Many IT managers today are faced with the difficult task of diligently managing their budget spending so as to maximise the financial return for their organisations.
There are five top tips for effective investment in communications technology that can save South African companies money, by improving staff productivity, reducing communication costs, lowering general operational expenses and, through open standards, ensure that organisations aren't locked into proprietary technologies.
1. Embrace mobility
Fixed mobile convergence (FMC) unites what today are the two separate worlds of mobile and enterprise communications, to increase efficiencies and reduce costs.
A growing mobile workforce is driving demand for FMC, and it is important that employees are easily reachable when away from their desks, in order to provide top-class customer service and enhanced collaboration. People often have two or three different numbers and sometimes more. There are important benefits to be gained from having one number, routed to your choice of device and location. Not only can you become more responsive to your customers, but also, with least cost routing, important savings can be gained. Small or large businesses should therefore look into integrating mobile phones into the company PBX.
2. Enable flexible working
If equipped with the right, readily available technology, most of the knowledge-based workforce could do their job equally well, if not better, from home. When looking at flexible working, companies should include VOIP as part of the equation, to avoid the recurring costs associated with mobile phones. Remote workers (or call centre agents) can become reachable on the same number and benefit from the same features as when in the office.
Companies can also profit from allowing remote and flexible working with lower property and energy costs, higher morale and increased staff retention.
3. Open up standards
SIP (session initiation protocol) is the key standard, which any IT purchasing decision-maker should be aware of when buying a voice communications system. SIP-based systems are designed to be easily integrated into future technologies, giving companies peace of mind that they can continue to evolve and upgrade without being locked into a proprietary solution. Also worth considering:
* SIP terminals can represent a third of a deployment cost, therefore protecting current investments.
* Telephone systems offering SIP trunking enable cheaper communications.
4. Cancel non-essential business travel
In this difficult economic climate, it is important that we are able to maintain a constructive dialogue with customers and colleagues based around the country, and often across the globe. Reducing cost on non-essential business travel doesn't have to be at the expense of close personal engagement. Businesses should be actively looking at using alternatives such as user-friendly and high-quality 'virtual presence' solutions. Videoconferencing is not only cost-efficient, but also environmentally sound. A high quality collaboration enabled videoconferencing solution can pay for itself if it replaces just a few transatlantic business trips.
5. Stepped up approach to unified communications
Many organisations are still nervous about investing in new technology - but this doesn't have to mean a 'rip and replace' undertaking. Rather, companies can embark on a gradual process, which will enable immediate benefits without requiring an overwhelming initial investment.
When looking to improve the efficiency of communications solutions, companies should be also considering:
* Presence management tools to indicate whether a colleague is already engaged on a call or in a meeting, to help to manage calls more efficiently.
* Document sharing software to enable more constructive dialogues with colleagues or customers, even remotely.
* Softphones installed on laptops to reduce the recurring costs of mobile phone calls while travelling or working remotely.
* Mobile communications using WiFi networks.
The credit crunch means there is much less flexibility in budgets now than ever before, but that doesn't mean companies can afford to stop investing in technology. It is vital that technology should remain a top priority for organisations, as it can make the difference between winning and losing customers.
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