It is expected that SMS gateway software like TeleOSS, features a lot of sophisticated components and abilities, to fit in any situation it is intended for. However, just to mention a few, a general well-built SMS platform should pack these following specifications or characteristics:
Regarding the Automation process
- E-mail to SMS
- SMS to E-mail with activated process automation and text parsing
- A flexible business rules engine.
- Automated reporting through SMS
- SMS alerts
Enterprise Grade Security
- 24-hour monitoring of system
- Pen tested and code scanned
- HTTPS
- Secure channel for SMPP
- Azure stack security
- Disaster recovery
Cross-System Integration
- Flat file import routines
- Web services connectivity
- Connectors for CRM, ERP, bespoke or industry specific applications
- Data transformation
Workflow
- Decision tree and routing capabilities
- Binary Yes/No decisions
How the right corporate SMS platform can be identified for your organization
For people who are IT or marketing professionals, the temptation is in jumping straight into a particular product and to start testing the characteristics of a certain SMS system. This is very great if what you want is just to evaluate user experience right from the off, but this should not in any way be the basis of your procurement decision. ToucanText takes a more business process-led approach to the SMS solution proposals and recommends that organizations that are looking to evaluate enterprise SMS software should:
1. Define the ‘trigger points’ for the execution of an enterprise SMS service
Identifying business rules that’ll start your SMS communications is very critical. For instance, will the SMS communication be a schedule-based event e.g. It is a Friday afternoon and there is a need for your organization to drive evening footfall to venues throughout a particular geographical region? In this instance, the enterprise SMS software would not only require scheduling functionality but also cross-database querying capabilities that can apply complex database query criteria.
Alternatively, you might be in search of a corporate SMS software solution which can monitor your other business systems dynamically for trigger points or exceptions. For instance, your organization might have a number of slow moving stock items which are recorded in your ERP system and you would surely like SMS communications to be dynamically sent to new prospects or previous purchasers. All of these are possible with the right corporate SMS solution.
Below is the free-to-use template to document all the sources of data that could trigger an SMS communication.
2. Map out your business processes which will pass through an enterprise SMS gateway
The bigger the organization is, the more dependencies or business rules that will need to be adhered to. For example, an SMS marketing or bulk SMS campaign could be determined by a scheduled event or database trigger or external API call. But what else has to happen? Should the corporate SMS solution be complemented by a triggered email marketing campaign? Do you want the resulting SMS software database log to be retrieved and written back into your customer relationship management applications for return on compliance purposes or investment analysis?
The danger of making implementation of an enterprise SMS solution without first mapping out the ‘before’ and ‘after’ scenarios could actually result in the creation of some new data silos or critical failure points. GDPR compliance in the European Union is an example. Be careful!
3. formulate a list of enterprise SMS platform features that will be actually used
You shouldn’t allow yourself to be wowed by SMS platform features that you will not use or need. Take MMS for example. It can be terribly expensive to use, can deliver very little value but in a product demonstration environment, it can actually look astonishing. More often than not, many ‘flashy’ corporate SMS solution features are not used, but the organization will finally contribute to their ongoing availability through maintenance or subscription fees.
We give advice to the potential clients of our enterprise SMS software to make a list, using the following simple criteria:
4. Categorize SMS communications as either business-critical, transactional or marketing specific
There are only very few SMS providers who openly acknowledge that there are price differences in SMS transmission costs depending on the type of SMS communications you send. In truth, the SMS industry isn’t too dissimilar from the email marketing sector insofar that transactional SMS needs to be kept more secured and reliable. Therefore, it can cost more to a route. Conversely, bulk SMS marketing campaigns, by their nature, are less business-critical and are price-sensitive due to the volume that is often required. These forms of SMS marketing campaigns can often be routed via a different network which can result in slow or lower delivery rates.
The SMS message type that you want to send will be the main factor in determining the range of SMS providers you can evaluate and the price per message you will at the end of the day pay.
When you have got a clear list of the types of SMS communications you plan to use, you’ll be able to identify the right SMS provider for yourself and your organization.
