search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
FOCUS FEATURE


COMMUNICATIONS


The art of communication


David Heald, Managing Director at business-to-business communications provider A1 Comms, looks at the changing face of business communications and outlines what organisations can do to keep up with the fast-moving curve.


The world of digital telecoms can often leave a business’s decision makers secretly longing for the company phone operator and those hefty directories. OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but it is surprising


how many senior directors dodge the upgrade, believing that there should be a more urgent focus on elsewhere. Only when that crucial video conference goes


embarrassingly wrong is the mind focused on the need for the best kit. There really isn’t any excuse. This year the fastest fibre


broadband has already arrived in Nottingham and Sheffield and will soon be available in Derby. We at A1 Comms Business were named a champion of its


roll-out not just because it means more business but because it puts us where any telecommunications company wants to be – right at the cutting edge of developments. But before we analyse the wider picture too deeply, it is


worth delving into how companies handle the fast-moving world of telecoms in terms of individual customers and staff members. This year the emphasis has become more and more on


home working. Indeed, many of our customers and suppliers work remotely. This means effective communications is key because people


are communicating on the move, whether it be through mobile or hosted systems. We are excited to be their great enabler but, for various


reasons, we see lots of implementations of technologies which aren’t what people need or even want. For example, companies will wrongly believe that they can


only deal with one service provider. But what if, while 48 of their 50 staff have perfectly fine


connections, two don’t? In the past, business leaders have shrugged their shoulders


if a couple of staff members had to suffer inconvenience because their home connections were poor or, in some cases, non-existent. Now, it has become essential that remote working is


properly facilitated so that in times of crisis they can react seamlessly and 100% of staff members need that access. Indeed, winning business may well depend on it. Unfortunately, connections and phones are too often at the


end of the priority list. Boxes are ticked when phones are set up and call groups named but businesses don’t pay heed to whether they are set up most efficiently and to managing change when people leave, join or move roles Too many also give little consideration to what happens to


communications at the weekend and out of core trading hours. So much business is now done outside of the traditional working day, so those contacting a company need to have a good experience. Additionally, teams look to stay in touch outside of the place of work as well as in it. And, in our experience, staff are less happy with their


mobile and fixed phones than their bosses think. Some simply are not fit for purpose in 2020. People might say “I would say this” but an up-to-date


telecommunications strategy needs to be the core of every business. Often, this might just be the basics over who picks a call up,


what happens when a person is out of the office and whether diverts to mobile applications have been applied. These things are easy to implement and our Yappl network


68 business network April 2020


‘The emphasis has become more and more on home working. Indeed, many of our customers and suppliers work remotely’


can help users come up with the right solutions for them but there must be focused time allocated with client user groups to get a business set up for success with its communications systems. Even if companies do adopt well-devised learning strategies


and have the very best of intentions, they don’t induct their new people thoroughly, so, within quite a short time, many of the team are out of the loop. When the pressure is increased on a business, such as in the


current coronavirus crisis, telecoms become more and more important. The stress would be taken away if there was already a coherent and long-lasting plan. Meanwhile, connectivity, as well as procedures and mobile


and fixed phone technology, are imperative for the future of a company - or even our sanity at home. We are used to fairly dodgy home broadbands which don’t


always work on a Sunday evening and are used to paying a high price for a service which doesn’t do what is needed. But, at the same time, data consumption and downloading


are increasing year on year by 20% across the UK. Over the next five years, Openreach networks are being


hugely updated and, with Yappl, we are working with companies which are embracing full-fibre technology, often needing considerable requirement to upload data out of the company as well as downloading.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96