If you’re like most businesses you probably use a number of different communications and technology services – phone calls, audio and video conferencing, instant messaging, email, SMS, fax and so on. Many of which are provided by different vendors on separate accounts which requires your workforce to login to numerous websites or applications just to perform simple tasks. Think of the many different CRM, ERP, social media, live chat and other platforms you use on a daily basis.
It becomes clear that a real business case exists when you start analyzing your current phone system and services. How much productivity is being lost due to legacy technologies such as plain old telephone services (POTS) or primary rate interface (PRI)? Are your technologies disjointed? Is your customer experience suffering? Does your workforce have the right technology to meet the demands of today’s competitive business environment? Do you have a growing mobile workforce? Are you spending too much or wasting money on services that aren’t in use? Are sales slumping because your salesforce doesn’t have the right tools to cultivate business?
The decision to implement UCaaS should be a no brainer for nearly any business. However, major challenges exist. You can’t just snap your fingers and have a brand new UCaaS platform appear in your office. You have to get the budget and convince the C-suite that an enterprise UCaaS solution is a sound investment.
In this article, we will help you build a business case for UCaaS, setting out compelling arguments for how it will help your business thrive.
How to Build a Business Case for UCaaS?
When it comes to building a business case for UCaaS, it’s always a good idea to start with the pain points that your business is experiencing while explaining how UCaaS can solve them. Does your workforce need to collaborate more efficiently across several different communication platforms? Do you have a growing mobile workforce? If so, a mobile UCaaS platform that incorporates voice, video, and live chat, could be just the ticket. Is your business experiencing growing pains and having difficulty scaling your communications? A scalable UCaaS platform will support your business growth rather than hinder it.
Demonstrating how UCaaS solves specific pain points your business is facing allows you to highlight the core benefits of the solution. For instance, a UCaaS solution can boost productivity by integrating CRM, email, and voice. This helps your workforce operate more effectively and deliver a high-quality customer experience.
One of the most compelling advantages of UCaaS is its ability to future-proof your business by cost-effectively extending your communications capabilities on-demand with innovative APIs offering everything from automated SMS updates to social media and chatbots.
While some members of this C-suite will perk up when they hear the productivity benefits and advanced features of UCaaS platforms, others may deliver a more practical mindset into the conversation. Those executives will appreciate knowing the benefits of UCaaS and how it can deliver increased reliability and availability over legacy business phone systems. There may also be cost-savings associated with deploying new technologies and the consolidation of outdated systems and services. This will attract the attention of the C-suite members who are sensitive to the financial aspects of a technology investment such as a UCaaS deployment.
Align UCaaS With Strategic Business Goals
When evaluating a proposal for technology investment, the C-suite always wants to know how the technology aligns with the organization’s strategic goals. When making your pitch, clearly illustrate how UCaaS serves a specific business goal. For example, is your business focusing on increasing employee productivity? Is your business planning on having a virtual workforce in the not too distant future? Can you expect new branch offices? All of these strategic business goals can be directly linked back to UCaaS capabilities.
Next, explain to the C-suite how UCaaS providers can tailor solutions to the way that your business operates. For example, a law firm may discover that integrating UCaaS with popular case management platforms help simplify case management and improve the accuracy of tracking billable hours. Real estate agents may use video conferencing to conduct virtual home tours for buyers who aren’t able to see their own perspective dream home in person.
No matter which vertical, UCaaS can assist your business to achieve increased productivity and deliver higher levels of customer service.
Enlist Stakeholders in Creating the Business Case
Another powerful way to get buy off from the C-suite for a UCaaS platform is to invite stakeholders from different departments to help you advocate for it. For starters, they could explain in clear business terms exactly how a unified communications (UC) solution will advance productivity at the individual and department level. For example, a busy sales professional that wants to be available to customers while traveling to her next appointment, for instance, would be a great advocate in making the case for mobile UCaaS with CRM integration.
Employees at a branch office who would benefit from using the same collaboration tools as their counterparts in the headquarters could speak to the efficiency gains from deploying a UCaaS platform that unifies enterprise communications across multiple locations.
It may be the C-suite itself that is driving the request for digital transformation and a modern communications platform. If it isn’t simply IT asking for a new shiny object, then you stand a much greater prospect of winning approval to the UCaaS solution.
Stay Focused, Stay Organized & Have a Plan
Let’s face it. Pitching a technology investment to the C-suite can be challenging if not impossible at times. Remember to explain how UCaaS moves your business forward by highlighting pain points and how it solves them. Focus on explaining how your business benefits from its capabilities and demonstrate how UCaaS is aligned with your strategic business goals and objectives.
Last but not least, make sure to enlist advocates to help you make the business case for UCaaS. This will help you communicate the value of UCaaS to throughout the organization and not just for individuals, specific teams or departments.
Need Help Selecting a UCaaS Provider?
Once you receive the go-ahead, you’re able to proceed to the best part which is determining which UCaaS platforms, solutions and providers are right for your business and workforce.
UCaaS is a crowded space and it can be difficult to determine which UCaaS providers and platforms are best for your business. Global Consulting Group (GCG) represents the top UCaaS providers globally including RingCentral, Talkdesk, Masergy, CenturyLink, 8×8, Netfortris, Mitel, Jive, Vonage, Evolve IP, Allstream, IntelePeer and more.
Contact us to learn more about how we can help narrow down your list of potential UCaaS providers while setting up demos and requesting budgetary pricing and formalized quotes.