There was a time when there were no phones, fax machines, personal devices, computers, or the Internet. Today, most people cannot fantasize about such a primitive existence. Communication is the link that allows our world to function at its torrid pace. Companies must continually adopt modern technology to successfully compete in a world that demands instant results. Proper management of the communications infrastructure is crucial to the success of any organization.
Entry points into every organization typically include a combination of auto attendant, personalized call routing (CCR), voicemail, interactive voice response (IVR), automated call distribution (ACD), wireless devices, and countless other devices. Many organizations are turning to communication servers instead of conventional PBX systems to implement VoIP-based pipelines that reduce costs and maximize flexibility. Voice and data communication can now co-exist and flow freely over the same bandwidth. Calls can be easily set to simultaneously ring multiple devices, search for cordless or home phones, be routed to voicemail, or forwarded to another call center.
Communication management is now a multi-pronged approach that combines statistics from multiple facilities to identify billing irregularities, misuse, bottlenecks, downtime, productivity, or labor expense.
Billing reconciliation is often overlooked as carriers always bill based on contracted rate plans, right? According to analysts at Gartner, “Organizations can routinely save more than 10% of their annual telecommunications expenses by systematically verifying their carriers’ bills with equipment and services in use.” But it’s no longer effective to look exclusively at your traditional phone bills and compare them to the call accounting system in the back room.
The old adage rings true today “you can’t manage what you can’t measure”. Call accounting is no longer the flagship application of today, but it is certainly a necessary component. State-of-the-art communications management systems now collect system logs, Internet usage reports, router statistics, voicemail logs, CCR, hunt group information, and various device-dependent logs, as well as device detail logs. traditional calls (CDR).
Have you ever called your favorite electronics store to ask about the latest digital cameras, but got stuck in a series of endless messages about business hours, hard drive specials, and video games? Many companies are taking advantage of communication management systems (CMS) that study auto attendant activity and custom call routing trees. These reports help identify if calls are being dropped, dropped, or forwarded prematurely. It is imperative that customers are directed quickly and efficiently to their desired destination. The customer’s experience with your communication facilities will determine if they return.
Cost allocation at various corporate levels has been a core functionality of the most robust call accounting system for years. The downward trend in long distance charges due to falling carrier rates, bundled services and VoIP competition has diminished the importance of this function. This has given rise to the misconception that call accounting is no longer relevant. However, many businesses forget that there are many hidden costs that can be highlighted through the proper use of call accounting or communication management software.
If Jimmy in sales spends half his time on the phone, management might be delighted with his dedication. However, if Jimmy spends half his time talking to his girlfriend, maybe management should take a second look at him. Call accounting can be a key indicator of misuse and employee productivity. Regaining employee productivity is one of the main reasons to own a system today!
Fraudulent calls can often be routed through corporate facilities without the company’s knowledge. Hackers can find flaws in poorly designed networks, infrequently used extensions, voicemail ports, and tandem trunks. A call accounting watchdog should always monitor activity for irregular patterns. Modern call management systems use SMS, pagers, email and web interfaces to generate instant reports.
Communication management is a must to provide the right metrics to migrate to IP. Most companies don’t even have a proper migration strategy. Call accounting can help ease the transition by highlighting traffic volumes, peak hours, grade of service, abandoned calls, blocked calls, calls to front desk, and various other pin counts. These statistics will help determine bandwidth needs and requirements for auto attendant, wireless, IVR, and other services.
Some communications management systems have established interoperability with major vendors such as Nortel, Cisco, and Avaya. These systems often provide tighter integration through third-party call control. These solutions often upgrade the hardware by adding features such as: forced and verified account codes, call tracking, configuration blocking, and real-time emergency notification.
Companies often forget the need to trace the source of a phone call in an emergency. Many call accounting systems have built-in real-time alarm triggers that will alert authorized personnel of an emergency call. This feature is crucial when seconds can mean life or death.
Call accounting has definitely evolved and matured into communications management. The need for this software is more important than ever.
References:
Call Accounting for Every Enterprise (http://ezinearticles.com/?id=86399), Rito Salomone, October 2005
Best Telecommunications Expense Management, March 15, 2005
Additional Reference: What Great Telecom Managers Know, Roger Yang, Avema, June 2005
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