There’s nothing like some spring cleaning of communications tools to reinvigorate your business. You might be surprised to learn how much there is to clean up and clean out…
The average employee uses 17 different cloud apps, 3 content-sharing services and 3 collaboration tools. All that technology can add up to confusion and general frustration as employees try to communicate with each other and respond to customers.
Consider these pointers for reenergizing and remaking your approach to collaboration and communications:
- Identify the purpose and value of each communications tool – First, ask yourself and your team about what’s needed from your communications systems. Identify what frustrates people, where necessities fall through the cracks, or how customers could be better served. Then apply your ideas to evaluating your current tools.
- Analyze the costs vs. benefits of your communications software – Ultimately, the goal of any communications system is to aid productivity and bring value to the business. You have to ask yourself: Is the time spent using that latest app really achieving the outcomes you need? If you’re not getting the right bang for your buck, use this as an opportunity to find more cost-effective, all-in-one communications tools.
- Reduce distraction and optimize attention capital – Step back from the whirl of digital life, identify what’s most important to you, and then add back the technology that will support your priorities. In business, that means finding solutions to increase productivity by automating simple tasks like setting up meetings and improving workflows.
- Focus on the Customer Experience – Remember that the coolest technology isn’t worth adopting if it doesn’t serve the customer. The most competitive businesses are making Customer Experience their differentiating factor. As you’re evaluating your tools, consider whether they will impact your responsiveness to customer needs.
- Make it convenient to work anywhere – Today, more team members work remotely – on the road, from home or in the field. Use this opportunity to reach out to your remote workers and find out what headaches they’re experiencing. Do your collaboration tools enable them to easily communicate and respond quickly to customers from their smartphone?
Now might be a good time to consider a unified communications solution like MiCloud Connect – a collaborative workspace where team members can share tasks and documents, schedule calls, chat and conduct audio and video conferences at the push of a button.
Need help untangling and reorganizing your communications? Contact us today: 800.787.4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us
Jeff Nolte is President and CEO of CTS, a leading Voice and IT services provider based in Millersville, Maryland. He may be reached at (800) 787-4848 or jnolte@ctsmd.us. Visit: www.ctsmd.us.