become confused as new lines are installed, fall into disuse or as new sites are acquired and the needs of your organisation change. Our audit includes a thorough review of all your communications assets and an assessment of their suitability for your specific communications profile.
Phone Systems
As your business develops, your requirements change and new technologies come into the marketplace. Upgrading or inputting a new phone system can be a complex, not to mention costly, experience. We can help you sift through the available options to find the right system for you. If your existing system continues to suit your current requirements, our review will investigate the cost and scope of your maintenance agreement to ensure you aren't paying more than you need to.
Why you should use
experienced communications consultants
As well as analysing your voice traffic, communications infrastructure and phone systems, our overhead expenditure review will include a thorough retrospective audit to look for over payments and historical billing discrepancies. This includes one of the most significant financial risks for any company in terms of their communications expenditure - fraud and phone misuse. Most common in telephone fraud is the illegal routing of calls through a company's switchboard and, according to the Telecoms UK Fraud Forum, it costs UK businesses hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.
Phone misuse by staff and third parties is also a frequent problem. Records show that some UK employees make as many as 15 premium rates call a day at work. At Auditel, we have bespoke analysis tools which we use to detect fraudulent activities, highlight misuse and to confirm correct billing. This means our clients can rest assured all their telephone activity is directly related to their business.
What Next?
In this section we also cover the following topics:
- Tel: 0800 583 3355
- Email: info@auditel.co.uk
Case Studies
Below are a couple scenarios where we helped clients:
Phone Misuse
A client barred international calls from their office telephones. However, Auditel's analysis identified a pattern of calls to 0870 numbers so conducted further investigations. It turned out that a security guard was spending a lot of time making personal calls to people all over the world.
Infrastructure
Auditel was asked to look at the communications expenditure for a multisite car dealership. Following our review of the sites, we found that one had over 30 lines installed - enough for a 150-person, 24/7 call centre. By reducing the site to 10 lines, Auditel found yearly savings of £6,000 on their infrastructure alone.
Voice Traffic
A group of photographic studios asked Auditel to look at their call charges. Their headline peak national call rate was extremely good for a company that hadn't employed cost management consultants. However, the costs had been dealt with in-house which meant no one had thought about their call profile. Being a B2C business, 46% of traffic was in the evenings and at weekends, for which they were being charged the same rate as daytime calls. The in-house team also missed the cost of their 0845 numbers, cost of Directory enquiries, cost of TPS services, and the cost of calling the speaking clock. Auditel identified almost £200k of savings by addressing these issues alone.
Need help with your overheads?
If you would like us to analyse your overheads book a meeting with an Auditel Consultant.
Book a no-obligation meeting today.