6 Unified Communications Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

The benefits of unified communications

Unified communications deliver significant benefits for your organization, including:

• Robust, reliable service
• Considerably lower communications costs
• Mobility
• Easier potential for collaboration
• Streamlined support and troubleshooting
• Lower staffing and maintenance requirements
• Improved data security
• 100%-on access with no downtime – improving remote capabilities

It’s understandable why an organization would opt to switch to unified communications. However, moving too fast or not taking stock of your current infrastructure can spell disaster. The following six mistakes can be easily avoided and ensure your unified communications strategy doesn’t fail.

1. Underestimation of implementation

IT projects are notorious for going over budget or being delivered late. The same can be said of UCaaS. Without the right unified communications partner, it can be difficult, if not impossible, to plan and organize the implementation stage effectively. You may have a set budget and timescale, but the likelihood of meeting either is slim.

There are many elements of the UCaaS implementation process you need to consider and may impact your delivery time and costs. They include:

• Documenting your business’ requirements
• Internet installation (if you need to upgrade to fiber or similar)
• Choosing and investing in the right hardware such as handsets and accounts for softphone users
• Choosing additional features such as instant messaging and screen sharing
• The integration of your UCaaS with your existing infrastructure
• Staff training

It’s very easy to underestimate the scope of implementing an entirely new system for your business. However, working with an experienced vendor does make all the difference, and they should be able to set realistic budget and timeline goals.

2. Forgetting your existing infrastructure in the planning stage

Integrating your new unified communications platform with your existing infrastructure can be quite straightforward, but it has its challenges. One key mistake many organizations make is attempting to combine the two without ensuring their existing network is up-to-date and able to handle the level of additional bandwidth required. This can, in turn, result in poor call quality and even unwanted downtime as the network is unable to manage the volume of data required.

If your new tools appear to cause more problems than they solve, this can result in resistance within your team. Adopting new platforms and processes always comes with a transition period for your employees. Still, with additional issues and interruptions to their work, they can easily become resistant to your new UCaaS platform.

To minimize problems when transitioning and integrating your UCaaS platform, it’s vital to work with a vendor who can support you with a comprehensive network assessment before any implementation even begins. This can help you to budget for any network upgrades and to find the right solution to suit your business’ current position.

3. Selecting a substandard vendor

UCaaS is a popular and growing area of interest for many IT firms, and some are claiming they have an experience that isn’t quite in line with reality. The most common instance in this area is companies who specialize in VoIP now claiming they are experts in unified communications. While their services may be sufficient for your business, they may not be offering the UCaaS that you’re looking for.

It’s even more important to ensure the vendor has the right expertise for your business needs. Certain sectors such as education require a specialized service provider with expertise specific to this industry. Always carry out research into your vendor so you can be confident in your decision.

4. Striking the right balance between budget and features

Designing your UCaaS services to satisfy your business needs requires the right balance of cost and features. Opting for the cheapest vendor is unlikely to deliver the level of service your business requires. Similarly, the most expensive may seem to have every feature you can imagine, but how many of them will you actually use?

To maximize your budget and get the most from your chosen platform, you need to prioritize your UCaaS features in order of importance. Many vendors will allow you to test their platform before committing, and this can be a great way of finding the right features for your organization whilst always keeping budget in mind. The best UCaaS solution will offer the main features you require at a price level that suits your business.

5. Utilizing a public internet connection

This may sound like a huge mistake no one could make. Still, there have been many examples of organizations implementing UCaaS while still using a commodity Internet vendor for their data connection. Even the executive and business-level internet solutions are not truly secure enough to run your UCaaS. Utilizing a commodity internet provider will mean your internet drops at peak periods when bandwidth use is at its height. There are also significant data security risks in doing this.

6. Expecting super-fast, instant implementation

Some UCaaS vendors can offer single-day implementation plans, but they certainly aren’t the norm. They’re also not always possible for organizations that have several sites or a large number of employees. A reliable vendor can talk through your options, and many organizations opt for multi-phase implementation so they can easily integrate with their existing infrastructure.

Make sure your UCaaS provider offers implementation services that conduct a full evaluation of your existing infrastructure. Providers like RingCentral have professional services that will guide you through every step of your migration journey—with the goal of minimizing your downtime and maximizing your productivity.

Investing in UCaaS for your business can be the best decision for your employees and your customers. Understanding the most common mistakes to avoid ensures you’re in a good starting position and you can avoid the worst pitfalls and achieve a seamless and successful UCaaS implementation.

Further reading

• 8 Things You Need to Look for in a Unified Communications Solution
• How Good is Your Communications System?
• Security: What to Look for in a UCaaS Provider