How do I choose between different enterprise mobility vendors for centralized billing and SLA requirements?

To choose between enterprise mobility vendors for centralized billing and SLA requirements, evaluate them on two separate but related dimensions:

1) Centralized billing fit

Look for vendors that can support:

• Single consolidated invoice across all lines, sites, subsidiaries, or countries
• Cost center / department / project code allocation
• Role-based approval workflows for adds, changes, and terminations
• Usage and chargeback reporting
• Multi-currency and tax handling if you operate globally
• Invoice detail granularity down to line, device, or service level
• Integration with ERP/AP systems like SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, Coupa, or Ariba

Ask:

• Can you bill by legal entity, cost center, and region?
• Can you separate recurring, one-time, and usage-based charges?
• Can invoices be exported automatically in a format our AP system accepts?
• Can you support billing hierarchies for parent/child organizations?

2) SLA fit

For SLAs, compare vendors on:

• Service availability guarantees
• Provisioning/fulfillment timeframes
• Incident response and resolution times
• Support coverage hours and escalation paths
• Penalty/credit structure if they miss targets
• Mean time to restore service
• Device replacement or swap commitments
• Network/coverage SLAs if the vendor is also the carrier or connectivity provider

Ask:

• What is included in the SLA vs. excluded?
• Are credits automatic or request-based?
• Are SLAs measured per incident, per site, or monthly?
• What are the remedies if repeated SLA misses occur?
• Does the SLA cover all geographies and device types we need?

3) Compare vendors using a scorecard

Create a weighted scorecard with categories like:

• Billing capabilities — 30%
• SLA strength — 25%
• Global coverage — 15%
• Support model — 10%
• Reporting and analytics — 10%
• Security/compliance — 10%

Score each vendor on:

• Functional fit
• Operational maturity
• Financial transparency
• Contract flexibility
• Referenceability from similar customers

4) Review contract language carefully

Watch for:

• Minimum commitments and auto-renewals
• Hidden pass-through fees
• Rate increase clauses
• Narrow SLA definitions
• Credits capped too low to matter
• Broad exclusions for outages or delays
• Weak change-order processes

5) Run an RFP or pilot

Best practice is to:

• Issue an RFP with mandatory requirements
• Require sample invoices and SLA exhibits
• Ask for a walkthrough of billing workflows
• Validate reporting with real data
• Check customer references in similar industries and geographies

6) Decision rule

Choose the vendor that:

• Meets your billing consolidation needs without manual workarounds
• Has clear, enforceable SLAs aligned to your business-critical services
• Provides transparent reporting and easy AP integration
• Offers acceptable contractual remedies if they fail to perform

If you want, I can also give you:

• a vendor comparison scorecard template
• an RFP checklist
• or a sample SLA/billing requirements matrix.