The pandemic has upended the working world as we know it, transforming the way we interact and the way we communicate. Working from home is now a widespread necessity, and one which is set to become the new normal for many, as employers and employees alike recognize the financial, time, and work/life balance advantages.
There are undoubtedly challenges. With vastly reduced face-to-face meetings, employers are having to find ways to maintain team spirit, keep company culture alive, and ensure employees are motivated, while securely connecting a widely distributed supply chain, workforce, and customer base.
While home working does present its own challenges, it is widely believed that a full return to the office won’t happen for many people. Companies have realized they can save on office space and employees can save time and money by reducing the daily commute. Bill Gates has
predicted that more than 50% of business travel and 30% of days in the office will not return.
So, what we’re looking at is a hybrid work model — some people in the office, some at home — and depending on the organization, both of those groups could be spread worldwide. And with video meeting fatigue already widespread, how do businesses keep their vendors on track, their workforces engaged, and their customers fully supported?
It’s time for the business world to take a long hard look at its communications needs. While many companies did a brilliant job of quickly transforming their employee and customer interactions when the pandemic hit, many of the steps were taken so rapidly, there wasn’t enough time to fully consider all angles. Now, after more than a year of the new normal, it’s time to properly evaluate connectivity requirements.
Organizations that are immersed in communications know all about the four Cs — conferencing, contact centers, e-commerce, and unified communications. And they all take place in the fifth C — the cloud. Cloud-based communications are without doubt the way forward, as companies look for sustainable connectivity that enables flexibility and scalability with full cost control.
Going forward, business operations must be capable of quickly adapting and reacting to changing demands, not only from their workforce and their suppliers, but from customers who will not tolerate poor communications. One of the unintended consequences of the pandemic forcing many businesses online is increased competition for the customer, who now has a much wider choice of online services. If one experience is poor, customers can simply switch allegiance with a click.
Even before the disruption of the past year, BICS was supporting rising demands for conferencing and contact center services. By offering cloud numbers in more than
120 countries, for example, BICS can help worldwide businesses to scale and grow. Demand across all the Cs will continue as online collaboration remains the prominent means of conducting business in our agile working environment. Our connections to a wide choice of cloud service providers, our experience, global reach and presence, all benefit our customers around the world, enhancing their business operations with seamless and secure cloud communications.
Click here to discover how BICS can help with your cloud communications needs.
