Your business has probably lost control ofroaming if it cannot answer three basic questions: who is travelling, how theywill connect and what that connection will cost before departure. Bill shock isonly the most visible warning sign; fragmented purchasing, unclear ownershipand poor reporting usually appear earlier.
1.Roaming is reviewed only after the invoice arrives
An invoice is a lagging indicator. Itexplains what has already happened but cannot prevent it. A controlled processuses travel data, destination rules and usage alerts before cost escalates.
2.Employees buy their own eSIMs
This may reduce the network bill, but itmoves spending into expenses and supplier choice into employees’ hands. Thesaving can hide a governance problem.
3. No-one owns the complete cost
Finance sees invoices, travel seesbookings, IT sees devices and procurement sees contracts. If nobody combinesthe data, each team has only part of the picture.
4.The same trip produces different solutions
Two employees travelling to the samedestination may receive different roaming passes, buy different eSIMs or relyon hotel Wi-Fi. That inconsistency usually means the process is undefined.
5.Support begins after landing
If travellers contact IT from an airportbecause they cannot connect, preparation happened too late. Compatibility,installation and instructions should be handled before travel.
6.The business cannot identify its top roaming destinations
Without a destination and travellerprofile, supplier negotiations and policy design become guesswork. Annualtotals alone do not reveal whether the chosen coverage fits actual travel.
7.Success means “we had no big bill this month”
Absence of a shock invoice is not evidenceof control. Employees may have used unapproved products, submitted expenseslater or avoided working while mobile. Good performance measures cost,adoption, experience, security and exceptions.
Across my career in mobile and eSIM, I havefound that businesses often focus on the tariff because it is visible. Yet weakprocess is usually the multiplier. A reasonable tariff can still deliver poorvalue when passes are activated unnecessarily, travellers lack guidance orspend is duplicated across bills and expenses.
The roaming control scorecard
Score each statement from 0 to 2: 0 = no, 1= partly, 2 = yes.
12–14: controlled foundation.
8–11: inconsistent controls; target the weakest areas.
0–7: reactive roaming; prioritise a full review.
This quick score is not a substitute forevidence, but it exposes where assumptions have replaced controls. RoamingIntelligence’s ConnectivityHealth Check examines the wider picture across governance, cost,security, visibility, suppliers and traveller experience.
Recovery checklist
· Name an executive sponsor andoperational owner
· Consolidate invoice, travel andexpense data
· Define approved options bydestination
· Create a pre-travel workflow
· Provide an easy managed eSIMroute
· Set alerts and exceptionthresholds
· Review supplier performancequarterly
· Report total connectivity cost,not only roaming invoices
Next step
Ask finance, IT and travel separately forlast quarter’s international connectivity cost. If the answers differ, start byreconciling the data. For an independent control and savings review, contact Roaming Intelligence.
