As you and your team have moved toward a telecommunications service suite that is more digitally enabled and service-focused, you may have had the thought that not all telecommunications tasks need to be done in-house. Maybe, if you had a trusted partner that could handle the day-to-day details of your telecommunications tasks, you could focus on more strategic, bigger picture initiatives as Chief Information Officer.
That’s where managed telecom comes in. With a managed telecom partner, you have an on-call team available 24/7 to help solve problems which means less worry for you. You have someone working proactively to save you and your company money. You can remove yourself from the detail-work of handling contracts and vendors.
Why a Chief Information Officer Needs Managed Telecom
Going beyond the day-to-day task management, a great managed telecom partner will work with you throughout the deployment process, providing value-added services such as:
Sourcing (pre-order)
As a Chief Information Officer, your managed telecom partner should be fully equipped to manage the RFP process for any new telecommunications program, big or small. Their sourcing process will include inventory capture and comprehensive assessments to ensure that no redundant products are purchased and you are getting the biggest bang for your buck out of every contract. They will conduct scorecard completions, as well as manage the procurement and legal process throughout the project.
Project Management (post order)
Once the sourcing process is over and your order has been placed, your managed telecom partner is still working hard. They will take the lead on planning kickoff meetings for your team and other stakeholders to present the project and let everyone know what’s coming down the pipe. Additionally, they will provide detailed migration plans that cover the project from start to finish. A single point of contact will be assigned to coordinate between you and all of the providers, so you never have to worry about who to call with a question or concern. Finally, they will manage all the paperwork from contracts to porting to LOAs, letting you focus on the bigger picture.
Tenacious Client Support (post order)
A managed telecom partner is just that: a partner. That means they are there even when the project is over. They will provide you with a dedicated client account manager that will be there whenever you need something. They will provide first invoice reviews so you don’t have to worry about accurate billing. They will also use their many years of expertise to provide strategic advice and recommendations on how to best reach your goals.
Now that you know all that a managed telecom partner can help you with, what should you look for in a great managed telecom partner?
Service/Order Deployment
Your managed telecom partner should provide complete project management for the deployment of the services. They should work closely with all suppliers involved in the deployment to guarantee the smoothest deployment possible, with the fewest hiccups. They should also ensure that service is delivered to meet your time commitments.
Account Management
Your managed telecom partner should provide reactive support and escalation for all your service needs. They should give you access to a complete communications inventory provided via secure web access. They should also be on hand to provide strategic advice and recommendations as needed throughout the partnership.
Trouble Ticket/Service issues
Your managed telecom partner should provide reactive support when customers and employees need help. They should serve as the project manager for the identified issue and engage with the vendor and others as needed to resolve. They should remain involved until the issue is resolved, the root cause is understood, and actions are taken to mitigate the issue going forward. They should also communicate with all appropriate and requested client personnel. BlackFin Square is engaged when a service issue/trouble ticket is identified and works as Tier 2 escalation with end-user by leveraging carrier & partner relationships and escalation processes.
Chief Information Officer + Managed Telecom Partner
A managed telecom partner may be the answer to all the questions you have as a Chief Information Officer about how to free up time to focus on the strategic bigger picture At BlackFin Square, we have more than two decades of experience in helping CIOs get back to work on creating company growth through innovation. Contact us today to learn more.
