More than half of UK businesses could be losing time and money by failing to adopt a consolidated approach to business communications, according to a new survey conducted by smart IP communications provider Fuse 2 Communications.
The survey of more than 500 employers and employees found that 52% of businesses are currently relying on separate networks (i.e. different devices controlled from different systems) to host their business communications, which could be impacting their bottom line.
Furthermore, businesses that have their communications set up on separate networks are more likely to experience delays that prevent them from being able to contact a client/customer, colleague or decision-maker. Some 70% of businesses with separate networks experience delays, compared to 61% of businesses that have communications set up through a consolidated network.
Businesses rely on communication, with the majority mainly using communication devices or applications to improve business-to-customer relations (22%). Other uses include employer to employee (15%), business to third-party (14%) and employee to employee (10%), while 39% use all of the above.
Chris Blagg, Director at Fuse 2 Communications, said: “If you’re a business that heavily relies on communication to succeed, you could benefit from investing in a cloud contact centre solution. This type of software provides efficient business communications across a range of devices, meaning that no matter where your employees are based, you’ll be able to pass along a message to them and communicate effectively.
“Having access to the very latest solutions can be crucial in helping modern businesses to organise and efficiently manage their interactions. Choosing the right technology to use in a business setting can help keep your company competitive and ahead of other market leaders. It can also save you time and money by speeding up your internal processes.”
The first step is to think about the technology your business is currently using to help you understand the ways that you are currently interacting with it and spot any faults. For example, call centre agents could find that they are having to click through multiple programs, spending much longer dealing with each call, whereas a multi-use piece of software could compile all of these actions into one easy-to-use process.
It can also be useful to sit down with your teams to gather information on their experiences of using these programs, such as faults they have noticed, how they operate within different departments and what suggestions they have for improvement.
Once you have collated your findings and know what you are looking for from your communication software, it’s time to look at what is available to you.
Fuse 2 Communications is an established partner of Microsoft Anywhere365, which allows users to manage business comms across all devices from any location, with sophisticated tools for recording calls, tracking customer journeys and automating key processes.
Using Anywhere365, you can manage customer interactions across channels, including video, chat, email, social media, WhatsApp and chatbot conversations, giving you and your staff all the information they need to provide a smooth, seamless and satisfying customer experience.
According to the survey results, the communication devices or applications most commonly used by UK businesses, which can be coordinated through Anywhere365, are:
Desktop email – 64%
Mobile voice call – 43%
Video conference – 42%
Desktop voice call – 40%
Mobile email – 36%
