by Joe Taylor Jr., Vendor Guru Columnist
Traditionally, choosing phone service was a top down decision. Company leaders would pick a provider, usually based just on price, and phones would appear on desks throughout the organization. Today's telecommunications tools are far more complex, backed by companies that offer a staggering variety of options and features. By communicating with end users about how they actually use phone services in their day-to-day lives, you can save your company tremendous expense while giving your team the tools they need to help you make more profits.
Discovering How Your Team Really Uses Phone Service
Asking your company's end users about the phone service features that really matter to them can save you money and increase productivity. Polling your team about the options they want most can offer up some enlightening information. In many companies, team leaders often cobble together solutions by using a combination of vendors. Understanding the real needs of your team members can help you pull diverse telecommunications services under the umbrella of a single vendor, usually at a significant discount.
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Phone Equipment Choices Go Beyond White and Black
Modern phone equipment shares more technology with the desktop computer than with telephones from as few as ten years ago. Choosing the color of your phone equipment used to be the only decision you could make about customizing your telecommunications solution. Now, managers can decide to use simple, interchangeable desktop phones that connect to smart wall jacks. Or, managers can utilize complex all-in-one boxes with built-in VOIP that can operate anywhere. Learning the personal habits and work styles of an office team can uncover the right hardware solution.
Adding Telecommuting to Your Telecommunications Mix
In many cases, offering a valuable employee the chance to work from home can be a better incentive than a raise. Home broadband connections allow many professionals to set up home offices that can be just as effective as work spaces at a corporate headquarters. By asking employees about their interest in telecommuting, you can focus on telecommunications providers that offer seamless interaction with remote workers. Voice over IP phone systems, conference calling, and video chat are just a few of the functions that you can implement to help telecommuters feel connected to the team at the home office, without the hassle or the expense of a daily ride to work.
Keeping the Lines of Communication Open
The low cost and the flexibility of modern phone services allow you to communicate more easily with team members, even after the initial installation of your equipment. Adding an extra voice mail extension as an internal feedback line can show your commitment to keeping the dialogue going. In many cases, team members can alert you to useful features and new services before you hear about them from your vendors.
Especially at larger organizations, where the gap between operational reporting and day-to-day reality can sometimes be enormous, IT directors must first seek to understand the opportunities for real improvements in phone service before implementing a major installation. Ignoring user input not only leads to poor morale, it can actually saddle a company with expensive communications systems that lack the basic features end users need to make their companies efficient and profitable.
Sources
Baseline Magazine
New York Times
O'Reilly OnLamp
Wall Street Journal
ZDNet
