UC JOURNEY - DISCOVERY

- NAVIGATE AND ANALYZE REQUIREMENTS & FEATURES -

IT and Business leaders should be united and working in a close, collaborative environment during the UC Journey discovery phase.  This team will have to navigate a considerable number of complimentary and competing requirements, features, and deployment options to arrive at the ideal UC solution for the users.  We have compiled a strategy for navigating the Discovery process.

YOUR PEOPLE

Your workforce is your number one asset.  Securing business communication technologies that encourage pro-active collaboration is a competitive necessity.  Let's take a thorough look at what your workforce looks like.  

1.  WHERE IS YOUR WORKFORCE LOCATED?  With the evolution of collaboration and unified communications; organizations are rapidly changing to meet the demands of a larger business footprint.  While some company's are located in one facility, others have international, regional, remote and home offices, as well as field employees; all with unique communication needs.  

When considering all of the factors surrounding where your people are located, you also need to align with business growth objectives. Where are you planning on going, and how fast will your workforce grow?

2.  WHAT ARE YOUR WORKFORCE COMMUNICATION NEEDS?  Your business has its own DNA, its own unique culture, and communications are a core element your business personality.  The circumstances that surround your workforce communication needs are a direct reflection of what your business does.  Keep in mind that different operating teams within your organization may require diverse and unified business communication tools.  While an executive may need one set of tools, production and engineering might require another.  The needs of marketing, training, insides and outside sales teams would definitely differ from the needs of call center teams.  While technology and administrative teams would may require yet another set of communication tools.  

It is important to thoroughly investigate the communication needs of your organization.  A unified communications program through a hosted provider can customize the needs of of your growing and diverse workforce; while maintaining a solid collaborative solution that flows from department to department. 

EXAMINATION OF THE PROCESS

The investigation of your current communication process will produce a diagnoses for what is truly required to successfully take your business to the next level.  Is your business struggling with an outdated and costly legacy platform?  Does your IT team have to persistently fix and band-aid antiquated devices and software issues?

1.  WHAT TOOLS ARE BEING USED TODAY?  As your business continues to grow, some of the communication tools being used today may, or may not, be the right choice for tomorrow.  You've spent a lot of valuable time and resources on your current system and you most likely have a strong attachment to some of the functionality currently being utilized.  A hosted provider can guide you through cost savings, by sustaining some portions of your current technology as you drive your business toward a unified communications solution.  

As you look at tools that you want to integrate into your communications solution, you will want to examine add-on features that accelerate growth and productivity.   The ability to integrate tools into your solution that promote additional collaboration, security and compliance are essential.  A hosted provider can look at your overall communications infrastructure and provide guidance on quality call center, call recording and CRM integration.

2.  TAKING YOUR IT DEPARTMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. The priority to move past a costly outdated legacy communications platform is urgent due to resources, cost factors, competitive alignment, collaborative access and enabling teams to more efficiently work toward company goals.  A hosted UC provider that delivers full support will save your IT Team valuable time and resources.  A UC solution empowers IT departments to proactively work toward company goals rather than troubleshooting software updates and taking care of outdated devices. When looking at solutions you will want to engage in conversations about device compliance, device support, as well as, overall support.

3. WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT NETWORK CAPABILITIES?    After a comprehensive investigation of what features, service and expertise are needed for your business to move to a UC solution, its time to take a good look at your bandwidth.  Groundwork begins at understanding the capabilities of your current network.  Is the system currently robust enough to manage your UC solution?  It is possible that you will need to upgrade your current capabilities to increase bandwidth.  

FUTURE PROOFING 

1.  LEVERAGING THE UC CLOUD FOR FUTURE GROWTH. Moving to the UC cloud prepares your organization to be more efficient and competitive.  You are future proofing your business in regards to mobility, bring your own device and workforce distribution.  Whether or not you are currently utilizing these capabilities in your organization and looking to improve current solutions or building more options into your future planning; your UC solution will deliver the same capabilities to mobile and remote employees that it does to teams that work within your buildings.

2. THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP (TCO).  It all boils down to the bottom line.  The TCO is highly dependent on the type of solution your organization requires.  There is a significant cost range differences between a cloud native solutions and an on-premise solution. There are also considerations that allow for a hybrid solution of cloud and on-premise. 

As we wrap up the Discovery phase of moving to the unified communications cloud we start to explore the cost analysis factors and overall business considerations.  

DISCOVERY PHASE GUIDES

• Step by Step benefits of Moving to the Cloud Guide
  

Ready to move through the expedition into the requirements phase?