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Understanding SLAs for Managed Services

Staying Connected

Release Date: 07/06/2021

Back Billing, Recovery Rights, and the Cost of Billing Errors show art Back Billing, Recovery Rights, and the Cost of Billing Errors

Staying Connected

Back-billing and recovery provisions can look like routine contract language, but they determine who carries the financial risk. A supplier may have up to 12 months to collect charges it failed to invoice, while the customer may have a much shorter contractual window to recover amounts that were billed incorrectly. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s and to discuss how enterprise customers should approach supplier back billing, audit recovery rights and the billing controls needed to protect both historical recovery and the future run rate. If you would like...

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How to Escalate Supplier Problems Without Starting a War show art How to Escalate Supplier Problems Without Starting a War

Staying Connected

Supplier escalation does not have to mean open warfare. When service quality drops, customers need more than frustration and another status meeting. They need a controlled escalation path built on facts, business impact, clear remedies and credible options. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss how the enterprise can escalate serious supplier problems without creating unnecessary conflict.   If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our webpage.

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Does “On-Net” Still Matter? show art Does “On-Net” Still Matter?

Staying Connected

As suppliers use software and partner networks to deliver service across owned and third-party access, the old on-net/off-net distinction is becoming less straightforward. Customers may not need to manage every underlying circuit relationship themselves, but they still need to know who provides the access, what changes because of it and whether the supplier remains accountable when something goes wrong. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss what Lumen’s Multi-Cloud Gateway expansion says about the changing network market and how enterprise...

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A Modern Expression of TC2 and LB3 show art A Modern Expression of TC2 and LB3

Staying Connected

TC2 and LB3 have recently completed a refresh of their brands and digital platforms to convey their breadth of capabilities, their depth of expertise and the sophistication of their work. In this 15-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by LB3’s and TC2’s  for a discussion about the exciting changes at our enterprise and what they mean for our future work with our clients. If you would like to learn more about the wide portfolio of technologies, services and expertise that TC2 and LB3 offer, please explore our new websites at and .

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Staying Ready Between Major Projects show art Staying Ready Between Major Projects

Staying Connected

Between big projects, customers deal with supplier quotes, change orders, renewal proposals, billing questions and “standard” terms that can create cost, reduce flexibility or simply set bad precedent. The challenge is staying commercially ready without turning every supplier event into a full project. In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss how customers can stay ready between major projects by stress-testing supplier claims, validating quotes, reviewing change orders, monitoring renewals and preserving leverage while still moving at the speed...

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Comparing Cloud, Software, and Network Deals Without Getting Lost in the Math show art Comparing Cloud, Software, and Network Deals Without Getting Lost in the Math

Staying Connected

Cloud, software and networking deals all sit under the enterprise technology umbrella, but they do not behave the same way. Enterprise customers need a benchmarking approach that compares lifecycle value, flexibility, operating reality and commercial risk without forcing dissimilar deals into a misleading math exercise. In this 9-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss how customers can benchmark complex cloud, software and network proposals in a way that supports better decision making, stronger negotiation positions and clear internal alignment. If you would...

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HPE + Juniper: What Network Consolidation Means for Enterprise Leverage show art HPE + Juniper: What Network Consolidation Means for Enterprise Leverage

Staying Connected

The HPE-Juniper combination may create stronger technology options, but it also changes the competitive map for enterprise networking. Customers that once viewed HPE, Aruba and Juniper as distinct sourcing alternatives need to reassess how consolidation affects channel strategy, roadmap decisions, pricing leverage, and future flexibility. A broader supplier relationship can simplify operations, but it can also create dependency if the commercial structure makes it harder to compete, reduce or unwind parts of the technology estate. In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by...

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Finding Run-Rate Waste Without Disrupting the Business show art Finding Run-Rate Waste Without Disrupting the Business

Staying Connected

Run-rate waste often hides in the gaps between contracts, invoices, service inventories and operational ownership. In dynamic network environments, old services may keep billing after new circuits are installed, closed sites may retain active charges, and valid overlapping transition costs can quietly become permanent waste.  Enterprise customers need a disciplined way to recover value without creating operational chaos.   In this 8-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss how enterprise customers can identify stranded services, validate pricing,...

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AI Pricing Is Changing the Software Deal. Are Enterprises Ready? show art AI Pricing Is Changing the Software Deal. Are Enterprises Ready?

Staying Connected

 AI is changing the commercial model inside enterprise software agreements. Seats and users are giving way to credits, tokens, agent actions and outcome-based pricing. The issue is not only what the AI capability costs but also understanding the pricing construct to know where financial exposure stops if adoption is slower—or much faster—than expected. In this 10-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss how AI pricing is changing software negotiations and why customers need to evaluate commitments, usage models, pricing constructs and how to model...

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CCaaS and UCaaS Sourcing: How to Compare Offers, Not Stories show art CCaaS and UCaaS Sourcing: How to Compare Offers, Not Stories

Staying Connected

Sourcing CCaaS and UCaaS can appear straightforward, that is until the proposals arrive. If customers don’t force comparability early, the decision can turn into a contest of narratives instead of a rigorous evaluation of cost, scope, accountability and operating risk. In this 11-minute episode of Staying Connected, is joined by TC2’s to discuss how customers can structure CCaaS and UCaaS sourcing so suppliers actually show their work. Tony and Julie explore why licensing, migration, voice, AI features, usage-based costs, responsibility matrices and contract terms need to be clear before...

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More Episodes

A profound difference in the construct of service level agreements (SLAs) between managed services and outsourcing deals and network transport SLAs is that SLAs are more custom to a particular contract or customer.  Knowing what to measure and how to measure it, however, can be challenging.

In this 10 minute podcast, Ben Fox, one of TC2’s Managing Directors, and Joe Schmidt help you understand how to define and negotiate these custom SLAs so you can include them in your next managed services or outsourcing deal.

If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Managed Services & Outsourcing and Success Stories webpages.