Session Code #445 Call Accounting Best Practices in an IP World Speaker Name Jon Speaker Giberson Company CONNECTIONS, Telecom Marketing, Inc.
Learning Objectives Learn how call accounting has evolved: To become a valuable pre-assessment tool for moving to IP Management tool for IP converged users That it is not just a telecom tool It has reports for most departments How to get it funded How to purchase and use it effectively
Survey Telecom? - IT? both? TDM? - IP? Hybrid? Migration plans? Call accounting yes? - No? Experience with it?
Today s Telecom/IT World High-speed servers, routers and networks Virtual Machine (VM) technology High-volume, low-cost storage Improved operating systems/databases Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Quality of Service (QoS) concerns Requires monitoring and measuring
New Name For Call Accounting Voice Activity Analytics Voice Activity Reporting Productivity Monitor Call Management System Forensic & Risk Management Tool It s an Analytic Tool, but it is Not what it was!
Analytics Analytics The science of logical analysis Analyze To examine critically To exam carefully to identify causes, key factors, possible results
Call Accounting As An Analytic Tool It monitors, measures and reports on PBXs, desk and cell phone activity Reports: Analyze productivity of people and systems Provide visibility and trends to voice usage Help analyze & optimize PBX configuration Benefit virtually every department
Visibility to Call Activity Lowers usage costs improves productivity Benefits Lower costs Improved productivity Fewer trunks Less bandwidth Better Quality of Service (QoS) Higher Quality of Experience (QoE) Improves your credibility and visibility
Things to Analyze Voice traffic Call patterns, locations, states Voice system configuration Correct number of trunks Productivity Sales, customer service Telecom costs Trends, budgeting
Carrier Analysis Analyze spend to ensure proper routing
Pre-Assessment analysis Migrating to VoIP?
Uses & Benefits of Various Reports
Traffic Study Optimize trunks Delete low-usage trunks and save Add trunks to avoid all trunks busy Trunk Group #2
Trunk Use Analysis Trunk Member Report No calls? Dead trunk, no dial tone, too many
PBX Analysis & Optimization Unused extension report Don t buy new reassign Eliminate or delay purchase Reduce maintenance costs
PBX Analysis & Optimization Voice Mail & IVR ports All ports working? Too many or too few? Port 100 Port 101 Port 102 Port 103
Chargeback Profit Center Based on usage + fixed charges Departments, Divisions, Projects, Tenants
Allocate Total Telecom Costs Based on usage %
Analyze Trends More or less bandwidth More or less people Explain anomalies Budgeting
Analyze Total Calling Productivity Cellular and desk calls in one report
Analyze Sales Performance Who is the most/least productive? What is the average Number of calls - call length What is the optimum to manage toward?
Analyze Toll-Free Number Usage Advertising/Marketing Who is calling you? From where? Who is answering these calls?
Who Are We Calling? Our biggest customers? Or..? Identify them Name them
Analyze & Compare Rates I can save you 20%! Call Type Report
Analyze Incoming Call Patterns Time of Day Report
Success Stories Misdialed fax number Water district Illegal immigrant activity Bomb threat Incorrect carrier billing Union issues/utility company call outs Mitigate Dr. claims about paging Performing Arts Center 12 years
Purchasing Tips Develop set of requirements needs/wants List of sites & number of users List & description of trunk groups Type of PBX version - release Functionality reports Future needs migration, etc. Value vs. cost
Vendor Issues Vendor pricing methods Costs to add on Number of people to access system Type of installation and support On site, remote, VPN,??? Support Provided by? Location? Hours?
You Need To Know Server specs VM? Operating system Database Length of warranty Cost of second year support Current version being installed Road map future features Upgrade/update costs & frequency
What About? Call pricing Call storage Save raw call files? Type of connection to PBX Optional items & costs Acceptance criteria MAC updates References
Reports Do they give you the information you want? Customize - filters Get a printout of all reports Distribution Excel, PDF, schedule, email Easy to produce?
Training How much time? How many people? How often available? Costs for additional time or people? Who does the training?
The Demo Do it yourself! Ease of use? Or?
Compare
Getting it Approved Solicit funding help Show benefits & value to decision makers to get executive buy in! Distribute reports to key managers They have bigger budgets and more clout They want and need the information in reports
Get Executive Buy In! Necessary for budget approval Revenue producers sales/telemarketing Revenue protectors customer support Corporate protectors - Risk Management, HR, Compliance
Installation Schedule Time line with dates Scope of work Who does what? Vendor, customer, PBX VAR Names, contact info of all involved Send announcement to all employees From high-level exec Article in company newsletter
Installation Customer-specific data Extension/user/organizational Trunk group names and descriptions Authorization codes DNIS number Call pricing
Ongoing Management Assign an administrator and make it part of job description with backup It must be somebody who cares! Keep org data up to date! Take vendor s training classes Schedule a key report to send to a C level every month Contact vendor when updating or adding sites
Ongoing Management Develop a procedures manual Server details, backup details Samples of most popular reports Vendor contact info, dates, contract, prices, etc. Keep system updated to current version Keep soft and hard file of all relevant data Purchase and warranty dates, vendor info, contract, PO, etc. Include in corporate policy manual Backup!!!!
My Observations After 27 years Strategic corporate asset It s not just a telecom tool - every department can use Most under-utilized app Great ROI un-recognized! Not having one is like
Thank You! Jon Giberson jgiberson@callaccounting.com http://www.callaccounting.com 800-900-9700
Thank You for Attending Please remember to complete your evaluation of this session in the CONVERGE2014 mobile app. Session Code #445 Call Accounting Best Practices in an IP World