From crisis to success of Telecom Expense Management (TEM) track
Our client, a global Aerospace and Defense (A&D) manufacturer, turned to HCLTech to help with reducing unnecessary costs, improving cost transparency and enhancing operational efficiency.
By implementing a robust Telecom Expense Management (TEM) strategy, their business gained better control over their telecom expenditures, improved budget forecasting and ensured compliance with corporate policies.
The Challenge
Uncovering inefficiencies in telecom management
Our client was facing several issues that stemmed from inefficiencies in their processes, including:
- Customer satisfaction
Limited support availability and slow response times impacted user experience - Outdated catalogs
Infrequent updates to telecom service catalogs created confusion and inefficiencies - Order and support delays
Fulfillment and procurement processes were often delayed, affecting service delivery - Incomplete location data
Challenges in maintaining accurate location records, especially for international sites - Voice service provisioning delays
Delays in activating voice services disrupted user connectivity and operations - Credit and billing issues
Problems with securing SLA and overage credits for services billed post-cancellation
The Objective
Driving cost efficiency and operational excellence
Our client was facing several issues that stemmed from inefficiencies in their processes, including:
- Cost reduction
Identify and eliminate unnecessary telecom expenses, negotiate better contracts and optimize service plans - Expense visibility and control
Provide clear insights into telecom spending across different departments, locations and service providers - Customer service
Redesign and revamp the Mobility Services Desk for better and more constant support for end users globally - Process automation
Streamline invoice processing, cost allocation and contract management to reduce manual effort and errors - Vendor and contract management
Improve negotiations with telecom providers, manage contract compliance and ensure organizations get the best value - Budgeting and forecasting
Enhance financial planning by accurately tracking telecom expenses and predicting future costs - Operational efficiency
Reduce administrative workload and improve productivity by centralizing and automating telecom expense management
The Solution
Enhancing visibility, reducing costs and streamlining operations
We implemented a comprehensive suite of services for managing and optimizing telecom costs, along with solutions for unified communications and collaboration.
- Cost reduction
Consolidated telecom services, negotiated bulk discounts and aligned plans with actual usage patterns while eliminating redundant lines and outdated contracts to significantly reduce overall telecom expenses. - Expense visibility and control
Implemented a centralized TEM system with dashboards and alerts that provide real-time insights into spending by department, location and provider, enabling better oversight and faster anomaly detection. - Customer service enhancement
Redesigned the Mobility Services Desk with a self-service portal and 24/7 support, while standardizing processes and improving SLA tracking to ensure faster and more consistent issue resolution. - Process automation
Automated invoice validation, cost allocation and payment processes to minimize manual effort, reduce errors and increase overall processing efficiency. - Vendor and contract management
Centralized contract storage and tracking, conducted regular vendor performance reviews and renegotiated agreements to ensure better compliance, value and accountability from telecom providers. - Budgeting and Forecasting
Leveraged predictive analytics to anticipate future telecom costs and aligned budget planning with real-time usage data and evolving business needs. - Operational Efficiency
Centralized procurement and contract management in a unified platform, enabling automated workflows for approvals, expense tracking and reporting to reduce administrative overhead and improve productivity.
The Impact
Driving tangible results across mobile and fixed services
Mobile services achievements
- Inventory optimization in the US
Completed refresh and update of the US telecom inventory - Long contract secured
Five-year contract renewal successfully executed - Operational tracking enabled
Developed a country setup tracker for ongoing visibility and control - Significant cost savings
Achieved $614K in telecom cost reductions for 2024
Fixed services achievements
- Streamlined Provisioning Process
Implemented email-based order process for more efficient provisioning - Customer satisfaction score
The CSAT increase from 45% in Sep’22 to 95.2% in April’25 - Enhanced Training and Visibility
Conducted training to identify all services tied to specific locations - Inventory Accuracy Improved
Identified and resolved unassigned location issues in the inventory - Regional Rollout Completed
Successfully completed the EMEA implementation phase - Outstanding Credit Recovery
Applied $359,778 in AT&T credits to customer accounts - Major Cost Reduction
Secured $1.1M in fixed telecom savings for FY-24
This engagement showcases how HCLTech’s strategic TEM approach empowered the client to achieve greater financial control, operational agility, and long-term cost efficiency in a complex, compliance-driven A&D environment.
Are you ready to take control of your telecom expenses and unlock similar value for your organization? Connect with HCLTech to begin your transformation journey.
