The term ‘management’ promises to deliver expected results. It is about overseeing something to make sure it meets desired goals. Advocates of Telecom Expense Management (TEM), therefore, argue that TEM is always better than simple telecom auditing.

In one of our earlier posts, we discussed the perceived differences between TEM and telecom auditing. So, is one better than the other? Experts say that since the purpose of both is cost reduction, it is unfair to say that one is better.

TEM offers a complete expense management solution that not only helps reduce costs and tracks the problem areas, it sees to it that future costs are reduced and expenses kept to the minimum. Telecom auditing, typically, looks at cutting down the current costs; it may not strategize for the future.

Apart from managing expenses, TEM offers management in the following areas:

• Invoicing
• Inventory
• Usage
• Order
• Analysis and reporting

Let’s look at what auditing has to offer:

• Analysis of current services
• Error detection
• Cost recovery
• Plan review
• Usage review

Auditing is enough for a business that is looking at tracking errors and reducing its telecom cost. Also, auditing is done more for the present. TEM, on the other hand, helps make telecom decisions for the future. Auditing is more about finding the problems and letting the business take action. TEM is about finding problems as well as resolving them.

TEM and telecom auditing has overlapping features. A business can go for either of the solutions depending on its need.

Come back tomorrow for some more interesting analysis from the world of telecommunications.