Certified Telecom Management Specialist Training & Certification 5-day bootcamp, $4,390

Overview

This telecom management training and certification course offers participants an opportunity to learn established practices of effective telecommunications management for enhancing operational efficiency and, gain the certification. Managing telecom services, budgets, contracts, and service provider relationships account for the bulk of the time spent by telecom management professionals. This course prepares them to carry out such functions efficiently and avoid common pitfalls by applying the practices and methodologies acquired during this course.

The objective of this course is to enable telecom professionals to effectively overcome time, resource, and budget constraints affecting today's telecom environments. It focuses on four telecom management best practices:

• Creating and maintaining an accurate telecom service and
  cost inventory
• Invoice validation, error correction, and budget protection
• Contract negotiations and contract lifecycle management
• Managing service provider relationships and effectively resolving
  disputes

Each best practice offers a proven methodology that enables effective telecom management.

You'll learn:

• How to create and maintain an accurate service inventory
• How to manage moves, add, changes, and disconnects
• Proven processes for invoice validation
• How to correct invoice errors and obtain credits for overcharges
• Effective cost reduction and service optimization strategies
• Strategies and techniques for successful service
• Procedures for contract lifecycle management
• How to effectively manage service provider relationships
• Procedures for resolving service provider disputes

Application of the skills learned in this training and certification course will enable you to affect the efficiency and overall cost of your company's telecommunications infrastructure.

Who Should Attend
This training seminar is ideal for telecom managers, IT/IS managers, telecom analysts, telecom specialists, and accounts payable specialists. You should participate in this course if you wish to certify your skills in telecom operations and are responsible for any of the following telecom elements:

• Inventory & asset management
• Invoice validation and error correction
• Processing invoices for payment
• Obtaining credits for invoice overcharges
• Move, add, & change management
• Contract negotiations and service procurement
• Budget forecasting and budget management

Course Outline

Day 1

Telecom Management Inventory Development
The first day of the training seminar is focused on organizing and understanding collateral that contributes to building a telecom management inventory. An inventory establishes a baseline for budget management and protection; service and cost optimization; contract lifecycle management; and service provider relationship management. Operational and financial management originates from a telecom management inventory.

I. Inventory Essentials

• Purpose
• Components
  • Service Location Identification
  • Service Provider Catalog
  • Invoice Catalog
  • Service Detail Catalog
  • Contract Catalog

II. Mining Service Details

• Invoices
  • Identifying Service Components
  • Identifying Individual Costs

• Customer Service Records (CSRs)
  • Decoding USOCs
  • Analyzing Details

III. Capturing Contract Catalog Details

• Term Considerations
  • Contract Duration Dates
  • Commitment Volume(s)
• Business Relationship Consideration
  • Protection Clauses
  • Service Level Agreements

Certification Project Exercise: Build a Telecom Management Inventory.
Certification Exam Preparation: Telecom Inventory Practice Exam

Day 2

Contract & Invoice Interpretation
Day two of the course shares invoice, CSR, contract, and tariff/service guide interpretation techniques. The principles learned lay the foundation for proven to invoice-to-contract analysis and validation practices.

I. Understanding Monthly Recurring Costs - Invoices & CSRs

• Service Identification
• Voice Services Cost Components
  • Base Service Rates
  • Service Components
• Data/Internet Service Cost Components
  • Base Service Rates
  • Service Components
• Wireless Service Cost Components
  • Base Service Rates
  • Service Components

II. Understanding Usage Costs - Invoices & CSRs

• Voice Services Cost Components
  • Traffic Types
  • Service Connection Types
• Wireless Services Cost Components
  • Overcharges/Roaming

III. Understanding Related Costs - Invoices & CSRs

• Taxes, Surcharges & Fees
  • Federal Taxes
  • State Taxes
  • Service Provider Surcharges & Fees
• Installation/Provisioning
  • One-Time Fees
  • Equipment Leases
• One-Time Adjustments
  • Tariff Adjustments
  • Credits

IV. Understanding Contractual Terms

• Tariff & Service Guide Relationships
  • General Terms & Conditions
  • Base Rates
• Discount Rate Structures
  • Percentage Application
  • Volume Attainment Discounts
• Fixed Rate Costs
• Credits & Provisional Waivers

V. Using Analysis Tools & Templates

• Defining Data Field Requirements
• Building Analysis Templates

Certification Project Exercise: Review invoices and contracts to determine analysis requirements. Build analysis templates.
Certification Exam Preparation: Telecom Inventory Practice Exam

Day 3

Invoice-to-Contract Analysis & Validation
Day three of the seminar is focused on hands-on analysis of your invoices and contracts to establish cost and usage baselines, and to identify overcharges and invoicing errors. The cost baseline establishes trending of services and usage and their respective costs. Invoice overcharge identification initializes the ongoing practice of budget protection.

I. Validating Invoice Accuracy

• Methodology
  • Validate Monthly Recurring Charges
  • Validate Usage Charges
  • Validate Taxes, Surcharges & Fees
  • Validate Installation Charges
  • Validate Credits
• Documentation & Supporting Collateral
  • Invoices
  • CSRs
  • Contracts
  • Contract Addenda
  • Tariffs & Service/Price Guides

II. Validate Service Installation

• Service Location Continuity
  • Service Location Identification
  • Cost Allocations & Chargebacks
• Line & Circuit Accuracy
  • Voice Line Checks
  • Traffic Analysis

Certification Project Exercise: Analyze invoices to validate accuracy of charges and identify mis-billings.
Certification Exam Preparation: Telecom Inventory Practice Exam

Day 4

Invoice Error Correction, Dispute Resolution & Service Provider Relationship Management
Day four of the training defines techniques for correcting invoicing errors, mitigating contract and relationship disputes, and managing the overall business relationship with your service providers. Seeking and maintaining parity in a business relationship with service providers is dependent on identifying and executing dispute and relationship management strategies that offer you an advantage for securing optimal results.

