As business leaders worldwide continue to adapt to increased mobility needs, unified communications is becoming a critical tool in the daily operations of companies in all industries. Cloud-based communication devices not only save money, but they also help to improve workflow efficiency within all areas of a firm.

For starters, UC tools allow IT professionals to spend less time maintaining hardware and more time customizing these new programs to better serve a business. In addition, using a cloud-based VoIP system can save money in the long-run as expensive hardware and landline service transitions into a thing of the past. This move also allows businesses to become scalable, as new lines can be added and dropped at the touch of a button, simplifying billing for both employees and business leaders.

With employees worldwide continuing to push for more flexibility in their daily schedules, deploying a unified communications system can help to promote a remote workforce that adapts to the changing needs of employees, regardless of their location. Providing your workforce with access to all of the data that they may need encourages well-informed business decisions outside of the confines of your office building. For example, remote access to a workforce management system that allows employees to interact with a self-service module in real-time, permits employees to take control and be accountable for their own time management. The upside of this as always is an increase in efficiency and productivity. Who wouldn’t want that?

Looking past the benefits of unified communications as a tool, business leaders can also leverage the cloud for its data. This can aid in the development of disaster recovery plans to minimize any damages to operations that could affect your business long-term.

For more information on how unified communications is changing the workforce, check out the infographic below:

Graphic provided by ShoreTel

Recap: 5 ways UC is changing the workforce

1. Increased mobility

Unified communications (UC) enable employees to work from anywhere the are, anytime they can – thanks to flexible work schedules and BYOD-enabled work arrangements.

2. Lower total cost of ownership (TCO)

Cloud-based UC lower the total cost of ownership by eliminating the requirement to invest in on-premise system. Your costs will only grow according to your business growth.

3. Improved efficiency

Your employees  can access company data outside office, in such a way that they can now make well-informed business decisions in real time, wherever they are.

4. Simplified billing

No more challenging cost accounting when it comes to conventional UC.  You only pay for the plan you need, allowing you to focus on your core business operations.

5. Greater disaster recovery

Often underrated, disaster recovery is uber-important for your business.  As your UC resides in the cloud, you are well-prepared for potentially-disastrous events that may disrupt your business operations.