One of the most important activities required at the onset of a telecom audit is that of collecting all of the appropriate and applicable data that is to be included within the framework of the audit.

It makes sense that telecom auditing success and eventual cost savings is directly related to the initial data that is collected. This data is then thoroughly reviewed/analyzed during the entire audit process. Telecom data that is NOT collected obviously cannot be analyzed, and that could result in limited savings over the course of the entire audit. As they say, "garbage in, garbage out."

It is easy to forget or to simply leave out important data. The following checklist will help keep you on track as you begin the telecom audit process. Prepare a manila folder for the following items and label each with its appropriate title. Once you have collected and organized each item, simply check that item off the list. Be sure to have a pad of Post-it notes handy too!

Telephone Bills

Local/Long Distance

The most obvious source for data collection is telephone bills. Before you hastily gather them up however, first determine the manner in which your basic telecom services are billed. Start with local telephone bills and branch out from there. Long-distance services may be billed on the same statement as local bills or they may be included on a separate bill altogether. If they do come separately, be sure to include them in separate folders.

Wireless Phones

After you have collected and organized local and long-distance bills, next concentrate on wireless services. First determine if your wireless services are billed as a group or as individual accounts. If a separate bill is received for each wireless phone, be sure to collect each and every one of them. There may be wireless phones that are not in use but are still being billed on a monthly basis. Include all wireless phone bills into one folder.

Paging

Paging bills are next on the list for data collection. Use the same process for collecting paging bills as you did for wireless phones. Be sure to create a separate folder for paging bills.

Internet

Next concentrate on collecting all Internet service related bills. More often than not your Internet provider will provide a separate bill for Internet services and related monthly charges. However, many local telephone companies now offer customers broadband services along with local telephone service. If this is the case, your Internet service charges could be included on your local telephone bills. If that is the case, simply make a note of it in the internet folder and then move on.

Contracts

Voice and Data Service Contracts

Contracts on voice and data services are an important element in the audit process. It may be best to gather all contracts that are current and in place and include them in one manila folder. Some contracts may overlap, such as a contract for both local and long-distance services. Be sure to identify and include wireless phone contracts as well as telecom equipment and maintenance service agreement contracts.

Directory Advertising Agreements

Directory advertising and/or Yellow Pages agreements include important data that should be included in your audit. Keep in mind that white page listings are usually included on the local phone bill while Yellow Page ads are more often than not billed by a Yellow Page service provider. These contracts/agreements are an important data source because they specify the type of directory advertising ordered, when it was ordered, and by whom it was ordered. More importantly, these agreements include the rates that are to apply to all advertising along with the terms and conditions of the agreement.

Services and/or Equipment Inventory

If you have conducted an inventory of lines and/or telecom equipment that is in use, include all of this information in a separate labeled folder.

Supplier/Vendor Data

Many telecom auditors make the mistake of only collecting data that is readily available on the user end, such as the items listed above. They fall into the trap of simply "analyzing phone bills". Collecting supplier information as well as information and data from third parties is extremely important if your goal is to achieve the most thorough telecom audit possible.

Customer Service Records (CSRs)

Customer service records contain the unique data about customers that are generated by suppliers during the normal course of day-to-day business. Written in what are usually called Universal Service Order Codes (USOC) these records serve as an itemized listing or "snapshot" of all of the lines, services, features, etc. of a specific customer account.

Customer service records can and should be obtained from suppliers. The information contained on these records provides a wealth of data that will ultimately be the backbone of your telecom audit. Allow a few weeks for carriers to respond to your request and do not hesitate to continually hound them if they fail to respond immediately to your requests. Click here for a more in-depth explanation of customer service records.

Tariffs

Tariffs are the official documents that spell out rules, service offerings, rates, etc. While they have become less important for long-distance contracts, Local Exchange Carriers still maintain tariff rates. Tariffs are available for inspection at telephone company offices as well as many Internet web sites.

Tariff bureaus provide tariffs in printed or electronic format. An excellent source for tariff information is CCMI. CCMI provides access to the most comprehensive online repository of rate and tariff documents available in the industry. This is information that is useful to both users and suppliers.

Tax Information

Charities, churches, schools, nonprofit educational and hospital operations, certain other entities that receive government funding, foreign counselor operations, and others, may be exempt from state and/or federal taxes. For example, common carriers, newspapers and broadcast companies may be exempt from federal tax on some services.

It is wise to organize and collect tax information at the beginning of your telecom audit. Also, it is important to keep in mind that telephone service representatives generally do not have a good grasp or understanding of applicable taxes and how they are applied in many different situations. Service representatives are useful for information verification relating to your bills. In most cases they can refer you to those who have the tax answers you are seeking. The most reliable source for tax information is from a tax professional or the Internal Revenue Service.

Proper collection and organizing of telecom date at the start of any telecom audit will set the tone for the duration of the project. In the end, this attention to detail will pay off not only in additional cost-savings but also in the time and effort needed to thoroughly complete the task.