UCC Can Help Your Business

Productivity is a critical consideration in any business environment; that’s why so many solutions designed for a business use focus on increasing productivity. One method of doing so that many organizations have found effective is the adoption of Unified Communication and Collaboration solutions.

What Does UCC Do?
Not too long ago, a team had to assemble in order to accomplish anything. This was not only due to the limitations of the communication devices available at the time, but also because it was the only way for everyone to be able to contribute to the current task.

This method was feasible, but it was also prone to serious delays and multiple hangups. Schedules needed to be synchronized and arrangements made for a meeting to take place, which delayed the process. Also, anyone who couldn’t attend was rendered unable to contribute, potentially sacrificing invaluable insight and limiting the manpower actively working to complete the group’s task.

While this method was tolerated for years, the development of an alternative has led to a quick change to the new approach. This development, known as Unified Communication and Collaboration, leverages the Internet and cloud technology to permit employees to work together on the same documents and projects, providing a single communications interface and real-time updates to changes their fellow team members have made that they can access from anywhere that has an Internet connection.

Why This is So Critical
There are a couple of contributing factors to why today’s organizations need to adopt a UCC strategy, especially if they want to leverage the benefits that it can result in.

Generational Values
First, there’s the shifts in the workforces that power these organizations. Those referred to as 'Millennials' are becoming the important group in the workplace. By 2020, it’s expected that they will make up a full 50 percent. While this may seem like a mostly unrelated factor, one has to consider the upbringing that the Millennial generation experienced; more specifically, in terms of the technology available to them and how it has shaped their lifestyles. Millennials have been moving away from the traditional concrete 9 to 5 schedule, instead creating a more organic balance to their work and personal lives.

Thus, the odd hours that are committed to doing work may not always line up with those of their teammates. In the past, this made collaboration nearly impossible, as the communication tools of the time just weren’t ready to support the needs that a true collaborative experience requires. UCC remedies that deficit by allowing for remote access to shared work.

User Satisfaction
People tend to become accustomed to utilzing devices they own very quickly. If paired with a Bring Your Own Device policy, your employees could leverage Unified Communications and Collaboration on a device they are comfortable using, which allows them to work faster and accomplish more.

Efficiency
UCC can also generally upgrade the efficiency of employee communications. A study conducted in 2017 found that more than two-thirds of the time an employee spends working is taken up by communicating, approximately three hours each day on in-person work conversations, one and a half on email. This study also attributed inefficient communications for a full fifteen percent of lost and wasted work time, costing mid-sized businesses about $11,000 each year, per employee. UCC has been shown to reduce this time significantly.

Remote and Mobile Workers
There is also the increasing popularity of remote work to take into account. Also by 2020, the mobile workforce will make up around seventy-five percent of all those who work in the United States. With businesses undergoing such a shift, they will require the means to ensure that these employees are prepared to accomplish all they need to from home and maintain contact with their coworkers in the office as they do so. The 2017 study also indicated that the use of UCC saved mobile workers about three hours each week in sixty percent of businesses that adopted it. In conclusion, UCC permits employees to accomplish more, in less time, in conditions that they are comfortable with.

Naturally, this is only the tip of the iceberg;Unified Communications and Collaboration has had many other effects on how business is conducted and managed every day.

How You Can Use UCC to Your Advantage
There are a number of ways that UCC can be leveraged in the business environment, including file sharing and conferencing to group messaging. Considering that the UCC market is around $2 billion annually, this isn’t going to go away anytime soon.

We can help you implement UCC in your organization. Reach out to us at 703-359-9211 for more information.