Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCC) combines all types of corporate communication and information in one single environment, thus enhancing business processes. UCC provides an integrated communication platform that enables employees to communicate more easily and collaborate more efficiently.
UCC helps optimising corporate business processes
In this age of digitalisation, corporate communication services are becoming increasingly versatile. Complete networking and the availability of information on a 24h basis have come to be standard requirements. Much in the same vein, modern telephony, tools for the global exchange of data and time-saving digital applications support teamwork and enable highly efficient communication and collaboration.
However, these developments are only beneficial to a company’s business if all relevant applications are integrated seamlessly; when all parties are able to connect to the right partner directly and in real-time, and when all necessary data is available and can be exchanged.
UCC addresses this challenge. Unified Communications and Collaboration enables unrestricted and unlimited access to devices, applications and information – at all times, across all company locations and from any place in the world. All parties of an organisation at any location can connect and communicate in a much more productive and intuitive manner. Such optimised communication and collaboration doesn’t only have a positive effect on internal communication processes, it also benefits business-critical areas such as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning.
UCC will save time through knowledge: who is the right person to talk to? When and how are they available?
This is one of the key advantages of UCC: all information on the availability of a contact within a company can be accessed in one place. At a glance, users will know whether and when a colleague is available, and what communication channel to use. Unanswered calls and waiting times can thus be avoided. Moreover, additional information about fellow employees and intelligent search functions facilitate finding the right person to talk to, for example when questions need clarification or additional data is required. Time-consuming searches, delays and fruitless calls with the wrong person are a thing of the past.
All information needed for efficient communication can be gleaned from any employee’s calendar – this is how UCC can enhance every employee’s productivity.
Best connections: with UCC, global collaboration will be a game with home field advantage
Various locations, branches abroad, employees in field service, home office, business travels: our modern working world is no longer tied to fixed office spaces, and often connected with global locations. In this new reality, UCC operates like an all-encompassing network, linking every single person, piece of data and information with absolute reliability. Such integration of all means of communication enables participants to work on projects without delays, no matter how far apart they are geographically, and exchange old and new information in real-time. Changing between communication services is also seamless, which further supports the workflow. Imagine your team effortlessly changing from a chat or phone call to a video conference with only a few clicks, in order to ensure all data can be exchanged. UCC is a crucial tool for companies that strive to leverage the full potential of their decentralised organisation.
Increasing productivity with mobile, flexible communication
A well-devised UCC strategy will allow your employees to use the devices they prefer for communicating with colleagues and business partners. Furthermore, implementing a UCC strategy enables BYOD – Bring Your Own Device. If this option is available, employees will always use the means of communication they find easiest and most efficient. As this might create a parallel IT environment beyond the company’s awareness, it is crucial to implement clear rules and a security concept for BYOD. Mobile communication and the freedom to choose their preferred device will make employees much more accepting of a UCC strategy and encourage them to support its implementation. Once your employees have been convinced of the fact that their work is made easier and more effective with UCC, your company will be able to make full use of the advantages of UCC and increase productivity.
Having the right UCC strategy in place can give you the competitive edge that sets you apart
UCC technology changes the way people communicate and work within a company. Improving communication saves time, and mobile office applications have a positive effect on employees’ satisfaction. Global connectivity improves the workflow – at the same time, downtimes and absences of employees who are on business travels can be minimised and travel expenses reduced.
In the context of digital transformation, which exposes companies to increasing competitive pressure, a comprehensive and coherent UCC strategy can be critical to a company’s success. If all parties involved are able to communicate directly and efficiently and have access to all relevant information at all times, a company is much more likely to be able to meet the requirements of the digitalised markets in a fiercely competitive environment.
Modern UCC technology can be tailored to the individual requirements of any company. In order to ensure that a UCC strategy will help you achieve the envisaged goals, you will need to consider the key success factors when devising it. If you are only just beginning to understand UCC, it may be best to start with standardising telephony. This is the core component of a more complex UCC environment. Applications such as the web-based attendant solution talkbase offer all functions needed for efficient call control within an enterprise; a big step towards Unified Communications and Collaboration.
This could also be of interest to you:
Requirements of attendant solutions in the digital age
5 Unified Communications trends for 2017
5 Success factors: a solid base for the success of your UCC strategy
