The Tribune

A telecommunications audit specialist says its recommendations can often help Bahamians companies slash their monthly phone bill by between 12-25 percent.

"Many businesses tend to accept utility bills as they come, assuming there's nothing they can do about it. A telecoms audit reveals key areas where you can save unnecessary costs," said Franklyn Winder, director of NetworkOne, a business-to-business firm specialising in telecommunications - IT infrastructure, business phone systems and consulting.

"Most times when a business requests an audit from us, it's for good reasons," he added. "They will ask us to validate the bill to determine its accuracy, that all services paid for are being provided, and they want recommendations to cut costs. They also want to know about new technology to swap out outdated systems."

Common billing errors NetworkOne uncovers include incorrect, obsolete or duplicate charges, incorrect extension count and services. It said its audits take anywhere from three weeks to three months depending on the company's size, geographical location and availability of past bills.

"Any business with multiple sites or over 50 extensions should have an audit completed at least once a year for the first two years, and every two to three years after," said Mr Winder, a former telecommunications executive who spent 28 years with a local service provider before launching his firm in June 2014.

NetworkOne added that it was not uncommon to find businesses paying for services they were not receiving, or carrying too many services, private lines or extensions that are no longer required or redundant.

"After a first audit you have a good grasp of what you have, and you're able to better monitor your bill. We would also recommend a telecom policy best suited for the business," said Mr Winder.

The second audit is to ensure the business is adhering to new procedures designed to correct weaknesses revealed in the first audit. This could be as simple as designating one central location in the company as the place to request new telephone and mobile services, or upgrade existing phone plans.

"When your telephone bill is thousands of dollars per month, that's something you want to look into and determine what could be stripped away in order to optimise cost," said Mr Winder.

After businesses have trimmed their phone bills, they often opt to switch out old equipment such as the popular but outdated Nortel Norstar tphone system that was discontinued by its manufacturer in 2010.

"It may cost more up front but almost always brings a quantum leap in long-term saving, productivity and benefits," said Mr Winder.

"Many businesses are utilising old telephone systems lacking in basic modern features, much less all the bells and whistles available today, such as IVR (a mobile extension app which allows your desktop extension to become mobile, sending voicemail to e-mail) and conference bridge, among many other features."

"Ideally, you want your business to keep up with ever-advancing technology. The best telephone systems today offer a multitude of convenient big business functions. These features reduce cost, increase productivity and improve the business customers experience."

NetworkOne said past and present clients include companies involved in energy supply, aviation, financial services, insurance, law and the public sector.