Efficient communication within a large IT team may seem nearly impossible to achieve. When you consider the different roles each member plays and the fluctuating workload throughout each shift, finding a standard protocol for communication and correspondence that keeps everyone on the same page is very difficult. Using such advanced technology as video conferencing to manage your interoffice communication as well as your client correspondence can go a very long way. Here are several points to consider when it comes to implementing a quality video conferencing platform into your IT operations.
Appreciate the Popularity of Wireless Technology
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why you should use video conferencing for your IT team is the fact that most of your clients and customers have already made the transition themselves. Think about the overall popularity and prevalence of wireless technology in the business world today. More than 66 percent of small businesses would reportedly find it difficult to survive without using wireless technology, per AT&T. The last thing you want is for your IT employees to get behind the curve when it comes to connecting with your customers. The convenience of using wireless technology and online video conferencing will help to prevent that from occurring.
Stay Connected with IT Teammates on the Go
Unlike many other industries, information technology employees are always on the move. Chances are that they spend a minimal amount of time at their desk. Perhaps the time that they spend in the office is mostly to work on trouble tickets and client correspondence from projects they have completed in the field. You need to have a way to stay in contact with everyone while on the move. Video conferencing prevents unnecessary downtime and keep things moving along while also keeping you informed along the way.
Avoid the Inconvenience of Scheduling Physical Meetings
Think about the time it takes to prepare and coordinate a typical IT meeting perhaps in a standard conference room or office. Your IT staff members work on trouble tickets and other unexpected technical issues that arise throughout the day. Such fluctuating work conditions make it highly improbable to nail down a specific date, time and location to meet with the whole team. Meeting with your team through video conferencing will drastically reduce this problem because your employees will never have to leave their desks. They can simply log in and participate in the meeting from their present location – allowing them to quickly resume work after the meeting without excessive downtime.
Remove Meeting Travel Expenses from Your P&L
If you have multiple locations with IT employees at each one, getting them all together in the same location may be an even bigger inconvenience. In addition to matching work schedules, you will need to also focus on travel expenses. Whether you need to pay for airfare, bus fare, cab fare, a train ticket or just a mileage reimbursement, those dollars can quickly add up. Hosting a conference through online video completely removes this cost from your overhead expenses. Even if your employees are countries apart, they will all be able to log into the enterprise video conferencing solution for IT team members.
Promote Collaborative Communication and Projects
Allowing your team members to collaborate on projects can drastically reduce your workload, increase your overall productivity and boost your company’s efficiency. If two minds are better than one, imagine what at least 8-10 minds can accomplish together within the same timeframe. You would be able to broaden your range when it comes to assigning trouble tickets, especially when one of your office locations has a heavier workload than another. Long-term IT projects would now be handled by teams from different locations instead of a much smaller team from a single location. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the other types of collaborative opportunity become available with this type of online communication.
Connect with Customers Face-to-Face Remotely
With most technical support issues, customers prefer to work with IT specialists face-to-face. Whether you are resolving a simple issue or walking a customer through operating the newly installed software, having face-to-face communication builds rapport, reassurance, and overall customer satisfaction. Over 60 percent of small business owners use mobile devices as part of their daily operations, according to Constant Contact. Implementing a video correspondence method into your standard customer service procedure allows you to keep the face-to-face communication while still saving time and money on the back-end. You will be able to help more customers in a fraction of the time without losing the benefits associated with face-to-face correspondence.
The Bottom Line
Video conferencing is the wave of the future. Physical meetings and face-to-face correspondence when it comes to IT projects are quickly becoming outdated methods in this growing industry. To ensure that your team remains competitive and enhances its overall performance, it is imperative for you to have a conferencing platform in place and ready to roll. Doing so will not only make it easier to stay connected to your customers and clients but will make your team a much more cohesive unit at the same time.