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Flexible Funding & Delivery Models… Why Migrating to the Cloud is More Affordable than You Think

Most businesses recognize that modernizing their communications technologies will help them increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction and sharpen their competitive edge. But many are sticking with the technologies they have today because they don’t believe they can afford to do anything else.

The good news is funding and delivery models for communications technologies have become far more flexible in recent years. This flexibility opens the door for almost every business to start on the path to modernization.

CapEx Funding Strategies May Be Holding You Back

Traditionally, CFOs have preferred to buy IT infrastructure outright as a capital expenditure (CapEx) because they could use the associated amortization and depreciation costs as tax deductions. While these financial benefits are helpful to businesses, a CapEx purchase strategy for communications systems also comes with downsides.

  • A significant cash outlay is required to initiate the purchase.
  • Hardware is particularly notorious for becoming obsolete in shorter-than-expected timeframes.
  • There’s a significant risk that purchased resources will remain idle or underused over the lifetime of the system.
  • Purchased on-site hardware and software systems consume space, and they must be maintained, powered, and cooled.

An OpEx Strategy Increases Flexibility On Every Front

With an OpEx strategy, businesses don’t purchase the communications system hardware or software. Instead, they pay a monthly, quarterly, or yearly fee to access communications capabilities that are offered in a subscription model. All hardware and software are owned, operated, and maintained by another company, and communications costs become day-to-day business costs. When technology is an operating expense, businesses can:

  • Pay only for the capacity they currently need, so capital is never tied up in under-used hardware and software
  • Write off the entire subscription cost each year rather than just a percentage of the total CapEx purchase price
  • Free up large amounts of capital that can be invested across the company
  • Avoid the need to borrow money or divert money from other projects to pay for large, upfront technology costs
  • Reduce the costs of system operation, management, and maintenance
  • Streamline cash flows by eliminating large, sporadic cash outlays
  • Simplify and accelerate budgeting exercises because short-term spending requirements are lower

Cloud Communications Solutions Leverage the Benefits of OpEx Funding

The limitations of CapEx strategies, combined with the availability of subscription-based, cloud-hosted communications solutions, are leading many CFOs and CIOs to choose OpEx funding models for business communications systems.

With this approach, businesses can immediately start migrating to the cloud at a pace that makes the most sense for their communications requirements, business goals, and budgets. For many businesses, a hybrid approach that combines existing on-premises solutions with cloud-based applications could be the right way to start the journey to the cloud.

TCI Is Ready To Help

Your local TCI experts are ready to discuss the benefits of an OpEx funding strategy for your communications system as well as the pros and cons of different cloud migration strategies.

Don’t let financial roadblocks be an obstacle to cloud migration. For flexible financing arrangements, contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Onboarding Checklist for Your New Hires… Ramp Up Successful Employees in Remote/Hybrid Work Settings

The Covid-19 outbreak forced many companies to allow employees to work remotely or through hybrid work models. However, not all employers were prepared to transfer their entire workflow to a virtual setting. As a result, many organizations have struggled with disengaged employees and reduced productivity.

This helpful 7-step onboarding checklist works for fully remote or hybrid working teams.

1. Early Engagement

Making your employees feel included early on before onboarding even starts is one of the best employee engagement strategies for those workers who work at least a part of their time remotely. Get creative with these possibilities:

  • Send them a welcome package
  • Invite them to the relevant group chat or communication channel
  • Organize an informal virtual get together
  • Explain the career path and reward system for top performance
  • Communicate and keep in touch regularly during early onboarding

2. Secure a Desk Setup In Advance

New employees need the right equipment to start working. These would be things like a PC or a laptop, a high-quality headset, webcam, phone, printer, desk supplies, keyboard, and mouse. Depending on job role and specialization, there might be other equipment and tools they need. If employees are audited and judged based on their performance, remote people need the same tools and working conditions as on-site employees.

