Using the Right Communication Tools Can Bolster Productivity

Productivity is a major consideration in any business environment - that’s largely why so many solutions designed for a business’ use focus on increasing productivity as much as possible. One method of doing so that many businesses have found effective is the adoption of Unified Communication and Collaboration solutions.

What Does UCC Do?
Once, not too long ago, a team had to assemble in order to effectively get anything done. This was not only due to the limitations of the communication devices available at the time, but also because it was the only way for everyone to contribute to the task at hand.

While this method was workable, it was prone to serious delays and numerous hangups. Schedules needed to be synchronized and arrangements made for a meeting to take place, which delayed the process. Furthermore, anyone who couldn’t attend (for whatever reason) was rendered unable to contribute, potentially sacrificing invaluable insight and reducing the manpower actively working to complete the group’s task.

While this method was tolerated for years, the development of an alternative has led to a rapid change to the new approach. This development, known as Unified Communication and Collaboration, leverages the Internet and cloud technology to allow employees to work together on the same documents and projects, providing a single communications interface and real-time updates to changes their fellow team members have made that they can access from anywhere they can establish an Internet connection.

Why This is So Important
There are a few contributing factors to why today’s businesses need to adopt a UCC strategy, especially if they want to leverage the benefits that it can bring to their productivity.

Generational Values
First, there’s the shifts taking place in the workforces that power these businesses. Rather than those members of the generation nicknamed the Baby Boomers, those referred to as Millennials are becoming the prominent group in the workplace. By 2020, it’s expected that they will make up a full 50 percent. While this may seem to be a mostly unrelated factor, one has to consider the upbringing that the Millennial generation experienced - more specifically, in terms of the technology available to them and how it has shaped their lifestyles. Millennials have been breaking away from the traditional concrete 9 to 5 schedule, instead creating a more organic balance to their work and personal lives.

As a result, the odd hours that are committed to doing work may not always line up with those of their teammates. In the past, this rendered collaboration effectively impossible, as the communication tools of the time just weren’t ready to support the needs that a true collaborative experience requires. UCC remedies that deficit by allowing for remote access to shared work.

User Satisfaction
People tend to like the devices they personally own - otherwise, they wouldn’t own them for very long. They also become accustomed to using these devices very quickly. If paired with a Bring Your Own Device policy, your employees could leverage Unified Communications and Collaboration on a device they are comfortable using, allowing them to work faster and accomplish more.

Efficiency
UCC can also generally boost the efficiency of employee communications. A study conducted in 2017 revealed that more than two-thirds of the time an employee spends working is taken up by communicating, approximately three hours each day on in-person work conversations, one and a half on email. This study also attributed inefficient communications for a full fifteen percent of lost and wasted work time - costing mid-sized businesses about $11,000 each year, per employee. UCC has been shown to reduce this time considerably.

Remote and Mobile Workers
Finally, there is also the rising popularity of remote work to take into account. Also by 2020, the mobile workforce will make up around seventy-five percent of all those who work in the United States. With businesses undergoing such a shift, they will need the means to ensure that these employees are prepared to accomplish all they need to from home and maintain contact with their coworkers in the office as they do so. The 2017 study also indicated that the use of UCC saved mobile workers about three hours each week in sixty percent of businesses that adopted it. So, in summation, UCC allows workers to accomplish more, in less time, in conditions that they are comfortable with.

Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg - Unified Communications and Collaboration has had many other effects on how business is conducted and managed every day.

How You Can Use UCC to Your Benefit
There are a variety of ways that UCC can be leveraged in the business environment, from file sharing to conferencing to group messaging - and considering that the UCC market is around $2 billion annually, this isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

We can help you implement it in your business. Reach out to us at 607.433.2200 for more information.