Businesses could cut their mobile data charges by a third and see their voice costs drop by a quarter if they put wireless expense management software to work properly, a benchmark study has revealed. 

Expense management helps companies save money and understand their wireless bills, the researchers said because it helps keep track of fluctuating usage and charge plans, and the unexpected costs of new mobile services.

Aberdeen Group argues that keeping abreast of the operating costs associated with wireless assets has become doubly challenging as new location-based services, mobile data connections, photo and messaging options have become available that were not before on previous bills. 

After a study of 200 sites using wireless expense management (WEM) systems, the analyst house found that best-in-class companies can reduce their total wireless expenses by over 30%. 

Against less well-performing sites, this represents savings of over $5 million a year, it said.

According to data sets produced for its report on the issue, Aberdeen concluded that best-in-class companies spend an average of $88 a month for each mobile device deployed, against so-called ‘laggard’ companies which are shelling out around $116 a month.

It found companies with a well-tuned wireless expense management deployment gain from having well-run rate plan optimisation processes. These bring numerous benefits, from allowing them to be consistent in their procurement of wireless devices and service plans, to them being able to short pay disputed bills.

With line items related to domestic voice, long distance, international roaming, text messaging, phone features, and related taxes and surcharges, wireless invoices have steadily grown in their size and scope. That, along with the wholesale deployment of mobile devices by business, means expense management is too complex a job to be handled manually.

Comview, eOnTheGo, EteleSolv, MobilSense Technologies, figure among suppliers in the WEM market segment.

Aberdeen said that one of the key driving forces for WEM software is the significant room for error that exists with service provider billing platforms. They are often outdated and manage a seemingly endless variety of pricing patterns, with billing formats that differ between the carriers. 

Use of exception reports that come as part of most WEM suites helps in picking up billing errors that might result in credits, the report notes.