USA Tricks Blog

Press release

March 27th 2012. The majority (94 per cent) of telecom operators worldwide expect revenue leakage to increase and almost half of them (49 per cent) believe the increase will be significant, according to a global survey by advisory firm KPMG. * The research identifies a number of factors responsible for the increased risk such as complex network systems, the rise of m-Commerce, converged service offerings, multiple third party partners and a rise in outsourcing, all of which create the potential for inaccurate data capture and billing, and increased fraud. The report also reveals that the Revenue Assurance function (responsible for detecting and recovering leaked revenue) has surprisingly little influence in many telecom companies.Joe Gallagher, Head of UK Telecoms, comments, “The rise of m-Commerce and converged services is going to fundamentally transform the industry and this will bring new opportunities but also increased risks for operators. Revenue leakage will be a major issue in the years to come and it is surprising that Revenue Assurance functions and fraud management teams are often marginalized in companies and do not have more influence. What operators need to understand is that the role of the RA function is absolutely critical to the financial and reputational success of their business.”

Revenue Leakage and Recovery

The survey reveals that globally one fifth of respondents leak up to 10 per cent of their revenues. The best performing region appears to be Asia Pacific where 75 per cent of respondents said they leak less than one per cent of their revenue (with 15 per cent reporting leakages between one and 10 per cent and 10 per cent higher than 10 per cent). In Europe 15 per cent of respondents said they leak over 10 per cent of revenues and 19 per cent say they leak between one and 10 per cent (66 per cent say leakage is less than one per cent). The worst performing region according to the research is Africa & the Middle East (32 per cent leak between one and 10 per cent, 18 per cent leak over 10 per cent).

Just 40 per cent of respondents manage to retrieve more than half of all losses. Companies from Europe and the Americas have the highest recovery rates (55 per cent ) while those from Africa and the Middle East are the least effective, with four out of ten (39 per cent) recovering less than 10 per cent of their reported leakages.

Joe Gallagher comments, “These figures are alarming and should serve as a wake-up call to the industry. The problem is not going to go away but will only become worse. For operators who want to succeed in an increasingly competitive and complex environment it is absolutely essential to tackle this problem as an absolute priority.”

Revenue Assurance Function and Fraud Management evolving

Only one in five (21 per cent) of respondents say their RA function reports directly to the Board of Directors. Just 24 per cent of RA departments hold fully centralised control over their organizations, which could hinder the spread of consistent RA practices. Fifty-four per cent are not fully satisfied with the existing communication between RA and senior management, while a lack of career opportunities is considered one of the main reasons for staff attrition.

In many companies, the management of fraud is an evolving activity. 40 per cent of respondents say their businesses have a dedicated fraud management function:- in two thirds of cases this department is less than ten years old. Only 44 per cent claim to have a fraud risk management framework in place.

Joe Gallagher comments, “RA and Fraud Management have evolved considerably over the last few years and although there is some way to go before it is considered a true business advisor, a growing number of companies are involving RA in product, system and network planning in a bid to proactively prevent leakages and fraud.”

“Currently most RA teams ultimately report to the CFO, who is a powerful sponsor able to ensure that action is taken. However, given the volume of fraud and revenue leakage across the industry, the function needs to be exerting greater influence at the very top of the organisation.”

“RA is in an ideal position to look at the entire revenue cycle and identify opportunities for cost savings and revenue enhancement. Through data analytics and modelling, RA professionals also gain a unique understanding of customer behaviour and could make an important contribution to marketing and improving the overall customer experience – a big area of focus for the sector.”

Note

*KPMG’s Global Revenue Assurance Report, March 2012. 137 executives worldwide were interviewed for this report; interviews were conducted anonymously between September and December 2011.

About KPMG

KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and operates from 22 offices across the UK with over 11,000 partners and staff. The UK firm recorded a turnover of £1.7 billion in the year ended September 2011. KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax, and Advisory services. We operate in 152 countries and have 145,000 professionals working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (‘KPMG International’), a Swiss entity. KPMG International provides no client services.