How do your provider's costs compare to the market? A seventeen-hour Thursday cost benchmark day answers this.
A IPTV reseller in Germany spends seventeen hours on the second Thursday of every month benchmarking provider costs.
He benchmarks: cost per credit (4 hours), cost per channel (4 hours), cost per feature (3 hours), cost per customer (3 hours), and hidden fees (3 hours).
His Panel IPTV provider's costs are compared to 5 competitors.
A Revendeur IPTV who never benchmarks costs doesn't know if he's overpaying. He might be paying 50% more than market.
Here's what the cost benchmark revealed. A reseller discovered he was paying €2 per credit while competitors charged €1.20. He switched providers and saved €80 per month.
The practical implementation is simple. Block the second Thursday of every month, 9 AM-2 AM (next day). "Cost Benchmark Day." Compare your costs to 5 competitors. If you're in the top quartile of pricing, negotiate or switch.
What actually works is keeping a "cost benchmark" spreadsheet. Update it quarterly. If your provider falls out of competitive range, act.
I learned that costs drift upward. The Seventeen Hour Thursday Provider Cost Benchmark Day catches drift.
Honestly, benchmark your provider's costs this Thursday. Your IPTV reseller margins depend on it.