Unlocking Hidden Savings to Invest in Growth: The Power of Better Mobile Lifecycle and Telecom Expense Management

In today’s digital-first world, Australian enterprises and government departments spend well over $20 billion annually on connectivity and mobile devices. This significant expenditure often comes with hidden inefficiencies and unnecessary costs. The dynamic nature of telecom services and mobile devices, with their variable nature and frequent organisational changes, creates a perfect storm for operational inefficiency and wastage.

Eye-Opening Statistics:

• According to a 2022 Gartner report, organisations can reduce their mobile costs by 20-35% through effective Mobile Lifecycle Management (MLM) and Telecom Expense Management (TEM) strategies. Now, in this world mobility is growing, so reduction of wasted spend can fund growth requirements.

• A study by AOTMP Research found that 80% of enterprises struggle with accurately allocating telecom expenses to the correct cost centres, losing visibility and accountability for spend.

The Persistence of Inefficiency:

 Why does this inefficiency persist? There are four key factors:

1. Asset Mobility: Devices and services are tied to locations, functions, or individuals – all of which are subject to change.
2. Wastage by a Thousand Cuts: While individual assets may seem small, they collectively represent a substantial cost that needs to be managed.
3. Fragmented Ownership: Responsibility for these assets often falls into a grey area between IT, Finance, Cost Centres, Line Managers, and even external parties such as Carriers or Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
4. Information Silos: Critical data is scattered across multiple systems, making it challenging to maintain a unified, up-to-date view of assets and expenses.

The Core Issue:

In an era where cost management is paramount and governance around devices carrying sensitive organisational information is crucial, why do many Australian enterprises and government departments still relegate the management of this vital asset class to the periphery?

The answer lies in the complexity of the task. Effective MLM and TEM require not just ownership, but also the right tools to integrate information, vendors, and systems seamlessly.

Unfortunately, most platforms in the Australian MLM and TEM space have been complacent, with zero investment and a tendency to exploit customer inertia in this category.

The Solution:

At Bluewater Control, we recognised this gap and developed CONNECT, Australia’s most advanced MLM and TEM platform. Our solution provides organisations with a robust foundation of capabilities that simplify management and drive continuous improvement. As an Australian software company, we’re committed to solving this significant niche problem.

Remember, you can’t control what you can’t see. Effective savings and governance in MLM and TEM start with having the right tools at your disposal. CONNECT brings all your data into one place with powerful association, allocation, reporting and workflow functionality.

The Benefits:

By implementing a comprehensive MLM and TEM strategy Organisations can typically achieve 15-25% savings on their mobile and telecom expenses within the first year (Source: Amalgam Insights, 2023) and IT departments can reduce the time spent on mobile device management by up to 40% (Source: IDC, 2022).

Conclusion:

While the challenges of mobile lifecycle and telecom expense management are significant, they also represent a tremendous opportunity for organisations and government departments to drive efficiency and cost savings. With the right approach and tools, they can turn this complex spend category into a source of competitive advantage, getting more for their money. In a world where connectivity needs and value adding solutions are growing, freeing up unproductive spend for new projects in your connectivity ecosystem can unlock growth.