As many IT leaders will know, pushing through big operational changes can be hard. In mid-sized businesses, there are layers of organisation as well as many stakeholders to consider. But the most important agent in ensuring change is successful are employees – most of whom will be thinking mobile first. For smart businesses, IT should follow them.
Cloud technology can often be the right answer. And while next generation solutions such as SIP Trunking have been around for a few years now, it is only recently that businesses have cottoned onto the benefits they can offer. Don’t be a late adopter. If you’re hanging onto an outdated system which is causing missed calls, lost time and puts mobile last – it might be time for a refresh.
Know the warning signs
It can be hard to know the right time to update tech system within an organisation. But there are warning signs.
For example, if your phone system is costing more than what it says on the bill. Sure, there’s the cost of line rental and hardware – but if your existing system is no longer supporting the needs of your mobile workforce, you could also be losing out in terms of efficiency.
As well as keeping an eye on cost, you should also think about how your systems will contribute to the future shape of the organisation.Be pre-emptive
Businesses are always changing. After all, being nimble is a key factor for survival and success. Yet in the midst of keeping on top of strategy, objectives and timelines – voice communication can get lost.
If your company is planning on setting up multiple office locations, foresee more employees working remotely, or thinking of upsizing or downsizing, you will need a voice infrastructure that enables rather than disrupts. Replacing your traditional ISDN with SIP trunking means you will be working with a system that makes the management of lines, numbers and users a much simpler process – and that means you can switch between mobile and fixed with greater ease than before.
A change in business can be the perfect time for a change in everyday systems. Though there’s never an ideal time to disrupt the workflows employees are used to, if your organisation is going through noticeable operational shift, now might be the ideal time to get people warming up to the idea of a new phone system.
State your case
Whatever your business sector or objective; eliminating risk, streamlining processes and having a high quality communication system is necessary for success. So, putting a strong case forward to key stakeholders on how upgrading and modernising your telephone system can address these factors will be instrumental in making change work.
Use a SIP vs ISDN cost comparison calculator to outline the real savings to be made. Outline the efficiency improvements possible by having a single service take care of internal and external calls. Highlight how landline downtime risk is mitigated by having a hosted service, where calls can easily be forwarded on to alternate destinations, without costly call forwarding charges, and additional resilience is built in.
Making sure all decision makers are aware of the key benefits for the company can make the excitement for change trickle down through the whole organisation.
Keep everyone involved
Most people are creatures of habit, so it’s unsurprising that they can also be reluctant to accept change. For a new way of working to be successful, it needs to be managed.
Knowledge is the key to overcoming resistance: communicate to the whole organisation the reasons for upgrading your telephone system and how it will benefit them. Be sure to offer training and support while you implement the new system, and follow up to see what works and what doesn’t.
Change can be hard, and implementing change in complex organisations can be even harder. But just like in life, a new way of doing things can reap positive rewards.