3. Tools & Learning Materials

Once you’ve provided the necessary devices and tools, arrange a virtual meeting between your new employee and your IT department or other onboarding person/group. At this point, you have to provide your new hire with the following:

  • Login details for their new company email account
  • Credentials for any remote tools or software they will use
  • Company-wide communication channels and tools
  • Calendar access for client appointments or meetings
  • Proper training on cyber security
  • Digital employee handbooks and learning materials
  • Access to cloud storage and documentation

4. Assign a Buddy for Mentorship

New employees will often have many questions but can be too embarrassed or afraid to ask. To make them feel more comfortable, provide one-on-one mentorship with an existing employee who’s willing to show them all the ins and outs of the company. You’ll create a sense of unity and common goals by tying the mentor’s success to the new hire’s performance.

5. Be Transparent

Be clear about work and performance expectations. Provide your new hire with details on how you plan to measure their performance and a list of short and long-term goals of their job role. After going through virtual training, give your new employee straightforward tasks to start with. Always set clear expectations and give reasonable deadlines. At the end of each successful project, schedule some time for re-evaluation and feedback.

6. Don’t Stop Communicating

Making a first impression and establishing personal connections with teammates so that an employee feels included is more challenging to achieve virtually. Since the employees aren’t always there to read your facial cues, you have to open a constant communication line. In remote settings, over-communicating is better than under-communicating. Onboarding shouldn’t be one-way communication, rather a process, where you socialize and engage the new hire. And this is especially vital for workers with a hybrid schedule.

7. Train Managers to Lead Their Hybrid Teams with Flexibility

There is no one-fits-all solution when it comes to flexible schedules, so your managers and leaders need to learn what type of hybrid schedules work best for your business needs and different job roles within an organization. A great manager will differentiate between essential staff that has to be on-site or on a minimally hybrid schedule, and those that can work fully remote. From that point on, the manager needs to be able to rotate and schedule staff shifts accordingly, with employees’ well-being always in mind.

Personalize to give your hybrid onboarding a boost

Tailoring your onboarding process to each job role and allowing your new hires to progress at their own pace can improve their integration and assimilation to the company culture, regardless of how many days they work on- or off-site.

TCI has technology solutions that can support remote and hybrid work arrangements. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Boosting Employee Engagement in Your Evolving Hybrid Workplace

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most of us to try out new working arrangements. For many, work-from-home and remote working became real alternatives. However, some jobs require fieldwork and cannot support the work-from-home setup. In such a scenario, a hybrid workplace can strike a balance between the two.

The hybrid working model has enormous advantages. It gives employees a sense of freedom and fulfillment at work. But there are some challenges that employers and employees are facing for the first time. At the top of this priority list are employee engagement and employee well-being. But let’s first reflect on the definition and advantages of a hybrid workplace…

The Hybrid Workplace

The hybrid workplace, which includes both in-office and remote workers, can have many advantages:

  • It is more productive, promotes holistic well-being, and thus more economical.
  • It attracts employees of all ages and retains them by enhancing job satisfaction.
  • The company saves money on operating expenses; employees save time and money by minimizing commutes to work.
  • By reducing the number of people in the office during a pandemic, a hybrid workplace promotes health and safety.

Fostering Employee Engagement

But a hybrid work arrangement has its own set of complexities, particularly when it comes to fostering employee engagement because two distinct cultures emerge – one in the office and one online. As a result, managers can find it difficult to supervise and engage their distributed teams. Here are 4 ways to keep employees engaged in the hybrid workplace:

1. Encourage Creativity – Managers can check on employees to learn about their interests, hobbies, or how they spent their weekends. Contests and activities like a fun MiTeams icebreaker session can help employees feel more connected and stimulate team bonding. Doing these is especially crucial for younger generations who look for meaning, purpose, and connection in their work.

