Multimatics solutions - Broad Based Telecoms Scorecard

Multimatics, a telecoms optimisation specialist, has designed a Broad Based Telecoms Scorecard, which will cut telecommunications costs by up to 40% and improve staff efficiency by up to 10%.

The system was designed in response to frequently asked questions highlighting business telecommunications needs. It has been designed along similar lines to the Broad Based BEE scorecard. According to Mpho Mothapo, Sales and Marketing Director at Multimatics (Pty) Ltd, the service has been designed in this way because it is easily understood.

Simply put, the Broad Based Telecoms Scorecard gives the business owner a snapshot picture of the current telecoms circumstances, followed by an implementation strategy which will get the company to its desired future position. Mothapo states that for many companies, the telecommunications costs are probably the second highest non-operational expense. The reason for this is that companies simply don`t look very carefully at these non-operational expenses, even though they might have been carefully budgeted for.

"One can disagree with this statement, if all the factors at play have not been considered," says Mothapo. "For example, your company`s telecommunications bill arrives in the post. Like nearly every other company in South Africa, it is passed on to the accounts department for payment and the payment is made. There are no checks in place to determine exactly what has been paid for and whether the services paid for are actually what has been ordered or required."

In addition, there are more questions around efficiencies that need to be asked. How healthy is the telecommunications infrastructure in your company? How do your employees rate in telephony behaviour? How well does your least-cost routing system work? Is there any fraud being perpetrated using your PABX? Do you actually have the use of all the services you have been billed for? What contract terms do you have, and are these being met by your providers? "It is these questions that led us to design the scorecard," comments Mothapo.

The Broad Based Telecoms Scorecard looks at all aspects of a company`s telecommunications spend, from employee behaviour and least-cost routing, to what telecommunications equipment has been installed versus what is being paid for. Multimatics will check, for example, that the contract rates promised are indeed being charged. "It`s surprising how often this is simply not the case," says Mothapo.

Employees have access to the telephones in the office. How much of their time is spent on personal calls and how much on business calls? How much money is being spent on private calls? Is abuse and misuse of your company`s equipment rife?

The Multimatics inTELEct system is designed specifically to highlight these areas, and answer the questions above. Not only that, it looks at actual providers` bills to determine that the calls on the bills did, in fact, originate from your company`s PABX. "We have found many instances where there are discrepancies, not only the in the number of calls being reported, but also the duration of those calls," says Mothapo.

In addition, InTELEct examines the way in which incoming calls are handled. How quickly are they answered and how long are staff spending on the phone to these incoming calls?

The inTELEct Broad Based Telecoms Scorecard comes up with a rating along the following lines:

[TABLE]

The score items are described in detail below:

* Call routing: analyses all forms of least-cost routing, international, cellular, national and VOIP.
* Employee behaviour: looks at how much abuse and misuse there is of the telephone system.
* Private call analysis: looks at how much time and money is being spent on private calls.
* Provider rates: examines your contract terms.
* Telephone efficiency: is about the analysis of incoming call traffic.
* Telco equipment: is about making sure there is just enough of everything. Not too little and not too much.
* Branch setup: is about how costs can be allocated internally and whether or not PIN codes have been compromised.
* Fraud detection: determines whether the PABX has been subjected to various types of fraud that might be perpetrated, including "clip on" fraud.

Companies that obtain a green rating are doing well in terms of their telecoms. An amber rating is on the borderline and a red rating means that particular areas of business operations need attention.

Says Mothapo: "Once a score has been obtained, Multimatics will provide a strategy to the company to get every item into the green. There are more factors to consider than the telephone bill alone. Staff costs can double telecommunications expenses, so it is important to look at efficiencies. The telecoms score card looks at all relevant areas to outline the most effective solution."