Workplace productivity is one of the best indicators of a thriving business. You cannot run a successful business if your employees aren’t productive. One way to do it is by having all the right tools and systems in place to make functions, like communication, smooth.
Keeping communication hitches at the lowest can be tricky if you use several communication channels. Your internal and external communication might have issues that will affect your business’s productivity. This article will discuss the best solution for communication hitches.
Let’s get into it.
What Is Unified Communication?
We first need to define unified communications for those hearing about it for the first time. It is a communication system that consists of various interactive tools. This system does every task from collecting to analyzing and storing information from various sources.
A good unified communications system needs to be comprehensive. It must bring together voice, video, chat and other communication tools. This also includes the integration of a CRM and other tools that businesses use to ensure efficient customer interactions.
How a UC Boosts Workplace Productivity
There are various benefits of having a unified communication system. The overall aim of having one is to boost workplace productivity. But you might not know how such a system will help you achieve that. This section looks at various ways a UC can be helpful.
- It can help increase communication speeds. When you centralize communication, ensuring efficient and speedy contact with your team and customers is easy.
- Building relationships is easier when you have an efficient communication system. It can make it easier to increase collaboration and impact customer relationships.
- You can boost overall business efficiency with a proper communication system. This is through automation and reducing employee input in the communication process.
- It is possible to multitask when you have such a system. Instead of creating messages on every platform, you create a universal message that will reach everyone at a go.
You cannot go wrong with a unified communication system. Ensuring efficiency in how your teams interact internally and with customers is a good idea. It’ll ensure employees work with minimal issues and that the bond between your business and customers grows stronger.
How to Set up a Unified Communications System
There are various steps to take to build a successful UC environment. It would help if you had all your tools, including phones, tablets, desktops and laptops. The list can include IP phones, conference and telepresence equipment, email clients, and more.
You’ll have all these tools in a single UC platform to increase efficiency. This means you’ll also need to choose a UC platform that will fit your needs. In addition, you’ll need automated user provisioning to ensure high levels of productivity in the UC environment you build.
UC provisioning uses various automated provisioning tools to simplify management. It helps automate everything from moves, adds, changes, and even deletes. Using software provisioning to automate such tasks can help eliminate the need to employ a highly skilled workforce.
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UC Features That Improve Workplace Productivity
The tools used to ensure efficient communication come with various features. It is essential to know these features and how each of them can boost your productivity. They include the following.
1. Unified Messaging
We already mentioned that multitasking is easy when you have unified communication. You won’t need to load two separate programs when using a UC. You can create a single message and send it across many platforms. This will save you and your team a lot of valuable time.
2. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
This is a practice that’s quickly gaining pace in the business world. It is easier to implement it when you have a UC system. You can set up this system on your employee’s devices. It will help you save money that you’d have used to buy a second work device for each.
3. Calling
This is the most popular communication method used by businesses. You can do it if you already have a phone system for your team. However, it will be great to increase your phone system’s efficiency using a UC system. It will help make your team more responsive to clients.
4. Mobility
Work flexibility has been a trending issue in the business world. Employees prefer to choose when to work and where to operate. Also, businesses want to be free to hire talent from around the world. A UC system supports work mobility by enhancing collaboration.
5. Instant Messaging/Chat
It can be tricky for teams to work efficiently in an environment with communication issues. As a business owner, you must ensure colleagues can have personal chats at work. Your instant messaging or chat in your UC system will help improve productivity.
6. Conferencing
You can use conferencing as an internal and external communication tool. You can increase the efficiency of your conferencing tools by investing in a UC system. This will make it easier to add a new member to an ongoing conference or remove someone.
7. Status Info and Calendar Integration
It would be best if you always stuck to your calendar as it will help you keep time. Also, a status indicator for every user helps make it easier to know who’s available to handle a customer. You can increase the effectiveness of these two by integrating them with your UC system.
8. Video Calling and Desktop Sharing
It can be easy to ensure collaboration when you have video calling tools. This goes hand in hand with desktop sharing, which helps teams manage diaries almost effortlessly. A UC system can also be worth adopting if you want to increase the efficiency of these tools.
Read: The Crucial Role Of Accounting In Business Success
Conclusion
Improving communication within your business is possible if you’ve been experiencing any issues. A breakdown in communication with your workers can significantly impact their productivity. Also, you might lose potential customers if you cannot communicate well.
Unified communication is the best solution for your communication problems. Having a system instead of a set of tools can revolutionize how you keep in touch with your team and customers. It will increase your business’s productivity and ensure you make more revenues.