2. Provide the Right Equipment – Even if employees work from home, organizations must be conscious of their remote environment. Simple things like their desk setup, availability of a high-end microphone or speaker, and adequate lighting can enhance the employee experience in terms of comfort and health. So, leaders should provide employees with the necessary equipment ahead of time.

3. Minimize Burnout – Advise employees to turn off email and work notifications after working hours and encourage them to take breaks during the day. Encouraging them to participate in some wellness activities can help them feel and perform better. Minimize burnout by having well-defined meeting agendas with specific goals. Identify the people who need to attend a meeting, for example. It can make the most efficient use of everyone’s time while also making each employee feel valued and productive.

4. Prioritize Employee Recognition – Workplace incentives and perks must be well-structured to engage employees. It would help if you recognized extraordinary effort, new ideas, team contributions, and leadership.

As new technologies emerge, the hybrid workplace will continue to evolve. However, proper attention to employee engagement practices will determine the success of these arrangements.

TCI is ready to support your changing workplace arrangements with technology and services that will keep your business in the fast lane. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Never ‘One Size Fits All’… Connect Your Multi-Site Business with Cloud Voice

Businesses can rarely perform at their best with ‘one size fits all’ technology solutions… Among the best aspects of TCI’s offerings are the innovative ways we support the needs of different industries and business models.

We support Public, Private, and Hybrid deployments and we will always recommend and deploy the best-fit solution for your business.

Why Cloud services appeal to businesses of every size…

  • No need to configure and manage your system, servers, and storage.
  • Maintenance and support are the responsibility of your service provider and routine upgrades are automatic.
  • Whether your business is growing or needs to scale down, a cloud service can easily adapt.
  • Need customized features, integration with other applications, or advanced call center capabilities? The right cloud solution can cover those unique arrangements too.

Hybrid brings it all together

Many multi-site businesses are looking for a hybrid approach. Some want a Private Cloud arrangement serving their headquarters and Public Cloud services connecting their branch locations – all integrated together and centrally managed.

Whether you want to simplify your technology or take control of your communications infrastructure, our cloud experts are ready to connect your business. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Combining Voice & CRM Empowers Your Customer Support & Sales Teams

Hopefully, your customer care and salespeople are busy – responding to prospects and clients, juggling different tasks, taking customer orders, and closing sales. But how can Cloud Voice help them conquer the challenges of a slow season?

Relationship-building is an integral part of a customer-facing salesperson’s job…

With so many current and potential customers, your people need historical records and detailed customer profiles. When your CRM is integrated with your Voice service, salespeople have ready access to all the information they need to personalize their conversations – even when it’s the customer calling your office.

The details of any sales call are a critical component of relationship-building…

Cloud-based phone solutions not only track call records but also allow salespeople to attach client details and notes so they can follow up more effectively in the future. Employees can even record calls to playback whenever there’s a need to reference them.

As the sales day comes to a close, salespeople review the day’s work and tie up any loose ends. They gain renewed confidence that they won’t drop a call, won’t lose track of important client information, and, most importantly, won’t miss a sale.

Customized Cloud Voice gives salespeople the apps they need to make more calls, send more emails and collaborate more efficiently.

Provide your people with the tools they need to ratchet up sales in any season… Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

Better Business Performance in 2022 Starts with Your TCI Technology Planning Session

With budget season here and 2022 right around the corner, now is a great time to start aligning your office technologies with your strategic business goals.

Don’t let aging or out-of-date technology slow you down…

A TCI Technology & Business Review gets you prepared for the year ahead, whether you’re considering…

  • Cloud, Onsite, and Hybrid Voice Migrations
  • e911 and Mitel-powered HIPAA compliant solutions
  • CRM/customer database integration
  • Managed Services
  • Data Protection
  • Dedicated Space, Infrastructure, Cabling, and Wi-Fi
  • Telecom and Broadband services
  • Meeting and Team Collaboration
  • Call Recording for voice documentation
  • and much more

Not familiar with the latest innovations or apps?

We’ll get you up to speed so your business can connect more easily and become more productive than ever with better tools.

