Most businesses experience what’s called “app overload” because they have anywhere from 5 to 15 apps their employees use on a daily basis. Three-quarters of IT pros say app overload is a serious challenge. How does it happen?
It’s simple. Businesses implement solutions individually as the need arises, giving little thought to pursuing a unified solution because the current need takes precedence over planning for a future state.
But suppose your employees (and your operational costs) show signs of app overload. In that case, it’s time to consider integrating your business apps with unified communications as a service (UCaaS) to achieve a single point of reference for all types of communications between employees, partners, and customers.
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Below, we outline the benefits of integrating your business apps with UCaaS.
1. Saves time
Connecting business apps you use every day with UCaaS enables streamlined workflows that save real time for your employees. For example, consider what happens when an employee needs to fax paperwork. The employee may create the document, but then what? Without UCaaS, the employee has to download the document, print it out, and fax it manually. How tedious!
With UCaaS, that same employee can create the document in the cloud-based app of choice, and with a few simple plug-ins installed, send the fax straight from a laptop or phone. Think of the time that saves—and that’s just one example.
2. Reduces cost
As your organization grows, so does your need for business apps. Without a UCaaS system, your IT staff must maintain multiple apps, and end-users must download multiple apps to get their jobs done.
The cost of maintaining multiple disconnected apps is high because you must manage each app separately. UCaaS provides cost savings because it requires less management effort for the end-user and fewer apps in general. Also, think about the ease that comes with UCaaS: one vendor, one bill.
3. Improves organization
UCaaS provides a single point of reference that sees into different types of business apps and multiple aspects of your business. For example, suppose your customer support manager has a weekly goal of resolving a specific number of customer complaints. The manager needs a way to track resolved complaints and team performance.
The manager might have to rely on multiple apps and even on handwritten notes about customer complaints with a dated setup. However, with a modern UCaaS system, that same manager can access instant reporting from robust call analytics, and employees can take advantage of integrations with CRMs (like Salesforce). The manager can quickly discover how calls perform, which team produces the best results, and what’s happening with each customer.
4. Makes collaboration easier
UCaaS collects all phone calls, messages, and video meetings in one place. It also makes it easy to share files and create tasks assigned to other team members.
When employees use the same app for all business communications, it makes collaborating both inside and outside your organization easier. And when your communications tool can integrate with other business apps, everyone works from the same place, so there’s no unintentional duplication of effort.
Another great way UCaaS improves collaboration is by enabling even remote workers to access all the business apps and communication tools they need to do their jobs. UCaaS supports a work-from-anywhere workforce.
5. Increases productivity
Integration of your business apps with UCaaS makes it easy to find necessary information for projects and tasks, which leads to faster productivity. Instead of spending time trying to find files and messages related to a project, employees can focus all their energy on completing the task at hand.
Whether in the office or on the go, employees can connect and easily send attachments, notes, calendar invitations, calls, faxes, and more with UCaaS. Everything is stored in one spot for easy finding and bookmarking.
6. Creates better relationships with customers
By unifying and simplifying workflows for employees, UCaaS helps your employees provide faster service to your customers, which leads to stronger customer loyalty.
UCaaS helps create these dynamic opportunities by providing employees with the tools they need to do their job more quickly and efficiently. It also provides different ways for customers to contact your business for support via any channel that makes them feel the most comfortable, whether through the web, social media, or messaging apps.
RingCentral: the go-to UCaaS solution
RingCentral provides an award-winning UCaaS solution and was recently named a leader in the 2021 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for UCaaS. We offer customizable communications solutions that are easy to use and scalable for any business size.
No matter what your communications needs may be, RingCentral has you covered. Our communications solutions include integrations with hundreds of popular apps (including Salesforce, Microsoft 365, and Google Cloud), as well as the ability to create custom APIs for your specific needs.
Best of all, you can access all these features and more through one simple-to-use app that both your employees and customers will love. Get started with RingCentral today by viewing a demo.
Originally published Mar 10, 2022, updated Dec 30, 2022
