Some companies operate under the misconception that unified communications (UC) means simply replacing their phone system with an updated one that uses voice over internet protocol (VoIP). Organizations may resist making the change because they feel the expense isn’t worth it.
UC is more than just voice. It’s a way of bringing together a variety of communications tools. When companies fail to make the transition to UC, they miss out on the opportunity to transform the way they do business.
Here’s a list of 5 motivations for using UC in your business:
1) Business Collaboration
Research conducted by Queens University of Charlotte found that almost 75% of employers see workplace collaboration as “very important.” Of the employees surveyed, 39% said that people in their organization don’t collaborate enough.
When companies don’t have the right business collaboration tools, employees get bogged down in too many meetings. Often, the same employees end up handling all the projects.
UC provides all the tools that employees need to collaborate. Workers can communicate using a whole suite of integrated tools, such as voice, messaging, conferencing, and file sharing. Communication can take place between project team members no matter where they are located.
2) Increasingly Mobile Workforce
Working remotely is becoming an increasingly popular option for employees. The 2017 State of Telecommuting in the U.S. Employee Workforce report found that 4 million employees in the U.S. work from home at least half of the week.
Without the right communication tools, remote workers can feel out of the loop. UC ensures that employees, clients, and customers can easily find remote employees. UC can transcribe voicemails into emails. A digital assistant can automatically transfer calls made to an office phone through to a mobile phone.
3) Rising Customer-Centricity
In today’s business climate, the customer is king. Customers expect your company to be on call 24/7. If customers have trouble getting information about your products and services, they may turn to a competitor instead.
UC makes it easy for customers to get individual attention. Voice systems can be set up so that employees can be reached through a single number, no matter where they are working.
Instant messaging and voicemail transcription help employees receive and respond to customer messages more quickly. Web conferencing makes it possible to give customers and clients one-on-one time, for a personal touch.
4) Importance of Visual Communication
Forbes predicts that video will be the next big thing in business collaboration, due to its untapped potential. Companies are already taking advantage of voice, but video conferencing provides additional immediacy.
Video encourages engagement. Employees can’t get away with multitasking during a video chat. Participants also benefit from additional cues from facial expressions and body language.
Web conferencing through UC enables companies to conduct face-to-face meetings with clients and customers. Video can also be used to conduct interviews with job candidates. Project team members can hold checkpoint meetings using video.
5) The Need to Communicate Across Devices
With the rise of the mobile workforce and the bring your own device (BYOD) trend, the cubicle, with its trusty desktop, is no longer the hub of the workplace. Employees may move between a smartphone, laptop, and tablet. All these devices need to be able to work together to ensure vital communications don’t slip through the cracks.
UC integrates all of an employee’s devices. Voice and mobile can be connected through voicemail transcription and automatic call forwarding. Unified messaging groups all your instant messages, emails, and faxes in a single inbox. Single number reach (SNR) ensures all calls are routed directly to an employee.
Staying On Trend With Unified Communications
Adopting UC does more than change the way companies communicate. UC empowers organizations to embrace new trends in the way business is conducted.
For companies in the New England region, FirstLight is the source for UC. Our VoIP solutions lay the foundation for a full suite of UC tools, including audio, video, and WebEx. All of our UC tools are supported by our extensive, lightning-fast, and highly available fiber optic network.
Get more information about what UC can do for your business. Reach out to FirstLight.
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