For any organisation staying connected and accessible to clients and partners is vital to maintaining productivity and success. This may be particularly true for client-focused organisation or those with mobile workforces. From high technology telephone systems with better telephony features, these are five practical ideas for enhancing your organisation’s connectivity.

1. Smartphones

While apps tend to be associated with games, smartphone and apps go well beyond gaming apps. Smartphones have become a business essential, allowing mobile workers as well as office based staff to receive and access information much more quickly. Some connectivity benefits of smartphones include:

Customise apps. Apps can be customised for organisations to keep track of employees, access more information, and work on the move.
Wireless access. Wireless access to your phone, email, intranet, internet, and documents allow continuous work flow regardless of location.
Communication between team members. Team members can stay in touch and even work collaboratively while out of the office.

2. Cloud Computing

Cloud computing eliminates the need for hardware such as services, shifting storage to a web-based location. With an intranet or extranet, cloud computing can facilitate out-of-office access to files, data, and collaborative project materials. It offers lower costs of set up, good scalability, low ongoing maintenance costs, and great mobility.

While cloud hosting is yet to become mainstream, improving data security, lower set up and maintenance costs, and broadband speeds mean that it has become a viable option for many businesses.

3. VoIP

The growth of VoIP would rank very high in any list for the top business communication trends in the last decade. VoIP has enabled businesses to make calls over the internet without traditional landlines, thereby cutting costs and improving connectivity as staff moved from place to place.

In addition to cost benefits, VoIP has led to more communication options (such as integration with smartphones, voice broadcasting, and call management) that have proven useful for companies with large client bases. VoIP based business phone systems has also facilitated better call monitoring and management, encouraging improved service levels and productivity.

4. Voice Broadcasting

Voice broadcasting allows an enterprise to connect with hundreds or thousands of people simultaneously. Fully automated and easy to set up, a voice broadcasting system can send out SMS or voice messages to large phone lists, bypassing the need for manual calls while maintaining the appeal of a personalised message.

Voice broadcasting can be used to conduct services, provide information, confirm bookings, or provide updates. There are also ways to incorporate interactivity so users can access more information by using their touch tones.

5. Call Management

Call management is a very useful tool to provide a uniform and high quality call experience to customers. In large organisations, it can help the business match and route callers to the right staff member. Call management systems can enhance productivity and time efficiency by giving you the option of recording conversations or caller details for later use.

Call management tools can reduce staffing needs by automating initial call contact with potential clients. It can help you manage waiting callers in a pleasant way to eliminate call turnover.