Schedule your 2022 technology planning session with TCI today. Contact us at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

Keeping Up with Contracts? Engage TCI Before Your Next Auto-Renewal

Whether it’s a Broadband or Business VoIP service contract, or a maintenance renewal on a phone system, it’s important to be aware of their upcoming renewal dates.

If you don’t track your contracts’ anniversary dates, they could auto-renew without you being aware of it. This may cause you to miss valuable opportunities to negotiate better deals or seek alternative service providers.

When you work with TCI…

Our team will be your advocate when it comes to uncovering the best service arrangements and deals for your business, especially when it comes to:

  • Voice & Unified Communications
  • Broadband, Carrier & Telecom Services
  • Managed IT and Security Services & Support

You can count on TCI for…

  • Speedier negotiations and contract execution. No more wasted time comparing apples-to-oranges, trying to deal with one-size-fits-all solutions, or getting locked out of better solutions that become available.
  • Improved savings and ROI through negotiated price reductions and/or quantity discounts.
  • Reduced miscommunication and disputes with suppliers and service providers by leveraging Performance Guarantees and SLAs.
  • Ongoing consultation to keep Network and Carrier services in line with your business objectives.

When it comes to getting better deals on your technology services, TCI has you covered. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

Connecting Your Remote Workers with Proven, Easy-to-use Collaboration Tools & Meeting Apps

In today’s workplace, office walls have dissolved. There are people on every team working from home or on the road, in coffee shops, or in flight. Their colleagues may live and work in another city, across borders or oceans away. Yet the pace of work continues to accelerate, which means collaboration and communication must be seamless and in real-time.

This is why many employees use their own mobile devices and gravitate toward standalone messaging and video conferencing apps. But this approach isn’t ideal and, in an effort to be more connected, we find ourselves endlessly switching between applications and logging in multiple times.

For a true collaboration experience, today’s workforce needs an all-in-one solution that lets them communicate and collaborate across time zones as if they were in the same room. Convenient Team Meeting apps provide this experience.

A Team Meeting app makes collaboration much more efficient and meetings increasingly productive. With all the information employees need available from a single workspace, team members find it easier to work, share and store project details.

Here’s how an all-in-one collaboration app will enable you to work better:

  • Connect to the office from anywhere. Team Meeting apps make all your contacts, data, and documents available from any mobile device or desktop computer. You’re no longer tethered to a physical location. Wherever you are, you have easy access to all the details about your latest project.
  • Do away with multiple tabs. With a piecemeal solution, it’s all too common to end up with multiple apps, browsers, and tabs open across your desktop or mobile device. Team Meetings eliminate that hassle. One window provides a comprehensive view of your work and access to all your communications.
  • Stay on point. A key benefit of all-in-one solutions is that meetings become more focused and more efficient. When you’re switching among windows, it’s easy to get distracted by unrelated items. But when you never leave the environment, it’s easy to stay on-point and on-task.
  • Close the conversation gaps. How often do you start a conversation in chat, then realize you’d accomplish more with a verbal discussion? With Team Meetings, you can seamlessly transition between talk, chat and even video.
  • Hop into a virtual meeting room. More than one person involved in resolving an escalating issue? You can also start instant meetings right from your chat thread or phone call.
  • Invite all experts. Many projects require input from a variety of professionals to move to the next level. With its multi-pane view, Team Meetings allows up to 16 of your colleagues to appear on video at once. If more voices are needed, you can invite up to 100 participants to gather on a single meeting bridge.
  • Always be in the right place at the right time. No matter where team members are (a conference room in the next building, a hotel room 400 miles away or a home office on the far coast), they’re able to collaborate seamlessly. Team Meetings allow you to communicate across time zones and geographies as though you were in the same room.
  • Keep everyone on the same page. When you want everyone’s input, passing around a key document by email or paper can be terribly inefficient. But with file and screen sharing capabilities, you and your team can collaborate in real-time. It’s faster and more efficient and ensures everyone is clear on key decisions and agrees on next steps.
  • Stay on top of work in progress. Some projects have an extended incubation period or are simply ongoing. Team Meetings provides you with a permanent virtual workspace where you can continue to collaborate on documents, in meetings, and through conversations.
  • Avoid losing track of ad-hoc decisions. Projects are often complex with many moving parts. With multiple team members contributing, it’s easy to lose the thread of a conversation. With a persistent chat log, you always have simple access to key decisions or important discussions.
  • Be confident you’re securely connected. As you update a team document from the road, the last thing you need to worry about is who’s snooping the airport lounge Internet connection. Mitel has you covered. MiTeam Meetings was developed specifically with mobility and security in mind, so you can be sure your work stays under wraps.

