The Client
With 6,800 stores in 44 States and 45,000 team members, Charlotte-based Family Dollar is a leading retailer throughout the United States. Family Dollar offers customers a mix of quality name brand products they use every day; from consumable products such as household paper products and expanded food assortment, to treasures for every home and even quality apparel for men, woman and children.
The Challenge
In the past couple of years, Family Dollar has engaged in a number of initiatives to improve processes making them more efficient and proactive. One such initiative was its focus on Telecom Expense Management (TEM) processes. “As our chain grew is size and complexity, we realized that we needed to improve management of our telecom costs,” stated Josh Jewett, CIO at Family Dollar, Inc. “We needed a solution that would automate telecom processes to identify billing errors, efficiently manage multiple invoices, provide audits and provide detailed granular reports.” Family Dollar evaluated several TEM companies.
The Solution
After implementation, a full evaluation of Family Dollar’s entire telecom related inventory identified discrepancies, including unauthorized phone lines and prohibited services such as call waiting. A central repository is now used to audit all invoices. Family Dollar has been able to go to an almost completely paperless invoice cycle.
Recently, Family Dollar began implementing a Wireless Expense Management solution to manage all mobile assets. The new solution provides visibility of current usage and spending which allows Family Dollar to easily optimize wireless plans and renegotiate vendor rates.
The Results
“With the latest implementation, we are now able to efficiently monitor our wireless usage, track spending by user and identify overages, fraud and abuse,” stated Aleda Cotty, Manager, IT Financials & Telecommunications Management at Family Dollar, Inc.
A paper intensive billing process is now automated with a system that audits every line item in every invoice- allowing Family Dollar telecom analysts to focus on more strategic and specific billing issues. The TEM solution also provides Family Dollar with increased visibility over the entire telecom lifecycle, equating into significant cost savings. Family Dollar has not only saved a considerable amount annually, but also managed well the growth and complexity of the telecommunications needs of its vast, decentralized organization.
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