Insights: Why as-a-service model allows for superior unified communications

Communication and collaboration are two organisational pillars that have long been the Achilles heel of most growing businesses when streamlining processes for operational efficiency. Start-ups and SMEs have a lot to benefit from when centralising their communications channels; first and foremost is the ability to think, communicate and create as a singular entity.

SME workforces in the GCC region make up the majority of their respective private sectors’ manpower, with UAE SMEs accounting for a whopping 86 per cent, Saudi SMEs accounting for 80 per cent, and Bahrain accounting for 57 per cent. Enterprise policies need to support the growth of such crucial pillars of rapidly growing economies, ensuring the human element of their businesses don’t suffer due to the lack of resources and diminished access to finances, and can learn to grow on the back of superior communications platforms.

Whether the workforce is centralised, decentralised, remote, or hybrid, unified communications platforms are priceless when ensuring the organisation is holistically integrated into a well of shared goals, comprehensively laid out and ready to action.

Why the as-a-service model allows for superior unified communications

The key difference between conventional Unified Communications platforms and Unified Communications as-a-service (UCaaS) is that UCaaS is hosted on the cloud in contrast to an on-premises solution with added hardware expenses. From email to SMS, direct messages to group chats, audio to video calls, and several other reporting, monitoring and data optimisation tools – UCaaS consolidates it all on a singular, fully-integrated, scale-agnostic platform that allows an organisation to analyse communications and derive strategies for growth through operational efficiency, at a fraction of the cost.

As per a recent insight report by Forbes, 61 per cent of executives reported that their companies are operating at least three communications platforms while 16% indicated that they’re at the mercy of at least five. This creates organisational dissonance that most businesses never recover from. Communications torn between a video conferencing platform for internal catch-ups, a VoIP service for sales calls, and a separate webinar platform for training sessions not only creates a distorted user experience and confusion among employees, but it hampers the flow of communications with the customer as well.

UCaaS steamrolls any discrepancies in communications, while unifying functionality between all channels, streamlining cross-departmental workflows and inspiring employees to collaborate.

Let’s dive into a few other benefits that startups and SMEs can expect upon adopting UCaaS.

Hybrid work environments see a shocking elevation in procedural integrity

UCaaS solutions have sprung forward in terms of added value since the necessity for hybrid workspaces has proved undeniable. UCaaS solutions providers have amplified their product suites to include a virtual receptionist, workspace reservation, check-in, and personalisation features, seamless connectivity and robust calling features across all devices, noise elimination features, virtual meeting rooms with intensive remote training capabilities, and real-time language translation, eliminating any possible barriers to communication.

Customer Service is instantly better

Customer service teams would generally require spades of focused training or managerial assistance to get a clear idea of how to leverage access to multiple resources to deliver a seamless customer experience. By having all the relevant resources in plain sight, customer service teams can begin the troubleshooting process as soon as they engage with the customer, ensuring instantaneous resolution and short-term and long-term customer loyalty.

Procedural red tape gets the chop

UCaaS also plays an integral role in cutting down procedural red tape. Smaller enterprises tend to get severely bogged down dissecting and adhering to stringent digital governance and compliance policies laid out by their local governments. However, adopting UCaaS within your business will ensure that the solutions provider themselves will meet these legal standards, freeing up corporate resources for more focused, revenue-generating activity.

Conclusively

There are a few things you need to keep in mind when picking out an appropriate UCaaS solutions provider for your business.

Firstly, assess whether the UCaaS platform would integrate seamlessly with services crucial to your business. The result should ideally reflect an instantaneous improvement in workflow and streamlined communications across the board.

Secondly, ensure that the UCaaS solutions provider offers the necessary training and onboarding required to get all legs of the organisation on the same page. A keen guiding hand will ensure adoption is immediate and results are seen instantly.

Lastly and most importantly, consider the provider’s thirst for innovation. Recent times have shown us that the rapid adoption of cloud-powered technologies have only boosted avenues for creative expansion within ‘as a Service’ business models. You need a provider who will not only keep up with evolving technology, but also anticipate your business’ growing needs.

Cecilia Canha is the contact centre specialist – Enterprise Sale – EMEA at Zoom

Watch: GB Talks: Abe Smith, head of international, Zoom Video Communications