As personal and effective as working face to face, Team Meeting apps offer plenty of advantages. When you enable a true collaboration experience, not only will your team be more informed and reach decisions faster, but they’ll also set new productivity records for your business.

TCI’s experts are ready to ensure your team has all the voice, chat, and video capabilities they need to seamlessly connect with anyone, at any time, from anywhere. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

e911 Compliance… How New Rules & Legislation Protect Your People and Visitors

New federal regulations have been passed that will impact emergency 911 calling from businesses: Kari’s Law and Ray Baum’s Act. These mandates are intended to protect everyone in your office or building – employees and visitors – by improving access to emergency services:

  • Kari’s Law applies to newly installed multi-line telephone systems. Users must be able to directly call emergency services by dialing 911 without having to dial a prefix to reach an outside line.
  • Ray Baum’s Act requires that 911 emergency operators be provided with the specific location of the calling party so that appropriate assistance can be dispatched to that location.

FCC order and detailed rules here

If you’re planning a new telephone system, you should be aware of these requirements and ensure that your providers’ offerings can comply with these government mandates.

Compliance Challenges

As you take steps to comply with the new 911 rules, you’ll want to keep in mind several factors – including the technology used in your Voice and IT environment, network topology, and the geographic scope of your phone system deployment.

Also, many states have adopted their own 911 regulations which may contribute to compliance confusion.

Need help with e911 calling compliance in your business? TCI can help. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 



Why Workforce Management Solutions are Essential for Contact Centers and Your Business Profitability

With growing demand for a consistent contact center experience regardless of channel – in combination with more complex customer requests – implementing and using a sophisticated Workforce Management (WFM) solution is essential for business profitability.

Whitepaper: What is Workforce Management – Download PDF

Improved Forecasting

Cutting-edge WFM solutions allow for tweaking and fine-tuning your forecasting process. Too high a forecast and agents are idle, as are the workstations – a waste of resources. Too low a forecast and customers get annoyed by long waiting times. Agents become overworked and drained, negatively impacting performance and absenteeism. Without accurate forecasting, your business runs the risk of losing customers, and acquiring new ones requires much more work and resources.

Overtime Savings

Another area that can be addressed by WFM is overtime. It’s easy to reason that a few minutes here and there can’t make much difference, but that number adds up quickly and significantly, affecting pay raises and performance bonuses in the long run. With WFM, thresholds can be set up to keep an eye on scheduled time and keep track of overtime, taking corrective measures if necessary. The solution also makes it easy to determine whether it makes more sense to add staff or plan for a few hours of overtime a week.

Leveraging Simulations

With WFM tools, you’ll be able to monitor, measure, and carry out simulations that test and evaluate a range of parameters to identify those that are essential to organizational performance. Should you invest more resources in making forecasting accuracy as close to perfect as possible OR will this result only if you succeed in improving scheduling that’s suffering from a dip in early morning peaks? Where should you act first for the best results at minimum cost?

Mitel WFM Product Overview Brochure – Download PDF

Talk with the TCI team about your contact center and WFM technology requirements to ensure customer and agent satisfaction while maintaining efficiency and profitability. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.