How AI Powers the Tangoe One Technology Expense Management Platform

Artificial intelligence is the path to the automated future, so it’s no surprise that we get asked everyday how we’re infusing AI tools into our technology expense management platform, called Tangoe One. As a pioneer in the industry, our product developers have been leveraging AI-based technologies for years to hyper-automate processes, enhance accuracy, and empower our clients to make informed data-driven decisions. Today, we remain at the forefront, continuing with new explorations in Generative AI (GenAI) and large language models.

Here’s a quick look at where AI is already benefiting our clients and where we’re taking AI next in our IT expense management solutions.

Technology Expense Management: Tangoe’s History of AI Innovation

Our Tangoe One software platform boasts AI capabilities, including robotic process automation, machine learning, predictive analytics and other advanced statistical methodologies. We hold several AI-based patents tailored to use cases in effectively managing technology expenses and costs. This domain is where Tangoe stands out in the market, and we are committed to maintaining our leadership in innovations leveraging AI technologies.

AI for Cloud Expense Management: A Look at Tangoe’s Tools

As of December 2023, Tangoe has been granted 14 patents for AI-based innovation in cloud optimization. And, we also have five pending AI cloud patents as well as others we’re actively preparing to file with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Key benefits include:

Extracting, classifying, and reporting on cloud usage data — giving Tangoe exclusive rights around cloud service usage data and the ways in which advanced AI analytics can be used for cost analysis and cost allocation.
Leveraging advanced AI analytics to filter mountains of cloud usage data down to the meaningful datasets our clients’ need for cost analysis based on their software applications and other unique business requirements.
Patented cloud optimization “superpower” showing you which cloud infrastructure service will give you the best bang for your buck given the demands of your current workload and your predicted needs.

Learn more about Tangoe’s AI-based cloud patents.

And that’s just our patented AI capabilities.

AI for SaaS Management and IaaS Optimization

AI is also helping our clients pinpoint savings and drive efficiencies in cloud financial management with these notable tools:

Hyper-automated SaaS license management: Industry-leading automation allocates and reallocates SaaS licenses using customizable no-code playbooks with 1,000 automated actions
Smart SaaS User Insights: Tangoe’s deep user analytics for Microsoft 365 offer unparalleled insights into the ways in which employees use Outlook®, Excel®, Access®, Visio® and other tools nested within a 365 license.
Tracking Dynamic Prices and Comparing IaaS Options: AI engines monitor daily fluctuations in service prices and compare all the possibilities so you know which option will save you the most money
Automated Implementation: Advanced automation means clients can approve a cost-saving recommendation and the system will take action to implement it for them – automatically.

Learn how to use AI to automate cloud infrastructure cost savings

AI for Telecommunications Expense Management: A Look at Tangoe’s Tools

For our telecom expense management solution, Tangoe developed an AI engine that can process technology invoices in just 8 seconds — a task that would take a human accountant 5-10 minutes each. This groundbreaking automation system uses AI to efficiently capture, document, and verify billing information. Machine learning capabilities understand and extract data from semi-structured invoices, regardless of their format.

Our AI invoicing engine:

Overcomes the restrictions of rules-based robotic processing and can handle various invoice formats, including complex datasets with nested tables and field duplications.
Accurately identifies important charges, validates line-item charges against the total amount billed, and significantly reduces the need for human intervention.
Improves data accuracy and reduces the need for manual processing, decreasing the time spent on billing tasks and allowing Tangoe and our clients to focus on more strategic priorities.

AI-based automation also helps us build workflows that speed the management of expenses, invoices, payments, and financial reports including:

Maintaining an accurate inventory of telecom services with a customizable dashboard
Ordering, tracking and managing services and changes to circuits and locations
Reconciling invoices against contracts to find billing errors and make claims
Paying invoices with pre-configured approval processes and bill pay services
Managing contracts and renewal cycles with automated alerts for procurement teams

With some of the fastest financial processing speeds in the industry, Tangoe is leading the way in delivering efficiency in expense management. This way, our clients stay productive and their critical communications services are never disrupted

AI for Mobile Expense Management: A Look at Tangoe’s Tools

AI plays a critical part in Tangoe’s mobile device management solution with many chatbots automating and accelerating processes. Overall, these bots work behind the scenes to streamline core functions and enhance the customer experience across every phase of management in the device lifecycle. It is important to note that their efficiency complements the white-glove service provided by the Tangoe mobile logistics team and other service teams.

Here’s a look at Tangoe’s AI-assisted chatbots:

Mikey is a data collector: Mikey is responsible for gathering invoice and billing information from different carrier portals. Mikey is programmed to navigate provider systems without triggering any disruptions or denial-of-service attacks.
Johnny is a time saver: Johnny was developed to handle repetitive and time-consuming tasks within our mobile device management platform. Some of Johnny’s activities include suspending and unsuspending phone lines, managing carrier plans, and handling service upgrades.
Rosie is a cost optimizer: Rosie is an optimization bot designed to help customers save money. Rosie analyzes data to identify discrepancies in carrier rates versus contract stipulations and identifies inactive phone lines that may have been overlooked. Based on the analysis, Rosie provides cost-saving recommendations.
Audrey is a virtual assistant: Audrey is a virtual assistant chatbot that engages in real-time conversations with customers. Audrey can understand customer messages, translate them into intents, and respond accordingly. She can communicate via text messages and phone calls, leveraging Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology.
Otto assists with procurement: Otto is responsible for parsing communications such as emails. Otto extracts relevant information and provides updates and alerts to facilitate the procurement process.

Learn more about Tangoe’s AI-powered mobile device management bots.

Generative AI: Where Tangoe’s Innovation is Going Next

While we continue to elevate and expand the application of traditional AI, Tangoe is also focused on continuing our leadership by incorporating GenAI technologies to drive elevated outcomes for our customers and employees.

First and foremost, we approach GenAI like we do everything else – with dedicated attention to security and safety, using our corporate mission and values as our guide. To assist in this effort, Tangoe created an AI Council to oversee our GenAI innovation and establish guiding policies and principles to ensure we use emerging technologies responsibly. Tangoe’s existing data security and privacy policies lead our AI strategy, and we’re also leaning on our trusted partners to help us address critical questions carefully, thoughtfully, and proactively.

Here’s a quick look at our GenAI approach:

ChatGPT: We’re enabling an internally secure ChatGPT capability that will empower every employee to responsibly and safely use it across every function.
Targeted Tools: We’re building capabilities on top of ChatGPT to expand support for specific use cases as they arise. For example, we’re using GenAI to augment the creation and querying of knowledge-base articles, customer playbooks, and other resources to drive higher efficiency and effectiveness for our customers.
Partnerships: We’re working with our strategic partners where appropriate to incorporate GenAI capabilities into their processes for further customer benefit.

Tangoe has been leading the industry in automation for more than a decade, and we view innovation as an active and ongoing initiative — a journey in delivering additional value to our clients and their business outcomes. As GenAI becomes more sophisticated, performing a wider range of intellectual tasks, our company is committed to driving sustained business growth and competitive advantage by ensuring the integration of emerging technologies.

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