Optimizing The VoIP Billing Process
DS Tech uses the SkySwitch communications platform to offer VoIP services. Datagate works directly with SkySwitch data as part of its close partnership with SkySwitch, providing automated VoIP billing solutions to the SkySwitch reseller base. Before using Datagate, DS Tech was manually entering customer tax calculations, generating the customer bills, and then manually putting the bills into ConnectWise. It was a lot of work, says Eric Wakkuri, President, DS Tech.
“We wanted to automate the generation of taxes for our VoIP customers. We wanted to send customers a nice, traditional telecom-style invoice. And we wanted to transfer invoices to ConnectWise automatically. Datagate has given us all that. It has enabled us to optimize our telecommunications billing processes for maximum efficiency, while improving the customer experience,” he says.
Datagate Integrates With DS Tech’s Existing Software
Datagate integrated with DS Tech’s existing software, including ConnectWise Manage and QuickBooks.
“We run the whole business off ConnectWise, but ConnectWise has no capability to generate VoIP bills – you need Datagate,” Eric Wakkuri says.
“Integration wasn’t a problem. Datagate integrates directly with ConnectWise and the Datagate team worked with us to make sure that everything in ConnectWise flowed into QuickBooks correctly. It’s friendly to QuickBooks reporting and all the data flows into the correct accounting buckets.”
Eric Wakkuri has been able to step away from the VoIP billing process and allow his team to take over and run it.
“That wasn’t possible when billing was a road block,” he says.
“For the same or less cost than our previous provider, Datagate has saved us time, integrated telecom billing into ConnectWise and is delivering better support.”
When DS Tech’s customers pay a bill in ConnectWise, the Accounts Receivable team can collect it and mark it as paid in ConnectWise. If the customer has a question DS Tech can work inside ConnectWise to answer it instead of jumping back and forth between different systems.
DS Tech had a sales person spending a minimum of three hours each VoIP billing cycle to assist the Accounts Receivable team with calculations.
“He no longer needs to get involved at all. He can just get on with selling instead,” Eric Wakkuri says.
Datagate partners with CCH SureTax for tax calculations
Since DS Tech switched to Datagate partner CCH SureTax for tax calculations, customer queries are fewer, Eric Wakkuri says.
“Our old provider used to generate charges that sometimes didn’t make sense to us or the customer. We are very comfortable with CCH SureTax.”
Datagate calculates and reports on the percentage of interstate telecommunications usage for DS Tech. The system automatically manages tax exemptions that individual customers may have for state, city, council or federal taxes.
Automated reporting saves hours
Datagate has automated reporting for DS Tech, including a VoIP traffic report that used to take four hours to build.
“Datagate is willing to create reports as we need them and work with us to make it easier for us to do our jobs. I still ask for new reports sometimes, as the business grows or compliance regulations change, and Datagate customizes these for us. I like that they adjust to fit our changing needs,” says Eric Wakkuri.
“Support has been great. Datagate is willing to help us tweak the solution to make it a nice custom fit for DS Tech. It’s a very easy system to use, with a quick web portal that’s easy to navigate.
“I recommend Datagate and have agreed to act as a reference because we’re happy and very satisfied with the solution.
“Datagate fills a specific need and does a very good job of it.”
