Business continuity – what have we learned ?

With the continued uncertainty associated with the spread of COVID-19, most organisations have recognised the value of having a business continuity plan in place.

From start-ups to large enterprises, having a continuity strategy with a set of actions ready to deal with difficult and unexpected situations is key, particularly when it comes to communication.

So what have we learned since the onset of the pandemic, with significant national lockdowns and regional restrictions?

The new normal

Having either all or a large proportion of your team working from home has become the new normal since the pandemic began.

Early on, many businesses struggled to deal effectively with social distancing restrictions, prompting millions of workers to swap their office for their kitchen tables.

And with further lockdowns looming on the horizon, either locally or nationally, it’s become clear that firms often struggle to ensure business continuity without a robust remote working system in place.

Economic volatility caused by COVID-19 is inevitable in most sectors, but equipping yourself with a reliable and efficient office phone system to help you prepare for unpredictable situations can help shield your business from its worst effects.

In the current climate, a stable remote working setup represents the best solution for business continuity.

Do your business continuity plans include working from home?

For any organisation, transitioning to working from home doesn’t have to be a major issue any more.

But in some instances, it could prove costly to provide every employee with new equipment to allow them to work from home.

Moreover, without an efficient communications system ready to go, that money could be wasted as productivity levels are likely to drop.

So, the ideal remote working phone solution should be user-friendly, reliable, efficient and have a range of features that allow jobs to be completed as they normally would, whether workers are in the office or not.

With modern VoIP office phone systems, your team can easily communicate and collaborate on projects with all the efficiency of being in the office. Cloud-based voice messaging tools allow your team to serve clients from anywhere.

How does VoIP help with business continuity?

VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, sends voice communication (ie phone calls) via the Internet, rather than down traditional copper phone lines.

Staff working from home simply take their VoIP phone with them, plug it into an internet connection and the handset will work the same as if it was located in the main office.

It still has the same contacts, extensions and settings and colleagues and clients can reach them on the same number.

VoIP office phone systems offer good call quality and everyone is connected as if you never left the office.

In terms of scalability, this kind of phone system can cope with hundreds of devices being added, so no matter the size of your organisation, all of your team will have access.

If you would like to learn more about how office telephone systems are a key part of any business continuity plan, we’d be happy to explain – please click here to get in touch.