One thing the year 2020 taught us is how productive remote and digital workforces can be. With lockdowns and shelter in place orders, many companies were forced to pivot their operations to include a workforce composed of all or most of their employees to be remote. More than ever, communication among your workforce was imperative.
Yet even before this shift, communication was always key to creating a smooth flow in any business. Without the proper lines of communication, projects are held up, deadlines aren’t met, and frustration is felt on all sides.
One of the key ways to bring your workforce together in a more constructive way is through unified communications platforms.
What Is Unified Communications?
Unified communications is simply a set of answers to the confusion caused by poor communication. It provides smoother communication between your internal and external workforces and channels. It would include things like:
- Instant messaging or chat
- IP Telephony (IPT)
- Voice Over IP (VoIP)
- Video Conferencing
Essentially, unified communications is exactly what it sounds like: a way to unify and bring together all your workforce communications into one place. The goal of this is to optimize your business procedures, improve productivity, and give your workforce the flexibility they want; thereby having a positive impact on your bottom line.
One of the reasons unified communications is so crucial in a digital workforce is that it unites your workforce and allows for real-time collaboration so they can accomplish more in less time. In the past, many managers struggled with certain questions, like; which communication channel to use?; Who in the workforce is actually available right now?; and how they can better encourage team spirit among their workers?
The answer to all these is to consolidate communication into one platform. By centralizing the communication in your workforce, your team members will have more real-time communication, while avoiding any missed or mixed messages. Because it’s all connected, it’s also easier for your team members to connect with each other, both for business and for social reasons.