Overview

Source Loop maintains a proprietary database housing rate elements correlated with contract terms and conditions for major telecom services. Using this data, it is easy to understand the current market conditions for telecom services and to strengthen your position during the negotiation process.

Data

Our database houses and provides access to data comprising long distance, wireless and local contracts across all of the major providers. This data is used by our sourcing professionals to provide unique insight into the pricing marketplace.

Benchmarking Analytics

Source Loop's benchmarking service provides enterprises with a bird's eye view of the current market for telecom services, quantifies renegotiation potential and provides recommendation on negotiation strategy and terms and condition content. Source Loop leverages its proprietary database of recently executed telecom service contracts and turns this vital data source into actionable benchmarking information through the following process:

Step 1: Create a Situation Book 

In order to establish a universe services to be sourced, a comprehensive inventory (Situation Book) must be created. Source Loop leverages various information sources including internal client data, invoice data and provider supplied data extracts to build a Situation Book which is the basis for sourcing activity and bid evaluation throughout the entire process.   The Situation Book includes detailed service element information including, but not limited to:

• Circuit, port and PVC counts by speed/CIR/type, etc.
• Voice usage trends broken down by service type/jurisdiction/access and egress types/rate schedules, etc.
• Advanced feature usage by feature type
• Voice and data access facilities by speed, type, etc.

Step 2: Evaluate the Situation 

Once the Situation Book has been compiled, this data is analyzed to better understand the service requirements and drivers behind the enterprise's telecom spend. This information is useful in determining if alternate services/technologies can be brought into the analysis to offer ways to lower costs while improving quality of service.   A detailed information review session is performed with the client to ensure that all of the pertinent inventory information has been provided as well as to better understand the enterprise's current and long range (3-5 years) plans in terms of business growth, network applications, technology plans, etc.

Step 3: Conduct Analytics

Once the situation has been assessed and the business needs have been determined, Source Loop identifies the target set of services from the appropriate provider set that will form the basis of the benchmarking exercise. Source Loop utilizes its contract database application to populate the appropriate analytics templates. This application produces fully functional analytics models that can be used to depict various types of scenarios, show different relationships in one model, etc.

The set of analytics offered to support the benchmarking process include the following:

• Individual service rate benchmarks where weighted average rates from contracts matching the client’s service and spend profiles are compared to the client’s weighted average rates. (Click graphics below to view larger, working images.)

• Savings projection calculators that allow the user to toggle various savings projections based on statistical data uncovered during the benchmarking exercise. (Click on image below to view larger, working version.)

• Full terms and conditions review identifying the appropriate terms and conditions to include and those to avoid. Existing contracts will be redlined to provide more appropriate language to replace existing faulty language.

Step 4: Recommendations Readout

The last component of the Benchmark Analytics service offering is the readout with the client’s executive team. The analytics developed for the client are presented and discussed to ensure the client fully understands the opportunity facing them. A detailed review of the recommended negotiation strategy, process and terms and conditions are also discussed to ensure a successful negotiation outcome.