According to an Accenture survey of nearly 10,000 workers, 83 percent said that they prefer a hybrid model of work, in which they can work remotely at least 25 percent of the time.
More and more organizations are looking for ways to better connect their in-person, hybrid and remote workforces all on one platform. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a cloud-based communications technology that uses the internet to send and receive data.
UCaaS platforms can be an excellent choice especially for small- to medium-sized businesses. They are managed by a cloud provider, hosted on off-site servers and bring together all of your favorite communication and office collaboration tools into one solution with a standardized, monthly payment.
It’s a great way to streamline your communications and enable your employees to work from anywhere with a reliable internet connection.
RELATED ARTICLE: 9 Top Benefits of Unified Communications
When configuring your new UCaaS platform, you’ll have to choose which options will be needed as a part of your solution. While providers may vary their offerings, here’s some options for you to consider:
UCaaS platforms are usually less expensive than traditional analog phone systems. They are also more versatile. Most UCaaS platforms offer users the ability to take or make calls via a physical phone on their desk, desktop computer app or mobile app on their personal cell phone. A user with a hybrid work location schedule may need all three options, while a fully remote user would only need the computer app and/or the mobile app. You’ll also have handy phone features such as caller ID, auto attendant, call forwarding and call routing.
In addition, monthly payments typically include equipment, so there’s no large, up-front cost for hardware. That’s why this easy-to-install system will have your company’s communications up and running, in less time than you might think.
Sometimes you need to breakaway from your email inbox and write something short to a co-worker. You can do this in real-time with a chat feature. Send a quick chat message to an individual or even an entire group. Or videocall your co-worker for a face-to-face chat from anywhere. A chat feature makes intraoffice communications – easy!
Does your business have multiple locations? Do you have hybrid and/or remote employees? No problem. Calling a meeting is as simple as sending an email. Many UCaaS platforms are designed for videoconferencing whether you are calling from a conference room or remotely. It’s the next best thing to all being in the same room. Additional features to your platform could also include screen sharing, interactive presentation tools and a virtual assistant.
But video meetings don’t have to be limited to just your co-workers. Generate a meeting link to send to others outside of your organization for video meetings with vendors or host a webinar for your customers.
UCaaS platforms often have file management options to allow secure file sharing and collaboration, from any location. Your UCaaS provider can even help you plan your migration from your existing physical servers to the cloud. This is also a great opportunity to audit your existing files, reorganize them and delete any that are obsolete.
Storing your files in the cloud as a part of a UCaaS platform is perfect for a growing business as backups are in real-time and scaling up is a simple process – unlike adding physical servers to your network. The cloud performs consistently with low latency, so interruptions in service should be very rare. File syncing occurs across all devices and multiple users can edit a document at the same time.
Need to revert to a previous version? Your UCaaS solution can track all changes and you can even provide permission to share a file with others outside of your organization, if needed.
UCaaS file sharing provides an extra layer of security. In fact, for organizations that must comply with data protection regulations, such as healthcare and finance, cloud file sharing ensures your adherence. Your provider sets up the necessary configurations and will include all the protections required for compliance.
Call center phone systems as part of a UCaaS platform, contain features that are more than just extra bells and whistles added to a phone line. These components elevate your communications from simple connections to powerful tools for customer support.
Whether you’re doing inbound, outbound, or both, a modern cloud-hosted call center could help increase your customer satisfaction for a fraction of the cost of traditional call center systems.
Some of the most effective call center capabilities that you could select, include an automatic call distributor, interactive voice response, sentiment analysis, webchat, omnichannel routing, outbound notifications, workforce management tools, CRM integration and knowledge management.
When call volumes rise, UCaaS platforms with call center capabilities allow quick and easy scaling for seamless customer response, commonly lowering call abandon rates during peak volume.
Analytics and reporting are important for a call center to run smoothly. Check with your UCaaS provider to learn more about the standard and custom report options that will be available to you. They will help in making future staffing decisions to better meet the needs of your customers. Some metrics to keep in mind are queue performance, agent performance, tracking reports, first call resolution rates, talk time intervals or a weekly report by department.
While you are starting to think about the possibility of upgrading your organization’s communication and collaboration systems, be sure to enlist the help of a trusted UCaaS provider such as Gordon Flesch Company. Managed Voice Services by Gordon Flesch Company brings all of your organization’s preferred communication channels together into a single, cloud-based system that is managed and monitored by a service provider.
Contact us and we’ll help you design the UCaaS system that will best fit your organization.
Want to learn more about Managed Voice Services by Gordon Flesch Company? Click the link below to download your free guide and find out how your employees can work productively, securely and efficiently from anywhere.
