Business communications systems have come a long way from the days when your grandfather picked up his office extension and a live operator on the other end efficiently asked, “number, please.”

One thing, however, has not changed on the digital dizzying ride from “Ma Bell” to the Metaverse, and that is that your business communications system still needs a human touch.

“Technology is crucial, but technology, by itself, is not the answer,” says Tim Martin, president of ATSI Business Communications Systems. “The right strategy for your communications system requires an understanding of the unique needs of not only your business, but also of your employees, your customers, your partners and how they will communicate with each other.”

Business Communications Systems that are Flexible, Scalable

This rapid digital transformation has brought wholesale changes to the business world in both IT equipment and communications technologies.

“It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, from oil and gas to healthcare to education to logistics, you will not be able to compete with your peers without a coherent business communications strategy,” said Martin.

In 2022, that coherent business communications strategy needs to be based on systems that are scalable and flexible enough to evolve along with your business and technology.

Your Business Communications System is a Strategic Asset 

GoTo Connect, the global market leader in business communications, jokes that your communications strategy should not be “a static concept that you worked on back when having dial tone was the most strategic move you could make.”

Heck, if your workforce is Millennial and Gen Z-based, many of them might even not know what a dial tone is!

Businesses need to think of their communications systems as a strategic asset and GoTo Connect says asking, and answering, these keys can help hone this asset:

• How does my business handle customer interactions?
• How do my employees collaborate with each other?
• Does my business take full advantage of features available with communications systems technology?
• Would a move to the cloud improve business communications systems efficiency?
• Are you and your employees prepared to utilize cloud technologies when a shift to the cloud is made?

The Role of Workplace Communication and Collaboration

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic shifted much of our work online and/or to remote settings, GoTo Connect was producing research showing the importance of workplace communication and collaboration.

In the “2019 Workplace Productivity and Communications Technology Report” GoTo Connect found that businesses could recoup over $10K per employee per year with more efficient communications.

“Your organization’s communications and collaboration practices and technology play one of the most important roles when it comes to employee productivity. And it turns out they can have a big impact on your bottom line too,” says the report. “Inefficient communications can cost upwards of $6K per employee per year to a small business, even more for an enterprise.”

GoTo Connect estimates that nearly 15 percent of employees’ total work time is wasted with inefficient communications.

These communication systems inefficiencies can take many forms including:

• Systems that are not integrated with CRM and other core applications
• Systems with software updates that allows the technology to lag
• Systems that do not provide a single unified view of all communications options
• Systems that do not enable team collaboration and video conferencing
• Systems that do not feature anytime, anywhere access to email, text and chat

Communication Systems Strategy Firing on All Cylinders

In today’s business landscape of rising inflation, supply chain woes, and tight labor market, margins are thin, so your communications system strategy needs to be firing on all cylinders.

“The COVID-19 pandemic was a true stress test, especially when it came to business communications systems,” said Martin. “Those companies with scalable communications strategies were able to quickly evolve to meet the changing conditions and needs, and those without flexibility struggled until they were able to implement technology upgrades.”

Either way, most businesses will not underestimate the importance of their business communications systems going forward.

“Thinking about your communications system strategically means making a conscious effort to keep pace with technological change so you can do more with what you have now and are ready to upgrade to whatever you need when you need it,” says Martin. “It means maximizing the potential of your current system with incremental updates that deliver the integrated email, text, chat, screen-sharing, unified communication, collaboration and video capabilities your employees need to stay connected with colleagues, customers and partners.”

Ultimately, for most businesses, small and large, business communication systems will move to the cloud which can be more secure, predictable, and scalable than on-premises solutions.

No matter where your business is on the communications system spectrum, ATSI can help your organization with business phone systems, carrier services and cloud solutions.

Contact ATSI today to find out how we can help you discover, design, and deploy a communications systems strategy that can evolve with your business.