There was a time when you needed a variety of tools to communicate in the office. One for video conferences, another for phones, another for text, another for fax, another for webinars, and — oh yeah — physical phones too. That’s multiple vendors that you are paying each month, and multiple tools that you are having to train employees to use.
These days, one tool can perform two or more of these functions. And the further we can simplify our IT systems, the easier it becomes for us to stay productive, secure, and minimize unnecessary costs.
Recently we’ve helped several clients through the process of streamlining their communication tools; as these products reach their natural renewal dates, we get the opportunity to evaluate which platforms the organization truly needs.
Here’s how we’d suggest getting started.
1 – Assess your needs.
Perhaps your office has moved to a hybrid work environment. Or maybe you’ve had the same tools for several years and never thought about whether they’re serving your current needs.
Ask yourself: Do you need all the functionality you have today, or can you go without certain elements? Chart what is a must-have and what is a nice-to-have to make sure you select the right package(s).
2 – Get beyond marketing.
As you consider new platforms, keep in mind that many will have very attractive marketing that doesn’t necessarily show what your actual costs will be at surface level.
Dig deeper to get to what you’ll truly need to budget by working with the vendor directly, or having your IT team run interference.
3 – Train your team.
As with any new or different technology, you’ll need to make sure your team is empowered to use it effectively—otherwise any cost savings will quickly disappear due to lost productivity.
Before you cut over to the new solution and disable any now-redundant technologies, walk your team through how the solution works and what your expectations are as far as usage.
We hope this gets you started. If you’d rather delegate, we’re here to help.