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Telecommunications Consultant - A telecom consultant is one
who provides assistance in assessing and employing various
telecommunications services. Their main responsibility is to
help you decide what your needs are and to find the most
cost-efficient prices. Our consultants handle each specific
element of telecom service, such as phone lines, fax,
internet and modems, and all computer networks. Acting as a
negotiator, your consultant should work closely with you and
vendors to find the best available service at the best
price. Whether your company is small or international, you
can benefit from consultant services. Their comprehensive
services concern bill auditing, contract negotiation,
project management, and security matters.
Consultant Profile
A telecom consultant is someone who is knowledgeable about
the latest technology and communication methods. They also
have good communication skills, themselves, as they work
one-on-one with clients in a personal manner. These skills
are necessary when handling negotiations between clients and
vendors. Consultants also require strong analytical skills
which they use during contract reviews and invoice
inventories. Many consultants also have a background in
sales or finance; specialties which enhance their
understanding of how to better serve you.
The Qualified Consultant
Telecommunications consultation is an unregulated market,
and many companies are allowed to continue operation without
demonstrating qualifications or proficiency. Therefore, it
is your responsibility as the consumer to look for certain
traits and signs that will ensure you are getting the
service you deserve.
When dealing with large companies and projects, you may find
yourself writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for telecom
services. Many clients, in fact, have consultants write
their RFP, in which case they are not even aware of what
goes into it. If you choose this route, you will need to
carefully and continually review the content of the RFP to
make sure that your needs are being served. You will also
want to come prepared with extensive research concerning
what a consultant does and how one should be chosen. When
interviewing consultants and writing an RFP, keep these
criteria in mind.
1. Client participation. A thorough and responsible
consultant will encourage your participation from start to
finish. You will find yourself becoming more familiar with
RFP content and language, reducing your reliance on
consultants to handle these matters in the future. A client
who relies completely on the consultant, seeking an easy
route, will hand over all RFP responsibilities. A qualified
consultant will discourage this notion, and should want the
client to take part in every element of the process, from
conception to implementation.
2. Documentation. The importance of adequate documentation
during consultation can not be underestimated. Though it
requires an investment of more time and money, you must
recognize how necessary it is to obtain thorough records of
the work done between you and your consultant. This applies
to vendor documentation, as well. Contracts, agreements,
proposals, and written plans are difficult to keep track of.
A good consultant, however, will demonstrate the desire to
completely review them. Competent consultants will want to
keep records of their work with a client and review all
client documentation concerning telecom services.
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A note on Refund Systems vs. the big software
companies. Not all telecom expense management companies offer
telecom expense management solutions that fit your organization's
exact needs. In fact, many of the vendors offering telecom
expense management software approach our auditors to outsource a
telecom expense audit for their clientele. These are usually
companies that are more interested in selling telecom software than
they are in a traditional invoice audit. That's why they
outsource. At Refund Systems, we offer telecommunications consulting
services in the truest sense of the term. You may need a
software solution but we would first offer and far less expense,
less time-consuming, and more profitable traditional audit and
telecom asset management solution to minimize your cost and maximize
your profit. In short, we'd rather analyze phone bill than sell
software.
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