The Cardinal Source
Telecom + UCaaS spend benchmark.
Acme Manufacturing · 78 locations · $1.84M annual
Headline findings
Current-state spend inventory
| Service | Supplier | Annual | $/site/mo | vs. median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIP trunking (240 sessions) | Lumen | $168,000 | $179 | +34% |
| MPLS network (78 sites) | AT&T | $612,000 | $654 | +19% |
| UCaaS licensing (RingCentral, 480 seats) | RingCentral | $288,000 | $50/seat | +22% |
| Cisco UCCE Enterprise (360 seats) | Cisco | $485,000 | $112/seat | +8% |
| Mobile (Verizon, 320 lines) | Verizon | $132,000 | $34/line | at market |
| Internet circuits (78 sites) | Spectrum Business | $94,000 | $100 | at market |
| Call recording (Verint) | Verint | $94,000 | — | +12% |
| WFM (Aspect) | Aspect Software | $72,000 | — | +18% |
| Conference bridge (LogMeIn) | LogMeIn | $28,000 | — | at market |
| Misc (paging, fax, etc.) | Various | $22,000 | — | at market |
| Total annual | $1,995,000 |
Peer benchmark
Comparison against 14 medical device manufacturers in our engagement history with 50–150 manufacturing/clinical-affairs sites, ranged by per-site monthly spend across the equivalent service portfolio.
Contract structure analysis
Three structural issues identified
- AT&T MPLS contract has a 3% annual MRC escalator through 2028. Peer cohort renegotiates this clause to a flat MRC at renewal. Cumulative cost of escalator over remaining term: ~$58K.
- RingCentral seat licenses are over-allocated. 480 seats licensed; peak concurrent usage in last 12 months: 412. Right-sizing to 430 seats with growth buffer would save $34K annually.
- Cisco UCCE maintenance is on a separate contract from licensing, with 2027-Q1 expiration. Bundling at next renewal recovers ~$22K via vendor-side discount eligibility.
Savings opportunities, ranked
| # | Opportunity | Year-1 savings | Effort | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SIP trunking competitive RFP | $164,000 | Medium | RFP now (8-week cycle) |
| 2 | MPLS → SD-WAN migration | $121,000 | High | RFP within 2026; cutover 2027 |
| 3 | UCaaS seat right-sizing + renewal | $98,000 | Low | Renegotiate before 2026-Q4 renewal |
| 4 | Call recording + WFM consolidation | $30,000 | Medium | Combine into CCaaS RFP |
| 5 | Cisco bundling at next renewal | $22,000 | Low | Negotiate at 2027 renewal |
| Total identified | $435,000 |
Recommended next step
If accepted, Stage 3 (Vendor Scorecard) produces qualified vendor shortlists for each category within 18 business days, with the Cardinal Method scoring rubric tuned to Medical Device Manufacturing weights.
Methodology
Benchmarks derived from 14 medical device manufacturer engagements completed by The Cardinal Source between 2024 and 2026, with peer cohort filtered to 50–150 manufacturing/clinical-affairs sites and total annual telecom + UCaaS spend between $1.0M and $2.5M. All peer data is anonymized. Per-site and per-seat metrics normalize for site count, employee headcount, and call volume where applicable. Industry-specific weighting applies: 21 CFR Part 11 compliance is a hard qualifier, not a price factor.