Dallas County, Texas, covers 900 square miles and is home to 30 cities, including the City of Dallas. It is home to a diverse population nearing 2.5 million and numerous Fortune 500 corporate headquarters. It takes a sizeable budget to run such a large county, and any opportunity to find savings is welcome.
The fact that Cost Control would provide its Cost Recovery and Reduction Services on a contingency basis was an added bonus. With no upfront costs, Dallas County felt comfortable moving forward, knowing that payment depended on the refunds and cost savings produced. If the company found nothing, the county would pay nothing.
The Challenge
Dallas County requested that Cost Control Associates begin by reviewing telecom and cellular phone bills to find errors that would lead to refunds to the county. The next step would involve identification and implementation of cost-saving measures resulting from rate or service changes.
Adding complications, a major telecommunications project was well underway at the time: The county was in the process of changing telecom and cellular services and providers at more than 45 locations. This meant that Cost Control Associates would have to analyze two sets of telecom bills, deal with two separate telecom organizations and review bills for past and current service types at each location. To streamline the process, Cost Control created its own databases and relied on its telecom industry knowledge and relationships to find savings opportunities.
The Solution
The Cost Control team discovered substantial over-billing by a previous provider and requested the appropriate refunds amounting to $65,700. Examination of the rates and services with the new vendors resulted in a $32,200 reduction in annual telecom and cellular costs. The combined savings totaled more than $97,000.
The county found a valuable partner in Cost Control Associates, and the successful outcome paved the way for future examination of the county’s energy costs.
“The almost $100,000 in refunds and savings that Cost Control Associates obtained for us has made a difference in a tight budget year for the county.”
Lisa Miller is marketing and communications manager for Cost Control Associates. She joined Cost Control Associates in 2015, bringing more than 25 years of experience in marketing and corporate communications to her position. Lisa earned her BA from Skidmore College. Learn more.