Wireless Policy Best Practices

One of the simplest ways to save your company money is by having a wireless policy in place. If your enterprise does not have a wireless policy, your company could be losing thousands or even millions of dollars each year. Having a policy gives employees a clear and universal guideline for their wireless usage, and provides management a platform for enforcement. Use our best practices as a guideline to help you get started.

Growing security issues and the increasing complexity of wireless devices management has made it critical to document and communicate a detailed corporate wireless policy. It is important to develop a wireless policy that describes the company’s regulations for procurement, use and management of wireless devices (cell phones, wireless data device, etc.). When that policy is in place, employees who are provided a corporate wireless device must abide by the terms of a corporate wireless policy.

Breaking those terms can add up to extra charges fast. One mindWireless client was spending over $270,000 per year in text messaging charges alone. Though their corporate wireless policy specified that texting was not allowed, employees were still doing it. So, how do you manage and enforce a corporate policy? Executive sponsorship is required to implement it. Only through centralized wireless management of a fully corporate liable wireless program can corporate policy be actively enforced. When transitioning to a corporate liable wireless program, all phone numbers ported to the corporate account become company property and will remain with the company in case of separation.

When developing a corporate wireless policy, consider the following elements, questions, and information. Who will provide the support, what hours will support be available, and how will emergency/after-hours support be provided? Having a help desk to offer support gives employees a resource when they have questions about their plan and/or devices.

What level of detail is required for each business manager and how often will they require these reports? Keeping tabs on the monthly usage and spending behavior of corporate wireless device users enables a telecommunication manager to make quick adjustments in reaction to trends or abnormal expenses. Many wireless expense programs only include quarterly reviews, but mindWireless recommends and provides monthly analysis reports to quickly spot increases and changes in wireless usage and spending.

Transitioning to a centrally managed corporate liable program requires identifying and registering every device that will be paid for by the company. These include:

• Direct-billed devices: Every wireless device that currently bills on a company account must be registered by the employee.
• Devices not direct-billed: Every employee who gets reimbursed for wireless expenses is required to obtain a wireless device that is billed directly on a company account immediately.
• Transfer of personal accounts: Employees who have an approved corporate device may be allowed to transfer their personal wireless account to the company.
• Ordering new devices: Depending on role and usage requirements, different individuals can be assigned different devices and plan options.

Note: mindWireless recommends using an automated enrollment and procurement process.

• Device approvals: All registrations, new device requests, and transfers must be approved by the appropriate business manager and department head. How do you see that routing taking place in your company?
• Personal use: The extent of personal use permitted by employees with corporate liable devices must be considered and documented as part of the policy.
• Devices and calling plans: Vendor negotiations and contracts must be in place, user role-based requirements must be documented, and a clear approval process for account charge-backs must be applied.
• Lost, damaged, or stolen equipment: Since wireless devices are not covered under insurance for loss or damage, clear policies must be established to process and manage reports of loss or damage of a wireless device, and when such charges could be the responsibility of the user.
• Employee separation: In a corporate liable program, wireless services, equipment, and phone numbers remain the property of a company in case of separation.
• Employee discount program: A corporate wireless policy should consider giving employees access to corporate discounts for personal wireless devices through approved vendors.

Every company has its own wireless culture and requires a uniquely tailored corporate wireless policy to manage their programs. mindWireless has assisted many national and international companies in developing and implementing a corporate wireless policy tailored to their unique requirements and culture. Call 512-615-7600 or Contact Us for help in developing your own corporate wireless policy.