In the pandemic COVID-19, work mode took a transition from onsite job and shifted to remote working. Pandemic entirely changed the way companies do business. The need for a software to develop and monitor remote team was felt, one of such advanced technologies is VoIP. This article will be exploring the benefits the business is going to reap when they use VoIP to manage remote workforce, but first we need to know VoIP technology.
What is VoIP?
VoIP-Voice over Internet Protocol, allows communication through audio/video calls over the internet seamlessly and manage business and staff remotely.
VoIP breaks voice signals received from the speaker, compress these signals into data and transmits this data over the internet, where this data is uncompressed and turned into voice signals again to be heard by the listener.
Why VoIP?
The best thing about VoIP is that it is fully packed with all the essential features for managing a remote workforce; it is cost effective; no equipment is required to make it work, except IP phones and the internet unlike traditional PBX system that requires expensive hardware.
VoIP Business is a cloud-hosted VoIP phone service, having all the essential features remote working requires like group audio/video conferencing, virtual meetings, document sharing, call recording, integrations etc.
With VoIP, managing and monitoring these remote teams is not complex at all. VoIP is a valuable asset in communication technology as well as in business industry. Thats because it allows team members to collaborate and communicate with each other effectively, while working remotely. A remote work set up should be efficient enough to reap the benefits and maximise productivity. Let’s explore how you can optimize VoIP based team communications and how remote teams can make the most of the technology and how workforce can be managed.
Teleconferencing
Team collaboration and bonding is integral for a conducive workplace culture. Group audio or video calls are a part of business routine, especially with a recent shift to remote working. There is no additional hardware and no extra fee is required for conference calls, VoIP offers it free of cost. Employees through teleconferencing feature can collaborate with each other to enhance productivity.
Team Meetings
While performing business operations, meetings are called to track progress and to collaborate on a shared project, so that innovative ideas, solutions and strategies may come up. While working remotely it is possible to manage and schedule team meetings through VoIP.
VoIP allows remote workforce to conduct, manage and schedule virtual meetings at any time. Moreover, training sessions, briefings, professional growth programmes/refresher courses can also be conducted online with VoIP. These meetings are recorded with VoIP on cloud and any team member who could not attend the meeting due to some reason/ illness can listen to the recorded meeting later.
VoIP through conference call feature allows communication between different teams. Using this feature, your company can connect teams to the clients, host meetings and conferences between groups, teams or individuals. It allows to add participants as many as you desire, with no extra charges, thus you can increase your company size to maximize productivity.
Scheduling System
To organise remote workforce, you need to have some scheduling app/system to streamline your tasks, meetings and events. VoIP platform can assist in this respect, it will keep track of all the meetings, events, appointments, discussions or events, consequently all the team members are bound to follow the schedule. Therefore, remote working can be stream lined through scheduling feature of VoIP.
VoIP Integration with Office and Remote Phone Systems
While working remotely, employees need access to different software/ office equipment, without such access, the employees cannot communicate and perform well. VoIP bridges this gap and provides cohesion by integrating with different systems. All team members working remotely can stay connected and operate through same user interface UI.
Integration with UCaaS Solutions-Integration allows users to switch between email, voicemail, messaging as per situation. VoIP provides unified communications, meaning all the communication mediums are brought together within one medium and the users can use any device at their disposal. Unified Communication as System (UCaaS) allows access to communication tools. UCaaS is cloud-based, thus can be accessed from remote locations as well. UCaaS enables employees to access business data stored on cloud, access calls, take instructions, provide updates from anywhere.
SaaS– (Service as a Software) assists team managers to manage networks and host all software using cloud. The users do not need any USBs or storage devices as VoIP being cloud-based, stores all data on cloud, thus enhance security of confidential data. All these advanced technology features, make the management of remote workforce convenient and feasible.
Integration with IoT-VoIP when integrates with IoT devices makes remote working easier to handle. It can enhance business performance and ensure security as well. For instance, while working remotely, you can connect your smart phone with office devices like xerox machine or a printer, thus can make use of office resources, while being away from the workplace. IoT devices like security cameras and door access system can be monitored and controlled remotely with VoIP.
Integration with AI and Automation-Artificial intelligence (AI) is integrated into business operations almost everywhere. AI, combined with VoIP offers numerous functions like automation, analysing call data, speech recognition, pattern recognition and provides customers’ information. This can help the remote workforce in handling customers and providing better customer experience. Additionally, VoIP and AI (using chatbots) when combined can organize, schedule and manage meetings, tasks and events.
