12 July 2014

Insights On Phone Systems For Small Business

By Rosella Campbell


When it comes to business, decision and information are twin vital factors. It is often said that a wise and quickly implemented decision means success in business, whereas misinformed and delayed decisions may mean failure. However, in order to enhance the flow of information and furnish the decision makers with timely data, it is crucial to have an up to date, state of the art information technology. As such, phone systems for small business must be in a position to provide transforming technology solutions that allow individuals to better communicate.

Firstly, it is worth integrating the various departments of the enterprise into the system. By using the phone network, management should be in a position to bring together the entire functions to realize a common goal. The marketing department should be connected to the sales and production departments. Integrating the functions simplifies management and promotes co-ordination.

It is important to note that the ultimate challenge of small and newly formed businesses is in bringing out the impression of being an institution of substance. Such impressions are mainly associated with high service levels and standards of professionalism. In order to enjoy such qualities, mainly of larger companies, it is vital for the small businesses to pay close attention to call management. This is one area where investment in top quality auto attendant machines will, out of doubt, pay dividends.

The telephone system forms and integral part of the organization as it is the initial point of contact. It forms the first impression and subsequently presents the image of the organization to its stakeholders, including customers. However, the telephone, as appoint of contact, is always real-time and every incoming call creates a new impression to the caller. The basis behind a successful telephony network, therefore resides in deploying an effective call answering system. The human resource responsible in handling incoming calls must be adequate and well professional.

Due to the scarce resources, the channel should also be economical with time and effort. It should be simple to operate and easy to deploy. The monthly charges accruing from the venture must be reasonable and within reach. There should be minimal movements between employees and workstations. In addition, ensure to cut on unnecessary expenditures in hardware and software.

The small business channel ought to have a single number reach that automatically forwards the incoming calls either to mobile or home based phones as per the specification of the organization. At no time should any call made to the office be left unanswered. Where the user is unavailable, an option has to be provided for callers to save their messages as voice mails and forwarded to the email of the user.

The enterprise should put in mind the future position of the organization while investing it the communication channel. The network should not be rigid but rather flexible and scalable. The ability to conveniently and easily expand the phone system makes it a plus as far as future growth and expansion of the enterprise is concerned.

All in all, the advantages subsisting from a well-designed and updated network are wide and diverse. It does not only furnish management with timely information, but it also reduces on communication costs immensely. It is also a source of competitive advantage and positioning. However, such a system is best maintained simple, fully featured and easy to run and manage.




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