How we think about the role of communications in our companies has changed forever. Recent events demonstrated that having the right communications capabilities in place is essential to organisational resilience.

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The deployment of cloud communications enabled many organisations to persevere through the challenges created by the pandemic. Many had to scramble to put capabilities in place that enabled remote working. That initial reaction quickly evolved into new business models for contactless engagements that spanned online ordering to delivery. To give you a sense of the degree of change: according to the Office of National Statistics, in June 2018, e-commerce was 17.5% of total UK retail sales. In June 2019, it was 18.3%. That’s a solid 4.6% growth rate. In June 2020, it was 28.3%! This 10 point increase, or 55% growth rate, is unprecedented. In June 2021, it was 26.1%. Although down from 2020, it’s a quantum leap from where it was in 2019. We’re not going back to the way it was.

To support this dramatic change so quickly, companies grabbed technology and deployed it. For communications, this included cloud contact centre and video meeting applications. Going into the pandemic, 8x8 research found that 70% of companies had between two and five communications applications, and 26% were gluttons for punishment having six or more. When the pandemic hit, companies literally had to react overnight, so they instantly put capabilities in place which often involved adding applications to the already long list in place. Now, businesses are focused on taking action to optimise their technology investments and ensure they are delivering an appropriate level of business value. To better understand what they are planning to do, we asked them. The resulting data is so voluminous, that I’ll break the topic into a four part series:

  1. Is the phone call dead? Moving forward, what are the primary communications channels that organisations want to use?
  2. Are analytics the new communications currency? With hybrid becoming the new working model, can managers use communications data to monitor the productivity of remote teams?
  3. Is it AI or bust? Are organisations finding utopia or armageddon when deploying AI?
  4. Who makes the decision on the right solution today? Is the process different when buying unified communications, cloud contact centre technology, or both?
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For this first article in the series, I’ll address the question:

Moving forward, what are the primary communications channels that companies want to use?

We started by asking companies about their plans to move back into the office. What they told us was: “slowly.” Most companies (82%) indicated they are moving towards a hybrid working model but may not have it officially in place yet. For manufacturers, a hybrid approach is possible, but it impacts fewer roles in the organisation. McKinsey research found that manufacturers have about 19% to 23% of roles that can work remotely without negatively impacting productivity. To better understand the impact of hybrid working environments and go-forward business models on communications, companies provided insights about what communications channels they consider important to support them.

Is the phone call dead?

Interestingly, according to the decision-makers for communications technology, email remains the most important communications channel. But, there’s another obvious message in the numbers—all communications channels are now important. Note, for example, the importance of video.

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Another interesting finding is that our recent experiences have changed how we define communication versus collaboration: the two terms are merging. We asked companies which activities represent collaboration versus communication, and they said “both” for many of them.

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With the change to a hybrid working model, there is a need for all communications channels to support the evolution towards collaboration for most methods of information sharing. What are decision-makers focused on to enable it all? To find out, we started by asking them what was important when selecting a communications platform. The answer was both familiar and a little surprising.

How would you rate the importance of each of the attributes when selecting a combined communications platform?

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In every research study involving a SaaS application, security and reliability are invariably the most important buying attributes. The surprise is that productivity and ease of implementation are now ranked as more important than customer experience.

Recent events have educated both management and employees regarding the role that communications technology can play in making everyone more productive. With the right tools to be effective at their jobs, employees now consider it critical to remain at a company, with 49% indicating that they’ll look for a new role if they’re unhappy with the workplace technology.

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This staggering number reflects the new reality—everyone has a better understanding of the tools they need to be effective in their roles. But, each role requires different communications capabilities to support its respective workflows.

Typically, back office knowledge workers can be supported with general UCaaS capabilities; they need to make and take calls, chat/ instant message, or use video meetings to collaborate with internal audiences, suppliers, and vendors.

But, what about functions like the internal IT help desk? These teams benefit from contact centre capabilities, for example, advanced call handling and routing, insight into activity levels to manage scheduling, or even the ability to provide real-time training and coaching.

The silos between front office, middle office, back office, and locations need to be removed to enable company-wide collaboration and organisational agility. So, where are companies investing to break down those silos? They’re creating experience ecosystems.

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Which of the following communication applications has your company purchased in the last 12 months? Which of the following communication applications does your company plan to purchase in the next 12 months?

Companies have realised that they need to empower staff with capabilities that enable them to access accurate, relevant information at the speed of conversation.

Just a quick note on enabling locations in a manufacturing environment where wifi may not exist, such as Dock Leveler Springs, the loading dock or warehouse. Many companies have deployed DECT infrastructure to provide these areas with communications. With 8x8, it is possible to continue leveraging that investment by connecting it to the 8x8 PBX. The recent issue of Digital Communications for Manufacturers provides the details on how single- and multi-cell DECT solutions can be incorporated into a modern cloud communications platform.

Going back to the question: “Is the phone call dead?” The answer is “No,” but it is being incorporated into an integrated ecosystem as one of many communication channels that employees need to better deliver the required customer experience.

Stay tuned for the next chapter where we answer the questions: Are analytics the new communications currency? With hybrid becoming the new working model, can managers use communications data to monitor productivity? If you have any questions or comments about this research, I can be reached on LinkedIn or visit 8x8.com.