The Rise of Hybrid Working
With the rise of remote and hybrid workforces, unified communications as a service (UCaaS), are now an essential business strategy, reducing cost, improving efficiencies, and enabling truly mobile business models. Reliance on software like MicrosoftTeams, Zoom, and VoIP has likewise increased at an unprecedented rate.
UCaaS solutions like Callswitch provide end to end functionality that extends to full integration with the ubiquitous Microsoft Teams; improving productivity, reducing costs, and enhancing business operations.
Despite the seemingly obvious justification for using them, it can still be challenging for business managers to make a case for a unified communications system.
Calculating and actually generating ROI from a UCaaS implementationis critical. So, what do you need to consider?
Upfront Costs
The simplest way to calculate your upfront costs is to calculate the total cost of UCaaS for one year.
This cost should include:
- Software License costs
- Handset costs (if you still require desk phones)
- Upgraded internet connection (if necessary)
- Monthly bill estimates
Your upfront costs may be directly affected by the capabilities of your existing technology. Although UCaaS removes a great deal of that reliance at least in terms of hardware. Integration and implementation may be conditional on your existing tech.
Hard ROI
Hard ROI tends to be easier to calculate; as it is directly tied to the impact of implementing the UCaaS solution, look at how much money your organisation would save in upfront, monthly, annual and capex communication costs.
Identify your consumption costs, such as costs per international calling minutes. Analyse and identify the calls your organisation currently makes internally and externally. Understand the total cost of each type of call (mobile, international, national, etc). Compare that to the cost of UCaaS VoIP calls, and you should see a significant reduction.
Compare the following:
- Existing IT maintenance costs vs implementing a UCaaS solution
- Traditional call costs vs VoIP costs (calls within your network are free)
- The cost of video conferencing, apps, software subscriptions, SMS systems, emails, group chat, video meetings, voice, and file sharing
- Don’t forget to include existing travel costs, between sites or client’s offices vs UCaaS tools which by and large make travelling redundant.
Soft ROI
The indirect benefits of Soft ROI are more opaque than Hard ROI, however you should focus on the time saving efficiencies and improved customer service UCaaS creates:
- Remote workers generally report better work life balance, i.e., happier. Happier workers are generally more productive which means you get better employee productivity.
- Lower turnover of employees
- Presence” features ensure your remote workers availability is visible to the rest of the organisation
- Increased collaboration using apps like MS Teams and Callswitch
- Your business benefits from increased security protection for remote workers
- Increased mobility with access via any device, from any location
- Improved customer service via a UCaaS enhanced solution, providing multiple means of unified communications, VoIP, Chat, email, video
- Increased availability – client calls forwarded from desk phone to soft phone or mobile, using a single contact number
- Better customer retention and therefore higher revenue
- Reduction in time lost to business travel
In Summary
When selecting a UCaaS platform, businesses should be able to compare their current position in terms of costs and capability and understand the potential value not just in cost reduction, but also the broader benefits of multi-channel business communications.
