Distributed workforce. Hybrid collaboration tools. Flexible work models. These phrases are increasingly being used to describe the state of today’s workplace. As the workplace continues to shift and new ways of working become more permanent, employees continue to show they prefer the flexibility and independence of working remotely. In response, companies are changing jobs from being in-person to virtual and seeking software systems to support remote and hybrid workers and keep them connected.
Larger enterprises with numerous departments can fall victim to communications silos if members of the organization have researched and purchased their own software tools to meet immediate needs during the initial transition to remote work. In fact, research has shown that ineffective communication among team members is a significant hurdle to collaboration and customer service. For example, 54% of organizations report their customer experience operations are managed in silos. Moreover, only 33% of customer experience professionals say they can actively communicate and collaborate across teams to drive improved CX. Such silos benefit no one and hinder sharing of information, collaboration, productivity and customer support, ultimately leading to increased costs for the company.
So how can companies and their employees enjoy the benefits and flexibility of today’s virtual workspace without also creating inefficient and stubborn workplace silos?
Well, one of the simplest ways to bridge internal silos and strengthen cohesion across teams is by optimizing the company’s technology stack. More specifically, businesses can optimize cloud-based telecom solutions to overcome IT silos, foster collaboration, and help team members better manage the flood of data that comes with using numerous software programs. Cloud-based solutions like VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and SIP (session initiation protocol) trunking, and popular collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams (Teams) and Cisco Webex (Webex) are surging in adoption as a way to help employees link systems and connect in cost-effective and efficient ways.
Voice calling, powered by VoIP, has become a critical communications lifeline as companies look for alternative ways for remote employees to connect and engage across departments. In fact, the VoIP market is projected to surpass $95 billion by 2027, largely in response to the expansion of the remote workforce. Businesses find it important to partner with a communications provider that offers reliable voice communications to better adapt to whatever the future of work brings. VoIP and SIP trunking provide significant advantages in converging voice and data to empower businesses with a higher level of continuity across their departments and teams.
In addition, it is no surprise that as workforces have progressed to become more segmented and remote, the adoption of collaboration tools like Teams and Webex have surged in popularity as well. In April 2021, Teams announced it had grown to 250 million monthly active users. As the demand for Teams continues to steadily rise, Microsoft has responded by adding improvements to the platform to meet the needs of present-day interspersed teams, including add-on capabilities to bring PSTN calling to Teams.
Modern, cloud-based communications tools can help companies break down the invisible walls between departments and foster open dialogue that benefits the company’s customers.
Another impactful cloud-based tool enterprises can leverage to mitigate communications silos and improve customer support is telecom APIs. For background, telecom APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable communications in software without adding technical complexity. Companies can use telecom APIs to create contextual communication experiences for customers.
For example, API-enabled interactions can produce a CDR (call detail record) corresponding to the specific phone number. When a customer calls a contact center, the support agent can access the CDR to learn the customer’s past interactions with the company. If a support representative does not have visibility into past communications, it might lengthen the conversation, cause frustration to the customer, and ultimately hurt brand loyalty. Telecom APIs can help businesses overcome those threats by connecting communications.
Today’s changing work environment offers numerous benefits for both companies and employees regarding flexibility, improved technology adoption and real-time collaboration. Organizations need to take a uniform approach when evaluating IT investments to avoid silos. Savvy businesses can stay ahead of these issues and avoid inefficient communications by utilizing cloud-based communications solutions within their technology stack. Organizations that proactively adopt collaboration tools will help enhance productivity, create cohesion among internal departments and ultimately avoid the pitfalls of IT silos.
