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The spring season can be invigorating for many people; longer days, warm sunshine and new growth. It also represents new beginnings, which is why it’s a popular trend to take an opportunity to ‘spring clean’ during this time of year.
We spring clean in our personal lives, but what about in business? Evaluating your technology, communications tools, and processes can often use some reviving as well. According to a recent blog by Mitel, the average employee uses 17 different cloud applications, three content-sharing services, and three collaboration tools. Phew! That sounds overwhelming at best. Not to mention the fact that all these apps can become a drain on productivity, a risk in terms of data protection, and cause some good, old-fashioned miscommunication when so many applications are in play.
If you recognize that your organization could use a little cleanup of its own, consider that streamlining your communications tools might be in order. A single solution, like the RingCentral MVP℠ allows employees to share documents, improve project team efficiency, communicate via voice or video and chat with the click of a button.
If a single platform sounds appealing to you, then here are a few suggestions to get you started on a path to establish a fresh, new communications strategy:
1. Understand the value of the tools you are currently using.
Before leaping into a new solution, have a shared understanding of the benefits of your current tools. Are the current tools guiding you toward the path of achieving your business goals? Which tools are more time consuming to use? Do these tools help you provide the best possible customer experience?
2. Conduct a cost/benefit analysis.
Examine the cost of each of the solutions you have in place, and the benefit gained by having it in place. What happens when you add the sum total of all your systems vs. the benefit they provide as a whole? Don’t forget to consider the time spent maintaining the tools, training employees, and features offered.
3. Evaluate goals and objectives outside of the technology.
When it comes right down to it, it’s important to keep in mind what really matters to you in your business. Understanding what your priorities are (happy customers, happy employees, profit, environment, etc.) is the first step. The second step is to recognize how the technology you use ties into helping you reach your goals and keep your priorities at the forefront.
Improving workflows, maximizing productivity, and providing tools that allow your employees to provide an outstanding customer experience are basic necessities for your business. We often stack technologies because it seems simpler in that moment to just ‘add on’ rather than go through the trouble to replace. Eventually you end up with disparate systems that don’t communicate; this can result in productivity loss and the inability to serve customers quickly and effectively.
4. How would your customers rate the level of service they receive from your organization?
Chances are your competition is striving to make customer satisfaction a key differentiator. How do the tools you use affect your customers’ experience? Are communications seamless? Do your tools integrate easily with one another? Is information easily accessible for those who need it? All of these aspects add up to whether or not the customers’ expectations are being met satisfactorily.
5. Today’s employees require flexibility.
In a post-pandemic world, employees are demanding the flexibility they need to have a solid work-life balance. This includes the ability to work remotely. For those in your organization who work remotely, find out what their roadblocks are in your systems.
Are all the tools they need easily accessible whether they are in the office or out in the field?
How about their home office? Can they utilize apps and tools using a smartphone?
Do you offer web-based options for software like CRM and project management tools?
It’s time to spring into action!
Once you’ve had a chance to consider all of these parts of the puzzle, then it’s time to get planning. When you work with an experienced solution provider, they can help you evaluate the systems and software you have in place and work with you to determine the tools you can benefit from most.
Looking at new technology is also important. Advances in communications technology has exploded in recent years, offering specialized features and functionality that not only help you improve communications, but do it in a user-friendly, convenient way. This means automating and controlling processes to complete projects faster, process transactions more accurately, and facilitate more effective internal and external communications.
All good reasons to consider a fresh start. Contact a Pavelcomm representative today and get a jump on your technology.