From legacy PBXs to the security risks of workers using their own devices, businesses are navigating the joys and challenges of collaborative working. The biggest of those challenges involves breaking down communication barriers created, in part, by outdated technology.

Collaborative culture can truly transform a business. Not only does it add that extra fuel to boost productivity and helps attract talent, but it also cultivates a sense of community amongst the staff. However, figuring out the right teamwork and collaboration strategy for your small business can be an uphill battle, especially when you have limited resources. Could a Unified Communications (UC) solution serve as a ‘get-out-of-jail-free card’? If you are looking for a more comprehensive communications solution for your business, keep these dos and don’ts in mind:  

Dos for Successful Teamwork & Collaboration in the Workplace:

1.  Teamwork & collaboration in the workplace: Unify communication systems to avoid disjointed operations

On the path to achieving successful workplace collaboration, many businesses find themselves in the middle ground between fixed-line desk phones and a full UC solution. Employees may be using a range of consumer applications to collaborate, chat, video call and share content. Often, they’ll access these apps using their own personal devices. This can cause communication barriers that will eventually lead to an unnecessary amount of time and resources wasted.  

Unifying all your communications into one solution, like Bria Enterprise, helps you get easy access to omni-channel communications –  voice, video, instant messaging, presence, file sharing and more.

Bria Enterprise offers greater mobility to your employees or agents, allowing them to be in touch with anyone, regardless of their location, in real time. It's a great tool to diminish those communication barriers and boost collaboration for your business.

2. Teamwork & collaboration in the workplace: Ensure interoperability

Having all your apps and communication tools operate smoothly across different devices and platforms is the essence of team collaboration. But today's businesses are often faced with the exact opposite situation: IT communication isn’t as straight-forward as it should be; there are problems accessing and sharing files when working remotely; many employees are using apps that aren’t supported across all devices and platforms. The results are inefficiency and loss of time.

Today, enterprises are known to have complex communication systems that involve multiple vendors in diverse locations. How do you maintain interoperability on disparate platforms? By moving to a multi-vendor UC service, business owners can ensure seamless, intuitive communications across their teams. Choose a UC solution that offers multiple options with broad interoperability instead of vendor lock-in restrictions. If your solution is available in any delivery and consumption model, on-premises or in the cloud, it enables you to shuffle UC components as per your own pace and needs and not according to the vendor’s preferences.

In short, interoperability helps extend the life of your existing infrastructure, ensuring maximum ROI on your investment.

3. Teamwork & collaboration in the workplace: Select the latest Unified Communications and Collaboration (UCCaaS) tools in the market

UCCaaS tools have been around for some time and many businesses are switching to softphones as a first pass. If you are still unaware of what a softphone is - they are the software version of a desk phone in the form of an app you install on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Powered with VoIP technology that uses the internet, a softphone can cut down on communication costs considerably and offer additional capabilities beyond a traditional IP phone.

Though the market is flooded with many options, choosing an industry-leading softphone such as Bria, that offers instant messaging, video conferencing, screensharing, and more, can empower mobility and enhance enterprise efficiencies. Some UC solutions can overlay existing call services, allowing business owners to streamline communications without the cost and complexity of scrapping their existing call server.

Don'ts for Successful Teamwork & Collaboration in the Workplace:

1. Teamwork & collaboration in the workplace: Be held hostage by your desk phone

Traditional fixed-line telephony systems - the kind that run on a PBX or hosted service - may not be the first thing you consider as a barrier to collaboration. This technology gives users the ability to answer and transfer calls and manage contacts, but that’s where the collaboration ends. Most IP desk phones can’t extend communication outside the office and linking mobile phones to a fixed line can be difficult.

A lack of internal IT support and limited budgets often mean business owners are held captive by this dated telephony. But taking the leap to a cloud-based VoIP system that integrates with other apps can, in fact, be more cost-effective. Easy to use, manage and deploy, choosing a softphone over a desk phone can make your business communications more scalable, future proof and mobile.

2. Teamwork & collaboration in the workplace: Compromise on safety

The ‘bring your own device’ or BYOD policy can present a range of network and data security challenges. Common BYOD dangers range from damaging data breaches to malware on the device finding its way onto the corporate network. It’s a major headache for IT teams, and potentially catastrophic for an business owner without in-house IT. Another reason to embrace UC software, such as Bria Enterprise, is that it offers a range of solutions that offer built-in audio and media encryption for messaging, calling, screen and file sharing, so workers can use their own devices safely.

With built-in security and the ability to buy solutions packaged as a service that lays ‘over the top’ of encryption and your existing PBX infrastructure, achieving workplace collaboration is more secure, cheaper and simpler than you might think. 

Though we have listed some top recommendations to achieve a more collaborative enterprise, it’s also important to know your communications strategy before the implementation. If you have already have this in place, the next step towards enhancing workplace collaboration would be getting the right UCCaaS solution that supports all your communication needs.

Leveraging Bria Enterprise, CounterPath offers larger businesses or service providers enterprise-grade collaboration capabilities, with the latest communication standards, such as HD voice and video conferencing, messaging, screen sharing, and more.

Bria Enterprise can also support virtual meeting room services in its Business Bundle package. For more information speak with one of our CounterPath Channel Partners or reach out to our direct sales team.