With regards to business collaboration, advanced business phones and collaborative software are the most effective tools to use. Collaboration is one of buzzwords for business, and rightly so. True workplace collaboration encourages teamwork and innovation - components that might help lead any company to success.
Considering that an increasing number of Americans telecommute or spend their time on the road while conducting business, the technology you utilize is important in identifying the productivity and effectiveness of collaboration. Examples of the technology used for virtual collaboration include:
Smartphones
Statistics show that in 2014, Internet access through smartphones will surpass internet access through desktops. Smartphones are increasingly becoming part of people's lives, and increasingly more companies offer workers with smartphones as business phones. Smartphones are effective, since they can be attached to cloud-based telephony and offer your system advanced functionalities. For instance, your fax and voicemail notifications might be delivered to your phone, so that you can communicate faster.
Cloud-based phone systems
Search for phone system business online and you'll see cloud-based telephony in the top results. You might need your business to progress, but this really is going to be hard in case you don't have the budget for it. Cloud-based telephony aids startups get large business phone capabilities like toll free numbers, virtual voicemail, and multiple virtual extensions at fewer costs.
Computers
While doing your search for phone system business, include a search for desktops and laptops at the same time. All full-time salaried employees should have access to workstations with computers. To reduce costs, companies may order by bulk from the same manufacturer. If maintenance is done by your own technicians, it also makes more sense to order exactly the same software and specs for each employee. For the virtual office, you are able to enable employees to pick specifications for their work computers, like choosing between Mac or Windows operating systems. In case you give them laptops, make sure you've plugged in mobile broadband cards to give them Internet access anywhere. Have your employees choose their own Internet service provider when they work from home and reimburse the monthly fee. Wireless routers are also a must.
Collaboration tools
Aside from business phones and computers, you need collaboration tools that enable employees to ask colleagues a quick question or give comments once they can't have face-to-face interactions. Listed below are the primary tools you'll need:
- Online chat messaging tools - for quick group chats and video conferencing
- Email - choose encrypted email for safe sending of information, instructions, and motivating messages
- Customer relationship management system - a central place to keep a log of all emails, chat, updates, deadlines, and other business concerns.
- Document sharing - to let collaborators to edit and comment on the same document online. Documents are accessible anytime and are automatically backed-up and saved.
- Knowledge sharing - involves recommending white papers, blogs, as well as other tips to colleagues. This can be achieved through any of the tools above.
Remember, all the business phones and tools won't work if the spirit of collaboration is not firmly entrenched in your office culture. A collaborative atmosphere may be especially challenging for virtual businesses, so make an effort to orient employees and provide them the time and resources to socialize with each other.
Achieve efficiency with our advance business phone system. We also provide useful information regarding how phone systems for business works that will help your business with its communication needs.