Managing Mobile Expenditure

Sopra Steria

Sopra Steria, European leader in digital transformation, provides one of the most comprehensive portfolios of end toend service offerings in the market: Consulting, Systems Integration, Software Development, InfrastructureManagement and Business Process Services. Sopra Steria is trusted by leading private and public organisations todeliver successful transformation programmes that address their most complex and critical business challenges.  With 37,000 employees in over 20 countries, Sopra Steria had pro forma revenue of €3.4 billion in 2014.  SopraSteria Group (SOP) is listed on Euronext Paris (Compartment A) ‐ ISIN: FR0000050809.

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Managing the cost of telecoms

Managing telecoms is a huge challenge for a large organisation like Sopra Steria.  Even though the unit cost of calls isreducing, telecoms adoption and usage is on the increase, leading to the expansion of telecoms costs overall.

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Challenges faced by Sopra Steria

Sopra Steria purchased Xansa, triggering their search for a telecoms cost management solution.  The commercialservices and accounting teams were managing multiple telecoms vendors with multiple billing dates, multiple billingperiods, incompatible bill formats, numerous tariffs and numerous inventories and structures.  They needed tocontrol expenditure, bringing different billing methods into one platform.

The challenge:

• Over 4000 mobile lines
• Incompatible billing O2 & Orange
• Separate accounting processes
• Complex manual recharging
• Separate databases
• Incompatible data formats
• No centralised inventory management
• Paper based system & spread sheets
• Manual processes (admin & recharging)
• No policy management or enforcement
• Lack of telephony spend visibility
• Lack of reporting and BI
• Lack of control

Managing telecoms involved manual processes and extensive data entry, taking up valuable time and effort ofaround 6 people.  Every month the accounting team were inputting billing data from two different telecomsnetworks.  The data then needed to be formatted analysed and processed.

The company was using manual paper based personal call tagging solution which involved sending paper bills to each user, who then highlighted personal calls and posted personal cheques to the HR department to be processed.

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iC360 suite provides management and control

iC360 suite from Tollring is a hosted, self‐managing flexible platform withthe capacity to be expanded into other areas of employee associated costs.   The mobility module of iC360 was delivered in‐house and will continue toevolve and grow with the business.

Using powerful software and database technology, iC360 automaticallygathers complex and unmanageable billing data from various sources,standardises / validates it, then outputs to internal ERP and payroll systems.  User‐defined reports help manage and drive down cost.

“A truly self-funding solution.Our monthly mobile telecomsexpenditure reduced by half, soiC360 has paid for itself in just 3months.”

Senior Consultant, Sopra Steria

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Solution benefits:

• An accurate inventory of all network elements is maintained
• Just‐in‐time provisioning of telecom equipment
• Invoice charges with carriers can be disputed
• The true cost of operating the telecoms network is understood
• Optimal tariffs can be negotiated with providers based on visible detailed usage data
• Bills are paid on time
• Internal and external service level agreements are measured
• Telecom data is centralised into a single repository for analytics and business intelligence
• Intuitive application, involving little training
• Rich dashboards enable managers and users to run their own reports
• 6 full time heads reduced to 1.5

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Delivered as a managed service (SaaS)

The total implementation time was 8 weeks, which was on time and within budget:

• Phase One was a detailed and comprehensive audit.
• Phase Two was a full inventory clean‐up and a mobile tariff optimisation exercise.
• Phase Three saw project completion.  For the first time cost centre and line managers across departments(procurement, finance, facilities, IT and HR) could share data to make informed changes and decisions.

The technical, data and IT‐related aspects are provided by Tollring as part of the managed service, thus reducing the need to involve the Sopra Steria IT department or analysts.  Facilities and Finance could begin using the solution immediately with just a few minutes training.

“The new call tagging system is fantastic! Whoever chose the system should get a major pat on the back! At last we have a system that is easy to use, clear concise, to the point… superb!”

PA to Executive Board member, Sopra Steria

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The results and the return

Sopra Steria immediately identified savings that had a significant and positive impact on day‐to‐day business from day one.

• Lines consolidated from 4264 to 3584 in 4 months
• Un allocated lines and subscriptions re‐assigned or ceased
• Orange & O2 billing harmonised
• Common platform for inventory management
• Reduced headcount
• Automated cost re‐charging
• Single paperless solution for personal call management via URL
• Visibility of spend
• Detailed usage data – Tariff change £480k savings48% of annual spend
• Automated personal call deduction file
• VAT compliance

Sopra Steria experienced a 3 month ROI, achieving 67% of annual savings in the following areas:

• Policy management 15%
• Staff awareness of reporting & tracking tools 10%
• Billing errors and overcharging 5%
• Tariff optimisation 5%
• Personal call management (cost recovery) 15%
• Hardware / device lifec

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Next steps

Reducing costs for customers is of paramount importance to Sopra Steria, which is why they chose to ‘white‐label’iC360 to sell it to their customers.  The next step is for Sopra Steria to review monthly teleconference expenditure.