I. Correcting Invoice Overcharges & Obtaining Credits

• Service Provider Dialog
  • Gaining Acceptance of Errors
  • Communicating Objectives
  • Supporting Claims
• Correcting Billing Errors
  • Future Occurrences
  • Credits for Past Occurrences

II. Resolving Service Provider Disputes

• Creating a Resolution Plan
  • Documentation
  • Execution
• Negotiating Resolution
  • Identifying Objectives
  • Compromise
• Accepting Resolution
  • Documentation
  • Communication

III. Preventing Disputes

• Identifying Potential Issues
  • Contract Implementation
  • MACs
  • Contract Management
• Proactive Techniques for Avoiding Disputes
  • Change Management
  • Leveling Expectations

IV. Service Provider Relationship Management

• Relationship Stages
  • Pre-Contract
  • New Service
  • Mid-Term
  • Separation
• Dashboards & Check-Ups
  • Contract Commitments
  • Service Level Agreements
  • Performance Reporting
  • Resolving Problems

Certification Project Exercise: Document error resolution plans.
Certification Exam Preparation: Telecom Inventory Practice Exam

Day 5

Contract Negotiations, Contract Lifecycle Management & Budget Management
Day five of the training seminar shares proven practices for contract negotiations, contract lifecycle management, and budget management. Contracts and the finance of telecom are a continual management practice that requires usage and spend data to be translated into productive information. Projecting future telecom infrastructure needs and interpreting trends contributes to this practice.

I. Contract Negotiations

• Planning
  • Defining Objectives
  • Needs Assessment
  • Documenting Strategy
• Negotiations Practices
  • Bids
  • Requests for Proposal
• Appraising Proposals
  • Customer Cars
  • Cost of Ownership
  • Risk Assessment

II. Contract Lifecycle Management

• Financial Commitments
  • Gross Commitments
  • Sub-Commitments
  • Shortfall Monitoring
• Service Level Commitments
  • Network Availability
  • Billing Accuracy
  • Customer Service
• Contract Renewals
  • Notifications
  • Contract Re-Negotiation

III. Budget Management

• Predictive Reporting
  • Historical Trending
  • Future Planning
• Analysis of Change
  • Impact on Budget
  • Impact on Contracts
  • Impact on Technical Requirements
• Documenting Budgets
  • Organizational Change
  • Changes in Usage
  • Changes in Technology

IV. Certification Exam

Participants must complete 40 hours (5 days) of training, successfully complete a skills-based project, and pass a certification exam to earn Certified Telecom Management Specialist credentials. The project and exam are completed during the five days of intensive training.

CTMS  Post Training Toolkit:

• Area Code Information Map
• AT&T ABN Contract Compliance Template
• Budget Management
• Frame Relay & Dedicated Data Circuit Network Diagram
• LATA Maps
• NPA-NXX / OCN / CLLI Code Look-Up
• PIC & LPIC Verification Numbers
• PIC Code Index
• Sample Credit Request Letter
• Sample Shortpay Disputed Billing Request Letter
• Service Provider Executive Complaints
• State & Federal Tax Agencies
• State Regulatory Information
• Tariffs & Service / Price Guides (United States)
• Tax, Surcharge & Fee Reference Table Template
• Universal Service Quarterly Contribution Factor
• USOC Codes
• Voice Traffic Contract Compliance Template - Discount Type
• Calling Card Analysis Template
• Circuit-Data Analysis Template
• Cost Control Management Process Flow Diagram
• Discovery Template
• Dispute Resolution Planning Template
• Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) Diagram
• Multi-National Voice & Data RFP Template
• Sample Account Cancellation Letter
• Sample Contract Cancellation Letter
• Telecom Invoice, Contract & Inventory Management Toolkit
• Telecom Taxes, Surcharges & Fees Reference Links
• Toll Free RespOrg Verification Number
• Trouble Ticket & Issue Tracker Template
• Voice Traffic Contract Compliance Template - Fixed Fee Type
• Wireless Analysis Template

Registration Fees
The per student registration fee for this seminar is $4,390 and includes training and certification, course materials, skillsbased project, and testing fees for all required training courses to complete the certification.

Class begins at 8:30 AM and ends at 5:00 PM.  Please arrive at 8:15 AM.

To register, click on the "Book Now" button or please call (708) 246-0320

Seminar Schedule

July 14-18	Indianapolis, IN	Telecom Training Center ()
Sept 15-19	Las Vegas, NV	University of Nevada ()
Nov 3-7	Orlando, FL	Stetson Center ()

Click here to learn about , dates & locations

Payment is due prior to the conference.  If payment is not received, a credit card hold will be required for participation.  This card will only be processed if payment has not been received within two weeks following the conference.

Cancellation Policy.  Registrants may cancel up to fourteen days in advance of the seminar start date for a full refund, less administrative fees of $900.  Or, you may transfer your registration to another member of your company at no additional charge.  Registrants canceling within fourteen days of the seminar will receive training credit, less administrative fees of $900 toward any other Resource Center seminar.

 In the unlikely event that a seminar must be cancelled, you will be notified at least one week prior to the seminar date. Seminar provider is not responsible for losses due to cancellation including losses on advanced purchase airfares.

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