Smooth teleconference services vendor transitions consider people and process.
The Intellor team has helped countless IT and telecommunications professionals navigate planned teleconference services transitions over the past decade. But with so many of our former peers limiting or eliminating services over the past year, we’ve seen an unfortunate increase in unplanned transitions, creating undue strain on IT/Telecom staff and stress for business users.
Thankfully, our deep expertise has allowed us to help customers navigate rapid, forced change. In this and an upcoming post, we’ll share high-level thoughts on two critical focal points for a smooth transition: people and process.
Thematically, today’s first two considerations can be summarized with a quick paraphrase “it’s the data, stupid.” And having handled transitions from numerous vendors, the common data denominator is…that there isn’t a common denominator. Vendors use different terms to mean the same thing and the same terms to mean different things. And if definitions aren’t clear and mutual from the start, you won’t be happy with the data available to you in the end.
Account Migration & Management
It starts with an inventory from your incumbent and proceeds to a mutual determination of what data is usable and useful, what data to exclude, what data to add, what it means, and how it will be used. This legwork should end in the transfer of quality data to your new partner for provisioning.
Reporting & Billing
Once again, it’s best to start from where you are. What reports do you use today? What does the data mean to you? How do you use it? What systems consume it? How do you manage telecom expenses? How do you roll up or flow down cost allocation? What about approvals? Presenting your new partner with a complete picture of what you have and what you want will help to ensure an implementation that supports what you need.
Technology Access
It’s easy to assume that teleconference services are “tech-less.” The reality is that your new partner will provide a variety of web-based tools your users will need access to – web-based scheduling, visual conference monitor, etc. Testing and, if applicable, whitelisting, will ensure a smooth user experience from day 1 with your new vendor.
And with that high-level peek at process, stay tuned for the next installment – people – or download our thoughts on the eight things to consider when making a successful transition. And, of course, if you’re on the hunt for a new partner, talk to Intellor.
