It’s fascinating to reflect on the differences in technology from 20, even just 10 years ago. It’s hard to remember having to go into the bank and stand in line to deposit a check. The ability to deposit via ATM was a convenient innovation. And now, by taking a photo with my smart phone, I don’t even have to leave my house.
The Stagnant TLM Business Model
In stark contrast, the TLM business model hasn’t changed much in twenty years. First generation TLM software, like many early enterprise apps, was very complicated to use. Customers required not only the software to manage telecom expenses, but professional services to work with the software itself.
Of course, the developers of TLM platforms had extensive knowledge of the requirements for managing telecom expenses. So, it was natural for customers to turn to those developers to also provide the accompanying managed services.
Today, many organizations continue to purchase TLM services from the company providing their software. If this structure met their needs at a reasonable price that drove positive ROI, we wouldn’t have anything to blog about.
Much like the mullet haircut and acid wash jeans, we need to recognize that what worked in the past isn’t always something to cling to. (80’s music, on the other hand is worth keeping around. I do still love Bon Jovi.)
Continuous Improvement
Recognizing there is room for improvement is an important first step. Many industries continually innovate, which customers have grown accustomed to. Automobiles are continually becoming not only safer, but more fuel efficient. The reduction in loss of life over the past several decades is simply staggering. In 2015, motor vehicle deaths in the US dropped to 1.12 per million vehicle miles traveled, compared to 5.39 in 1964.
Incremental, ongoing changes in software applications leave us with functionality that’s vastly superior from their ancestors of decades past. For example, the fact that Microsoft Outlook picks up the word “attached,” and reminds me if I’ve forgotten to make the attachment is a wonderful convenience.
TLM Software Still Needs TLM Services
Artificial Intelligence continues to grow in sophistication with seemingly infinite new applications. I’m now regularly accustomed to my phone pleasantly surprising me with new helpful features. Why yes, Google, I was about to get on that highway, thanks for the proactive forewarning of the backup.
Despite these innovations, most enterprise apps require users to interface with them. Accounting, marketing, and salesforce automation tools don’t preclude the need for professional knowledge workers in those disciplines. So too does TLM software require skilled workers to interface with it.
The question then becomes, who should those workers be? If you choose to reap the benefits of outsourcing, are you required to outsource to your TLM software provider? And if you’re frustrated with your current TLM services, does that mean you must also switch software providers?
No. No, it doesn’t.
Read our eBook and learn how you can ‘Bust the Bundle’ by restructuring your approach to TLM with “BYOTS.”
