IT Business Edge contributor Michael Stevens posted a Telecom Expense Management Calculator in the Knowledge Network today. This calculator helps users estimate their potential savings in the area of telecommunications.

Telecommunications has become so complex  that most experts assume customers with un-audited telecommunication systems routinely overpay their bills by at least 10 percent, Stevens says. For this reason, most enterprises engage in some level of auditing, commonly known as Telecommunications Expense Management or TEM.

The benefits of TEM often extend beyond savings on the corporate phone bill. By carefully tracking contracts and usage, TEM can spotlight areas where contracts should be modified to eliminate unnecessary costs such as vendor penalties associated with over- or under-usage.

Stevens' calculator can help users identify several areas of savings.

More tools are available in the Knowledge Network that address cost savings related to workstation and peripheral costs, paper costs and billing costs.