Contracting With Mobile Carriers

LYNX will work with your company to support all phases of contracting for new mobile and wireless services. These phases can include:

Preparing and issuing an RFP (Request For Proposal) to mobile carriers
Analyzing and scoring RFP responses
Selecting and contracting with a winning vendor(s)
Monitoring migration of service to the winning vendor(s)
Planning for management and support of mobile services

PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

When a mobile and wireless sourcing project begins, it should focus on the following goals and objectives in addition to carrier pricing and support issues:

Type of devices and services required
Anticipated usage for both existing and emerging new carrier services
Billing requirements
Pattern of expiration of services for current employees under the current contract

METHODOLOGY

Meet with business unit management to discuss their requirements and how mobility support their plans business strategy and needs
Analyze current carrier bills to establish current cost and usage by service feature within business group
Meet with the IT Infrastructure Group to discuss any plans that would require expanded or new mobile services

Following the collection of relevant information and data from business units and the IT group, LYNX will prepare a summary of company needs and requirements.

A FEW WORDS OF ADVICE ON RFPs AND RFIs

Subsequent to the summary of company needs and requirements, the next major step is to proceed with the preparation of a document to be sent to carriers.

Most companies try to make the RFP as comprehensive as possible. They load in every question and aspect of mobile service they can think of into the RFP. This may be a mistake. Whether you plan to contract for many thousands of devices or a smaller number, a massive and comprehensive RFP is usually a mistake.

Many large users prefer to issue a simplified Request For Information (RFI). This requests a response to basic and key questions relating to lines, devices, pricing, support, and billing. Based on the response to the RFI, one or two of the carriers with the best responses can be selected to proceed to the next level.

If you plan to contract for a small number of lines and devices (under 1,000), carriers are more likely to provide a solid response to an RFI than devote the substantial time and labor required to respond to a full scale and detailed RFP. Even in a full scale RFP for a large number of lines and devices, many companies insist on too much detail and often include whole sections that are unnecessary. Your RFP or RFI will be sent to four carriers by LYNX. If you start with an RFI, Everyone saves time and labor. You save by simplifying your RFP. The carrier you select as your first choice will now respond to you because they know your business is likely to go to them and it is theirs to lose.

A throwback from the past wireline network era, is asking for answers to questions that don't really matter. For example, there is no sense in including questions about service levels (SLAs) If you are in a major city, the service is about the same for all four carriers although probably not completely uniform in coverage. You and your fellow employees know who has solid service at your particular urban location, so it doesn't serve any purpose to inquire about a lot of coverage and technical data on call completions or dropped calls. None of the carriers will rebuild or extend their in-city network for you. Service is what it is.

However, if you have a few thousand people working at a rural or remote location where there is good service, there are some questions to ask. For example, where are the towers located in the area around your office and if you add 2,000 subscribers in the local area, does the local carrier have the capacity to support thousands of additional users to handle a large additional load of traffic? Here is a case where even if service is currently great, unless you are renewing your agreement with your current carrier, your concerns are valid. In addition, most of the time a carrier will add capacity for a large customer in a rural area where they already have service.

There are dozens of other important questions and issues that must be addressed when negotiating and contracting with carriers for wireless and mobile services. Let us work with you to achieve the best possible carrier agreement for your company.