Every business needs electronic devices like tablets and phones to connect with business partners, clients, and others in its operational environment. Mobile phones are handy for calling, chatting, or checking email. But it’s much easier to deal with when the benefits vs. budget considerations are individual-based. The truth is picking an enterprise-level phone plan can be pretty confusing.
There are many choices out there from companies wanting your business. Each tries to sound like the best deal, but are they really the best fit? This is where it helps to plan what you need first before signing up.
This guide will help make sense of it all. We’ll look at who uses phones in your business and how. Things like if workers stay in one city or travel a lot, matter. Also important is how much data, calls, and texts people use on average each month.
Knowing what you truly need is step one. It saves money on unused features or getting stuck with insufficient data. Being organized also gives you power when talking with mobile providers. You can make what you want clear while asking good questions.
Ultimately, picking the right subscriptions means happy workers and lower bills for your business. Let’s dive into how to get the best value for your company’s phones!
Understand Your Usage
Understanding how your employees use their mobile phones is an important first step toward optimizing subscriptions for your company. Here are some factors to consider when analyzing usage:
● Track data, call, and text patterns for all staff over 1-2 months. Tools like Excel can help tally average monthly usage.
● Note how many employees are office-based versus remote/field workers. Remote staff may need international plans or hotspots.
● Consider patterns between local usage versus international roaming between countries. This informs domestic versus global plan needs.
● Identify any heavy mobile data users. Ensure power users have sufficient monthly allowances.
● Check how intensively apps are used for work communication versus casual entertainment.
● Determine if cellular data or WiFi is the primary network used in and out of offices. WiFi reliance impacts data needs.
Taking time to gain these usage insights will reveal your company’s real needs versus perceived notions. This will ensure you only pay for used features or wind up with enough data. Knowing usage patterns thoroughly allows you to optimize subscriptions for maximum value and employee productivity. With these findings, let’s evaluate the best plan types for your business.
Evaluate Plan Types
Now that you have a clear picture of your employee’s mobile usage, the next step is to evaluate the available plan types. Here are some key factors to consider:
● Pooled plans bundle all subscriptions under one bill. This provides flexibility if employees change or need to visit other locations long term. Individual plans may offer less expensive per-line costs.
● Prepaid or pay-as-you-go plans offer month-to-month flexibility, but high per-minute or data costs could inflate bills for power users.
● BYOD (bring your own device) policies allow staff to utilize personal phones on the company plan. Reimbursement policies need consideration.
● Contract plans offer lower per-month rates, but penalties apply if terminating early. Ensure contracts don’t exceed typical employee tenure.
● Domestic-only, EU, or global roaming plans cater to diverse travel needs. Compare included country lists.
● Volume discounts may apply for bundling multiple lines with one carrier. Negotiate savings for porting numbers over.
● 5G readiness, support for unlimited calls/texts, and extra services like mobile hotspots vary between carriers.
Choosing individual, pooled, contract, or prepaid setups depends on flexibility, budget, and technical requirements. Weighing these criteria helps you select the ideal plan structure for your business.
Leverage Volume Discounts
Many mobile companies offer significant discounts if you sign up for multiple phone lines simultaneously. This can save your business a lot of money each month.
When you know how many phones you need, you have the power to ask for lower prices. Carriers want your business and will offer volume deals to get it. Things to try include:
● Tell providers you have 20 employees who all need service. Say you’ll switch everyone over if they can give you an excellent monthly deal.
● Ask what percentage discount they offer if you pay for 25 phones or more on one account together. Even 10% off each line adds up fast.
● See if connecting to your office internet plan also gets you any bundle discounts. Bolting on other services makes you a big customer.
● Compare deals from different carriers and play them against each other. Say you’ll move everything if one beats another’s offer by even $5 per phone.
● See if credit is given for moving over numbers from your old provider. This compensates for the hassle of switching.
Doing some easy asking means savings that add up year after year. Your workers are happy with company phones while costs go down. Discounting in bulk is one of the easiest ways to optimize business subscriptions.
Manage Subscriptions Centrally
Managing all your company’s phones can get messy really quickly if not kept tidy. Carriers now offer portals to help bosses stay on top of everything from one easy place.
These special online areas let you view all account details with just one login. No more hassling separate user logins for each employee. You can see:
● Who has which plans, so no one mistakes over data?
● Total bills for the month before they’re due, so no surprises hit your bank.
● Which phones are close to upgrading so you can swap for newer models in time.
Better yet, portals let you make changes yourself to save calling customer service each time. Things like:
● Boosting data mid-month for anyone running low before a big project.
● Downgrading phone plans after people leave to keep costs low.
● Adding extra lines on the fly as new hires join the team.
Finding a provider with a helpful portal saves heaps of time versus messy spreadsheets. Everything stays neat, so you save money on unneeded subscriptions.
Support Remote Employees
Keeping workers connected when they’re all over the place is challenging. However, ignoring remote employees means losing jobs and clients. Carriers offer tools to help home and traveling staff stay in touch.
For example, some plans include global roaming at no extra cost. This lets reps in other countries use data and make calls the same way they do at home. Just know that speeds may slow a bit abroad.
Mobile hotspots are handy, too. Small wireless devices share a phone’s internet with other devices anywhere there’s a signal. This allows teams in fields or clients’ offices to access work chats and files on laptops, for example.
IT help is essential when staff aren’t under your roof. Set up Remote Support software, giving tech teams access to viruses to scan far-away computers in a snap without long drives. Clear communication on policies like using one’s own devices or company phones keeps rules simple wherever staff go.
Making remote work as easy as working from the office creates a flexible environment attracting top talent. With the right mobile tools, distance is no limit to serving customers from anywhere!
Future-Proofing Your Mobile Strategy
Things are constantly changing with phones, so it’s wise to think ahead. New tech will come that lets workers do even more awesome stuff, whether around town or far away. But this cool new stuff also costs dollars, so planning now prevents getting caught by surprise later.
Networks are building extra-fast 5G wireless that lets videos download instantly and games load without waiting. Many phones this year will be 5G-ready already. Talk to your provider about when the fast service hits your area so you’re all set to go.
More carriers are bundling home internet or broadband plans along with company phones. This could make the internet way cheaper by zipping it over cellular. Ask what package deals are coming so you save on everything together.
Company phones hold lots of private stuff, too. New security tricks help protect hackers from workers’ business and personal info wherever they connect. Make tech policies now for using apps or browsing to keep data safe for years from now.
Final Word
Optimizing your business’s mobile subscriptions takes some upfront time and planning. But getting it right means significant savings and fewer headaches in the long term.
By understanding how employees really use their phones, you can choose subsidies tailored precisely to your needs. Taking advantage of volume discounts by negotiating with providers also lowers costs. Managing everything from a single online account portal keeps oversight simple, too. Ensuring remote workers stay productive wherever they are builds flexibility into your workforce.
With the tips covered here, your company can maximize the value of cell phones while efficiently supporting staff on the go. Doing it right upfront helps save money down the road. Now, you know how to get your business the best mobile connectivity at an affordable cost.
