A company’s telecommunication tools and software can improve customer service and save the company money. But an IP telephone system can also boost employee productivity. The unified communication applications that run as part of the system connect the IP business phone user to various services, like instant messaging and call logs, that make it easier to get work done. DirecTech helps customers select the right products, set up the system, and provide training and support.
IP Telephone System Features That Improve Productivity
Effective communication makes things easier regardless of what a business sells. Everyone knows that playing phone tag and dialing wrong numbers wastes time. Business phones have some features that can help streamline things like telemarketing and customer support. Still, the real potential of an IP business phone appears when you use it as part of an IP telephone system that includes chat, presence indicators, conferencing, and screen sharing.
Nevertheless, the phones themselves offer some productivity-enhancing features. Here are a few:
- Call forwarding: This feature allows employees to receive calls from their office number on their mobile or home phone. Call forwarding will enable them to stay connected even when not in the office, improving their productivity.
- Voicemail: This tool allows employees to receive and leave messages even when they cannot take calls. This feature can help them stay informed and keep up with important messages, thus improving their productivity.
- Caller ID: This identification tool allows employees to see who is calling before they answer the phone. Caller ID can help staff prioritize calls and avoid unnecessary interruptions, improving their productivity.
- Conference calling: This type of calling allows employees to hold meetings with multiple participants, regardless of their location. This type of call can help to improve collaboration and productivity, as employees can work together more effectively.
- Speed dialing: This useful feature allows employees to quickly call frequently dialed numbers or dial a number in their call log. Speed dialing can save time and improve productivity, as employees can make calls more efficiently.
- Call recording: The call recording feature allows employees to record important calls for reference or training purposes. These recordings can help to improve accuracy, accountability, and productivity.
Employees and managers who use the abovementioned features can realistically free up time and mental energy for other tasks that might add more value. Unified communication applications can save a company money, but the gain in productivity might be even more valuable. However, it might take some concerted effort to maximize those productivity gains. DirecTech can help you get the most from your new VoIP system.
Maximizing the Productivity Benefits
Businesses can use unified communication applications to increase productivity in several ways. Here are some tips for getting the most out of an IP telephone system’s various communication tools:
- Prioritize call quality: Make sure your VoIP system has high-quality audio and no delay or lag. This will ensure that your employees can communicate effectively and efficiently.
- Use collaboration tools: VoIP technology allows for collaboration tools such as screen sharing and video conferencing. Encourage your employees to use these tools to work together more effectively.
- Ensure reliability: Ensure your VoIP system is reliable, and employees can access it easily from distinct locations. This will help to minimize downtime and ensure that employees can work efficiently.
- Provide training: Offer training to your employees on how to use VoIP technology effectively. This will help them maximize the system’s benefits and improve their productivity.
- Monitor usage: Check how your employees use the VoIP system and identify areas where they may need additional training or support, which DirecTech offers. This will help you identify improvement opportunities and ensure that your employees are using the system to its fullest potential.
Two More Technical Considerations
Some businesses have limited bandwidth. A company’s limit may be high, but it still exists in our busy workplaces. Ensure that heavy use of the IP telephone system will not push you over the limit. A network cannot handle 100% of traffic demand with 100% effectiveness. Some data can be delivered more slowly than other data. Quality of service rules define what data sets take priority over others. For a business relying on VoIP communication, voice and video connections must be prioritized.
Quality of service rules and bandwidth requirements also matter. Quality of service refers to rules a network uses to handle various kinds of traffic. VoIP phone calls require minimal latency, a technical term for the time it takes a data “packet” to go from Point A to Point B. Voice and video traffic must be prioritized over internet searches, emails, and file transfers, so that voice and video quality are high-quality and functionally well.
VoIP is a Productivity Booster
An IP business phone that is part of a telecom system offers ways to improve employee productivity, especially if backed up by unified communication applications powering chat, instant messaging, video calling, and various call management functions. To get the most from an IP telephone system work, contact local VoIP experts at DirecTech to set up a free consultation.