Modernising business telephony is a challenging process, from initial assessment and planning, to measuring success and return on investment (ROI).
Many businesses are spread across multiple sites and rely on multiple platforms, from MS Teams, and Salesforce to Quickbooks. Seamless integration is not a luxury; it’s a necessity.
The challenge is to ensure that everyone can collaborate effectively without the need to constantly switch contexts or platforms.
What are Unified Communications?
The solution is Unified Communications (UC) – the strategic integration of multiple communication tools designed to streamline the conversation within any business.
The seamless connection between different communication methods ensures that the conversation flows smoothly, from emails to instant messaging to voice and video calls.
UC systems are designed to grow with your business. Whether you’re adding new employees, requiring additional features, or expanding to new sites, UC platforms can accommodate this growth without the need for a complete overhaul.
Key Telephony Modernisation Steps
Modernising your telephony represents a significant step forward in how your business interacts internally and with its customers.
There are eight key stages to follow to ensure a smooth and successful deployment.
1. Assign Project Roles & Responsibilities
When a Unified Communications system is being deployed, it’s imperative to have clarity on your role and the extent of your involvement in the process.
Establish your responsibilities and the contribution you are expected to make when dealing with a new telephony provider. This could range from data input, overseeing the project timeline, managing technical integrations, or facilitating user adoption through training and support.
As the deployment moves forward, your focus may shift to more operational tasks such as monitoring the implementation phases and ensuring that the project stays on track.
2. Assess Your Business Needs
Before diving into a new telephony system, it’s critical to evaluate your business objectives. Are you aiming to enhance collaboration, cut costs, or improve customer service?
Understanding your goals will shape your telecommunications strategy. Engage with stakeholders and users to gather requirements and assess the functionality needed. Additionally, analyse your current communication expenditures to set a benchmark for future savings and efficiencies.
3. Define Success Measures
To evaluate the success of your new telephony system, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) related to your business goals.
This could include metrics like reduced communication costs, improved customer satisfaction scores, or increased productivity levels or minimising desktop applications for your users.
Regularly review these metrics to determine the ROI and adjust your strategy as needed to maximise the benefits of your new telephony system.
4. Create a Request for Proposal (RFP)
It’s essential to develop a comprehensive list of business requirements. Identify the specific needs, features, and capabilities that your telephony system must, should and could have.
Once you have established your business requirements, it’s crucial to communicate them effectively to potential telephony providers. Clear articulation of these needs will enable providers to tailor their proposals to your organisation’s specific context. It also sets the stage for evaluating how well each provider’s solution aligns with your operational demands and strategic vision.
When presenting your requirements to providers, explain how each element contributes to your business’s overall success. This will help providers understand your priorities and the critical role the new telephony system will play in your operations, ensuring they offer solutions that are not just technically compatible, but also strategically aligned with your business goals.
5. Review Potential Telephony Providers
Selecting a telephony provider is more than just comparing prices; it’s about finding a partner who understands your business. Look for providers with a robust track record, reliable customer support, and a platform that aligns with your business needs.
Ensure they offer scalability and flexibility to grow with your business. Market test by requesting demonstrations, pilot programs, and customer testimonials to gauge their credibility and the user experience they offer.
6. Assess Your Network Condition
Your network infrastructure is the backbone of your UC system. Conduct a thorough assessment of your current network to ensure it can handle increased traffic and the real-time demands of UC.
This may involve upgrades to bandwidth, network hardware, or adopting quality of service (QoS) protocols to prioritise communication traffic.
7. Clean Existing Data
The integrity of your data is pivotal when migrating to a new system. Cleanse your existing data of duplicates, errors, and outdated information to ensure a seamless start to the new system build phase. This effort will pay dividends if you are on tight timelines.
8. Create an Implementation Strategy
Modernising your telephony doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. A phased implementation can minimise disruption.
Start with a friendly pilot group of users to test the system and gather feedback. Gradually expand the rollout, addressing any issues as they arise. This strategy helps in acclimatising your workforce to new workflows and mitigates resistance to change.
Need Help With Telephony Modernisation?
Preparing for telephony modernisation is a strategic process that involves meticulous planning and execution. By assessing your business goals, choosing the right provider, and implementing a phased approach, you can ensure a smooth transition. Don’t forget to measure success to demonstrate ROI and continually optimise your UC solution. With the right preparation, your business can fully harness the power of unified communications to drive collaboration and success.
At Red Rose Technologies, we provide a number of services to support our clients’ change programs and if you would like to hear about some of our projects and the impact we make please contact us through our website, email us at info@redrosetechnologies.co.uk or call 01249 912200.