If your company pays for phones, mobile lines, internet circuits, or network services, you’ve probably felt this before:
The bill goes up.
No one is sure why.
And everyone assumes it’s “just the cost of doing business.”
This is exactly why a telecom expense management audit matters.
You don’t need to be a telecom expert. You just need a simple process that helps you answer one question:
“What are we paying for… and do we still need it?”
Below is a plain-English telecom expense management audit checklist you can use to find waste fast—and keep it from coming back.
What a Telecom Expense Management Audit Really Is
A telecom expense management audit is a structured review of three things:
What you have (inventory)
What you’re paying (invoices)
What you agreed to pay (contracts)
Most overspending happens when those three are not aligned.
It’s not always fraud or a “bad carrier.” It’s usually normal business changes that don’t get cleaned up:
People leave, lines stay active.
Sites move, circuits keep billing.
Plans drift, add-ons stack up.
A good audit connects the dots.
Quick Note: TEM, TEMS, MEM, MEMS
You’ll see a few terms used online:
TEM = Telecom Expense Management
TEMS = Telecom Expense Management Services (same idea, just how people search)
MEM = Mobility Expense Management (mobile lines/devices)
MEMS = Mobility Expense Management Services
If your team is searching “TEMS,” they’re usually looking for the same outcome: visibility + control + cost reduction.
Before You Start: Grab These 6 Things
Before you run a telecom expense management audit, collect the basics:
Last 3–6 months of invoices (wireline + wireless)
Current contracts / service agreements (even if they’re messy)
A list of locations (active, closed, moved)
A list of employees (or departments) tied to devices/lines
Carrier portal access (if available)
Any existing spreadsheets or inventories (even if outdated)
You don’t need perfect data. You just need “enough” to start.
The 10-Step Telecom Expense Management Audit Checklist
Step 1: Assign one owner (even if it’s part-time)
A telecom expense management audit fails when “everyone” owns it.
Pick one person to coordinate. They don’t need to do every task. They just need to keep the process moving and track decisions.
Step 2: Build a clean inventory list
Create one list that includes:
Line or circuit ID
Carrier
Service type (mobile, internet, voice, etc.)
Location or user
Monthly cost
Status (active, unknown, should cancel)
This is the foundation of every telecom expense management audit.
Step 3: Match every invoice charge to the inventory
This is where you find the leaks.
If a charge is on the invoice but not in the inventory, it needs an owner.
If something is in the inventory but not billing, confirm it’s still active (and avoid surprise back-billing later).
Step 4: Look for “zombie” services
Zombie services are things you pay for that no one uses.
Common examples:
A mobile line tied to a former employee
A circuit at a closed location
A voice line that was replaced by Teams/Zoom calling
A device payment that should have ended months ago
A good telecom expense management audit usually finds at least a few of these quickly.
Step 5: Right-size mobile plans based on real usage
This is one of the fastest wins in a telecom expense management audit.
Check:
Who consistently uses very little data (overpaying)
Who consistently hits overages (wrong plan)
Who has premium add-ons they don’t need (hotspot, insurance, international)
Plan drift is real. People get upgraded “just in case,” and it never gets undone.
Step 6: Audit add-ons and features
Add-ons are silent budget killers.
Examples:
Insurance on devices you don’t have
Premium voicemail features nobody uses
International roaming packages left on permanently
Extra calling features on lines that never get calls
This step alone can pay for the time spent doing the audit.
Step 7: Check for unauthorized or confusing third-party charges
Sometimes charges appear that no one recognizes.
One term to know is “cramming” — the FCC uses this word for unauthorized or misleading charges placed on a phone bill.
You don’t need to assume the worst. Just flag anything you can’t clearly explain, assign an owner, and verify it.
Step 8: Review renewal dates and auto-renew language
This is where companies lose leverage.
If contracts renew quietly, you miss your best moment to:
Renegotiate rates
Remove outdated services
Consolidate vendors
Fix bad terms
A smart telecom expense management audit includes a simple renewal calendar.
Step 9: Validate billing addresses, taxes, and service locations
This one is not glamorous, but it matters.
Incorrect service addresses can cause:
Wrong taxes
Wrong surcharges
Confusing cost allocation
Problems during disputes
Make sure major circuits and accounts tie to the correct location and cost center.
Step 10: Put controls in place so the waste doesn’t return
Here’s the truth: the audit is the easy part.
The hard part is keeping things clean.
Basic controls that prevent future waste:
A simple approval process for new lines/devices
A required offboarding checklist (cancel/transfer lines)
Monthly or quarterly reporting (adds, cancels, changes)
One inventory owner
This is how a telecom expense management audit becomes a program, not a one-time cleanup.
What to Do After the Audit: Turn Findings Into Real Savings
Once you find issues, prioritize them in this order:
Quick cancels (unused lines/circuits)
Feature cleanups (easy removals)
Plan right-sizing (mobile optimization)
Disputes (billing corrections/credits)
Renewals and negotiation (bigger long-term savings)
Track each item with:
What it is
Who owns it
Target date
Expected monthly savings
Status (open / in progress / closed)
Savings only count when the bill changes.
When It Makes Sense to Bring in a Partner
A telecom expense management audit is simple to understand, but it can be heavy to execute because it touches IT, finance, operations, and vendors.
It may be time to bring in help when:
No one has time to own the inventory
Invoices are too complex to validate quickly
You have multiple sites, carriers, or regions
Renewals are coming up and you need leverage
Your team needs ongoing governance, not just a one-time review
How Eynstyn Digital Helps
Most businesses don’t have a “telecom problem.”
They have a visibility and process problem.
This is where we help:
We build the inventory baseline
Validate invoices and flag mismatches
Coordinate clean-up and changes
Support renewal readiness and vendor alignment
Set up reporting and controls so savings stick
In short: we help you get control and keep it.
Looking For More Help?
If you want to run a telecom expense management audit but you don’t want it to become another half-finished spreadsheet, let’s keep it simple.
Book a strategy call, and we’ll map a clean starting point: what to review first, where savings usually hide, and what controls will keep your spend from creeping back up.