Multiple Devices
Unlike traditional phones, VoIP is not location, hardware or device specific. You can use VoIP on multiple devices like Laptop, Desktop, Smart phone, Tablets etc. With VoIP, you may take your office anywhere, provided there is internet connection. That makes remote work easier and mobile.
Business Features
VoIP is a cloud-based technology that offers all the essential and advanced business features thus has become the top trend in business industry. It allows audio/video calling, messaging, screen sharing, document sharing, call forwarding. It also facilitates voice continuity feature, voicemail, voicemail transcriptions, call scheduling, call recording, auto attendant, call routing and what not. Employees working remotely may communicate with the clients/team members by using company’s phone number, thus ensure privacy and professionalism.
VoIP Business app is also full of advanced business features all at one place, thus making remote working manageable and productive.
Reporting and Monitoring
Remote team monitoring and performance analysis is crucial. With VoIP, team management calling can be done through regular monitoring, reporting and tracking features, which enable employer to analyse employee’s and team’s performance as a whole. VoIP enables reporting on workers’ system, thus work hours, performance, task management can be monitored easily by the employer.
With VoIP, managers/employers can also track and manage remote workforces through a presence panel system which shows when an employee is working as ‘available’ and ‘away’, when he is not working or on break. These features keep remote team members vigilant, and productive.
Drag and Drop Function
If some team member is not available due to some reason, calls can be redirected to the other employees without interrupting the customers. By using ‘Drag and Drop’ function, users can easily redirect call flow to available employees, this is how continuity of answering calls is not disturbed and not a single call is missed.
Availability of Managers
For seamless remote business operations, availability of managers is equally important. If there won’t be any manager to give directions or supervise teams, you cannot reap the desired benefits from your business. Therefore, a manager should be available for his team to give feedback, answering team members’ queries and discussions, for this purpose, VoIP provides different options like sending voice notes, direct call and instant messaging.
Call Recording/ Intelligent Transcription
As a manager/employer, you should be aware of business performance, where it is positioned in the industry, how are agent-client relations going, most frequent customers concerns and feedback. Working with remote team, it seems impossible, but it is possible with VoIP Call recording feature as calls are being recorded and stored within the cloud and can be accessed without being tampered.
You can not only listen to those recordings but can also read them. Yes, with VoIP advanced intelligent transcription feature, audio recording can be converted into readable texts.
One more option for the managers to monitor calls is to enter the existing conversation (between agent and client) in real-time without notifying or interrupting the speaker and the listener.
This is how employee tracking, visibility and accountability can be monitored.
Dashboards
Setting goals, planning tasks and structuring time frame beforehand to accomplish a project is a key to remote workforce’s success. VoIP provides dashboards to exhibit KPIs and monthly progress. With this feature company managers are always updated about teams’ and individual performance.
Remote team training and customer support
VoIP is fully equipped with advanced features for effective business communications, but to reap the desired benefits, remote teams should be trained enough to make the best of this service. Without prior training, team members won’t be able to understand and use these advanced features, ultimately will cause downtime. Seeking customer support can help in staff training. Remote workforce should be provided with customer care contact details, so that if they come up with some problem, customer care representative may resolve it.
Security
VoIP is a cloud-based service, which allows safe transmission of data even if you are working remotely. The data that transmits through VoIP is stored within a cloud, which is secure, and you may set controls who wants to access data. You can easily track and monitor if somebody tries to access data. Verification and permissions are required before anyone outside team needs access to it. Therefore, remote working with VoIP is secure and retains confidentiality, without data being hacked.
Cost-Effective
VoIP is cost effective in many ways. If your teams are working remotely, the expenses can be reduced manifolds, as the teams will not occupy office space, there will be reduction in electricity bills, employees’ transport or fuel allowance. These savings can be utilised while giving performance-based incentives and bonus to motivate and boost the morale of your remote team. In return, remote teams will work diligently, thus enhancing the company’s revenue.
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The Upshot
The upshot of discussion is that the more comfortable remote team workers will be, the more sales and revenue will be added in the business stream. VoIP with its advanced features, facilitates employers and employees to the fullest and optimises remote working to maximise the profits. But one thing should be kept in mind, that remote teams should be trained enough to use these advanced features, otherwise your business cannot avail the desired benefits from this service.
VoIP will definitely end up replacing PBX system in near future. Therefore, it is recommended to have your VoIP based remote working to achieve success in business.
