Enhancing Collaboration with Unified Communications Solutions

Leveraging IT to build a winning team in the age of remote work

It’s impossible to overstate the importance of effective communication in a business setting. Leadership must communicate to provide the vision and set the tone. Within the organization, each team member must articulate what is happening from their perspective, so the company as a whole can benefit from individual insights and collaboration. As Steve Jobs famously said, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They’re done by a team of people.” But what happens when workers are siloed, toiling away at their discrete tasks, or working remotely so they never have even a casual encounter with a coworker? Such a company can lose the important benefits of the synergy of the workplace. Its workforce can lose its sense of shared purpose, as its innovation grinds to a halt. So, how do you maintain a level of communication that unites your team in a common purpose? A managed services provider can supply the integrated communication tools you need to maximize teamwork and productivity.

IT solutions to improve organizational communication

There’s an old joke that says, “A group is a bunch of people in an elevator. A team is the same bunch of people in a broken elevator.” Now, all those folks have a common complaint to bind them together. And if help doesn’t come soon, they’ve got a common mission. Your task, as a business leader, is to convey a sense of shared mission to your “bunch,” who occupy their own silos, work from home, or only check in occasionally from the road. Your bunch has to communicate to become a team, but that’s only going to happen if communication is:

• Effortless — They can press a couple of buttons and, boom, they’re in touch.
• Clear — Audio and video perform to professional standards, so there’s no frustration.
• Productive — Team members have the tools at their fingertips to share relevant information and capture the pertinent points of the discussion. The ability to make changes in real time is also essential.

Conscientious workers have an aversion to wasting time. If you want them to communicate, they must feel the benefit. A managed IT service provider can offer a range of tools for effortless, clear, and productive communication, including:

• VoIP — Voice over Internet Protocol allows phone calls and teleconferencing via the Internet. This can be accomplished with computers, fixed line telephones, or mobile devices.
• Video conferencing — Workers in various locations can collaborate using programs, such as Zoom, Webex, Intermedia Anymeeting, GoogleMeet, GoToMeeting, and Microsoft Teams. These programs allow for file sharing and screen sharing for productive collaboration.
• Voicemail management — Voicemail can be stored in the cloud for easy retrieval from anywhere.

Of course, your network must have the capacity to utilize these services. An MSP can evaluate the state of your network and suggest any upgrades that would be necessary to take full advantage of the services you desire.

And while we’re talking about virtual tools to enhance communication and productivity, here are a few more items to consider:

• Virtual assistants — Small businesses owners who find it difficult to hire an assistant due to space and budget limitations can retain the services of a virtual assistant. The virtual assistant would manage tasks remotely on a contract basis, sparing you the expense of a full-time hire.

• SMS — A Short Message Service enables text messages between mobile devices. If you have a customer list, you can stay engaged by sending out texts and emails to their cellphones as part of your marketing efforts.
• Live chat — To enhance communication with customers who visit your website, you can add a chat box to address any of their concerns. These chat services come with advanced support options, so you can tailor your responses to your customers’ needs.

Whether you want to enhance communication among your workers or between your company and its customers, effective IT solutions are available. At KMF Technologies, we assess our clients’ needs on an individual basis and present recommendations for the most appropriate tools to fit your budget. Call us today.