Construction wasting money on mobiles

Major construction firms could be wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds by not keeping tabs on mobiles they hand out to workers, warned a consultancy that helps companies manage their mobile phones.

Mark Chapman, commercial director at ttMobiles, said: “The building industry is throwing money down the drain on mobile phones.” The comment came after ttMobiles conducted an audit for a leading construction firm, which uncovered that more than 30% of the firm’s 9,000 mobiles were unused or with ex-employees. Chapman said: “This company could save £100,000 in line rental immediately, as well as the asset value of the phones at £170,000.”

He said all that companies need do is arrange an audit to identify unused or missing phones, then cancel the unused devices and organise for their recovery.

[Contract Journal, 29 November 2006, p 1]