Identifying the Benefits of Unified Communications and How They Render ROI

One of the most practical ways to sell a customer on a solution is to make them understand its return on investment (ROI). Luckily, when it comes to unified communications as a service (UCaaS), there’s no shortage of benefits to point to and ways this solution can pay for itself.

Businesses that deploy UCaaS can look forward to any of the following:

• Lower costs of operations
• New efficiencies
• Enhanced communications
• Boosted productivity
• Increased job satisfaction

All of these elements contribute to more effective operations and a greater bottom line. Let’s take a closer look at some of the more practical benefits of UCaaS and how they can render a considerable return on your customers’ investment.

How Unified Communications Drives Improved Business Processes

When determining an ROI model for UCaaS offerings, savvy partners should look further than simple price points by focusing on the benefits of unified communications and how they can translate to improved business processes, such as:

• Virtualized infrastructure’s lower costs. UCaaS, by definition, is delivered as a service through the cloud. Cloud-based services save money as opposed to on-premises systems because there’s no need for expensive hardware. Businesses pay for UCaaS solutions on a monthly, subscription basis compared to the capital-draining expenses of an on-site deployment where hardware must be installed all at once and paid for in a lump sum. The ability to transition this expense to an operating expense (OpEx) model gives the customer a more predictable monthly payment.
  
  
• Rapid deployment eliminates the delays caused by installation and support.On-premises unified communications deployments can require months to implement – especially if companies rely on multiple locations. Some UCaaS deployments can often be up and running in hours, since they depend on virtual infrastructure instead of physical hardware installations. Similarly, updates, additional features, and new services can quickly be made available to users automatically via the cloud. This ability has proven especially useful during 2020’s mandated shutdowns where IT personnel could no longer access physical office spaces and server rooms. Companies that were outfitted with as-a-service-based solutions were able to weather the shift to a remote workforce much more easily.
  
  
• “Over the Top” UCaaS maintains legacy investments. Because of the virtual component of the technology, UCaaS solutions have the additional advantage of being easy to implement in a legacy environment while allowing businesses to keep a portion of their existing technology investments intact. In this way, companies can upgrade their communications without having to endure a budget-breaking “rip-and-replace” scenario.
  
  
• Streamlined communication = increased productivity. The rich functionality of UCaaS can deliver a host of productivity-enhancing capabilities to users. These functionalities range from quickly locating a colleague at a branch office through presence management, to texting an urgent message to a colleague or customer from the desktop, to transferring a call to a field technician as seamlessly as if he were in the office. More fluid, immediate communication speeds up workflows and enhances productivity, which has a positive impact on revenues.
  
  
• A unified interface promotes better performance. The original concept of unified communications was to consolidate a great range of messaging capabilities into one platform. Effective UCaaS incorporates features such as presence management, mobile features, collaboration, and omnichannel communications – including voice, webchat, and videoconferencing – into one solution. When these elements are available from a single pane of glass, employees can perform with greater agility without the need to manage multiple platforms and interfaces. What’s more, a UCaaS system can provide all these advantages to employees in any location that has an internet connection.
  
  
• Centralized system management. UCaaS allows administrators to add or remove users from the system from any point on the network – without any intervention from the technology provider. This ability reduces downtime for the staff and cuts down on labor for the IT team while creating an easier way to support employees who change locations or positions.
  
  

UCaaS efficiencies begin from the initial deployment and continue long into the life cycle of the solution – creating an overwhelming case for ROI. Partners who can communicate this message will see greater success – especially in the often cost-restrained small business sector.

To learn more about how to convey the benefits of unified communications to your customers, and how offering UCaaS can position you as a one-stop-shop for their needs, download our exclusive guide.