Although there is positive news in terms of a return to normal life post pandemic, one thing is for sure – remote working is here to stay. According to a recent survey conducted by Esri Ireland (Economic & Social Research Institute), 43% of employees said they would like to remain working remotely even after the pandemic restrictions come to an end. While 51% said they would prefer to work from home part time. Whatever way we look at it, it’s likely that a hybrid version of on and off-site working will be on the cards for many organisations.
And with remote working becoming a permanent fixture, it is extremely wise to now start planning for the long-term rather than the short-term. It’s no longer a case of just “getting by” for now, it’s a matter of working out how this is going to look going forward and what the business needs in order to ensure operations are maintained and supported in the most cost effective manner.
Introducing VoIP
One key aspect to look at is the company phone system. If the business has been operating using a traditional phone system all of this time, then switching to a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system may be one of the first cost saving exercises to be looked at.
VoIP can save a business money as well as providing the business and its employees with a smoother way of communicating. OneContact supplies VoIP phones with a wide range of features provided by the 3CX Phone System and here are five ways in which a VoIP system can help save money on your business phone bill.
1. Lower set up costs
When kitting out a home office, it can become quite expensive if employees working from home have to purchase and install new hardware to upgrade their existing phone system or organise additional lines. Most of this cost will all have to be paid for upfront and, as these cannot be shared, it will be on a per user basis. When using VoIP, however, they may not require new hardware at all – a computer or smartphone can be used in place of a traditional handset.
Another benefit of this is that employers have more freedom should they need to update their system or add additional users or phones, for example. Should a business require any new hardware to set up their VoIP system, however, One Contact is happy to provide huge hardware discounts when possible and always strive to reduce the cost to zero.
2. Less maintenance required
As technology advances, it becomes increasingly expensive to maintain legacy phone systems. It can be difficult to source parts for outdated systems, not to mention that finding skilled technicians to carry out the repair work. This can prove costly and time consuming. As mentioned in the previous point, VoIP uses a lot less hardware which means that there is a lower risk of hardware, cables and wiring becoming damaged and needing to be replaced.
Of course, any breakdown of phone service can impact a business but with VoIP, any issues can be resolved easily without waiting for a technician to arrive. In terms of maintenance, VoIP will require software updates from time to time, but any of these software updates will be free of charge and easy to install.
3. Lower phone bills
Depending on the nature of any business, employers and employees may have to make regular international calls and this can be very costly using a traditional phone system. VoIP, as the name suggests, works via the internet so instead of paying over the top costs for international calls, team members can make calls through the internet either for free or for half the cost of a landline based telephone call. Not only does this reduce the telephone bills drastically for a business, but it also means that employees don’t have to waste time keeping receipts for any work related calls.
As well as this, one of the features of 3CX is the Instant Messaging Service. Employees who are working remotely may need to communicate with their co-workers throughout the day and having this feature cuts out the costs of sending standard text messages or making calls through the traditional telephone system. It also reduces time spent making phone calls for instances where a quick text response is adequate.
4. Greater Mobility
Now, with so many employees working remotely, it has become more important to be able to connect and respond to queries from colleagues, customers or suppliers regardless of location. VoIP plays a key role in this. With VoIP, workers will no longer need to reroute their phone number whenever they change location as would be expected with a traditional landline. The physical location of the worker will not restrict their ability to make calls as this cloud-based solution allows them to use their smartphone or any device with a speaker and a microphone to connect just the same as they would in the office.
This is where the mobile applications available through 3CX come to the fore and where cost savings are truly realised. One of the key features of 3CX is the free phone apps for both iOS and Android users. Once employees download the application, they can essentially take their office extension with them wherever they choose to work and make calls or send messages free of charge via the internet.
5. Additional features at no extra cost
Updating a traditional telephone system to the VoIP system can offer businesses with a wide range of advanced features at no extra cost. For smaller businesses that may have to routinely rent a conference room for team meetings, 3CX makes this option easy and free-of-charge to achieve with its video conferencing service. Extra features include screen sharing and whiteboard capabilities, which allow employees to engage with their fellow colleagues in the same way as in person meetings.
Other features that will help to cut costs for a business are the analytics and productivity reports, auto-assistant and call routing. There added extras again with the likes of the music on hold feature, find-me-follow-me where a phone call can be sent to both desk and mobile phone simultaneously. This means that if an employee has to leave their desk, for whatever reason, once they have their mobile with them, they won’t risk missing any calls. All of these features help businesses to stay efficient and productive and maintain their professionalism regardless of where it’s operations are based, potentially saving the business thousands.
Conclusion
Any upgrade to a new system can seem costly especially in the current economic climate. However it is always important for businesses to see the bigger picture in regards to the long term savings provided by the upgrade. As outlined here, the monetary benefits of having a VoIP system in a business are clear and the wide range of features provided by 3CX will ensure any business will be ahead of the game in terms of their communications.
To enquire about a new phone system for your business, give us a call on 01 906 0990 or email us at sales@OneContact.ie. Our team are standing by to help and ready to see if you can get a huge discount on your phone system.
