2022 was a year of instability, and 2023 is continuing in the same way. Inflation remains high in many major economies, while supply chain disruption is an ongoing theme.
Although many forecasts predict reductions in inflation, experts including the World Bank are warning of the risk of recessions.
This creates a challenging economic environment, which all businesses must contend with. Efficiency always matters, but especially now. At the same time, customer expectations are more demanding than ever. Customers are more informed, they expect quick, efficient service on their terms. The growth of online reviews and comparisons only increases the need for great service.
This creates a dual challenge for business. They must maximize efficiency in the face of economic uncertainty, without compromising on standards of service. This is why so many businesses are embracing the opportunities of digital transformation. This month, we are looking at how this can help businesses face the challenges ahead and thrive.
What is digital transformation?
Broadly, digital transformation is the adoption of digital technologies into business operations. This includes the shift to cloud services, which has been one of the most significant technology trends of the past ten years. Cloud is increasingly relied upon for such diverse areas as accounting and project management, as well as our specialty of communication technology.
Why has this transformation been so rapid? This technology allows us to perform the same tasks faster, but it offers more than that. It also transforms the possibilities of how we work, where we work, and the service we are able to deliver to customers.
The power of cloud communication
Cloud communication is a great example of this possibility. More businesses worldwide are migrating voice and other communication services to a cloud environment. The reason is clear. Cloud offers more flexibility. It is quick to deploy and accessible from anywhere, allowing a work-anywhere culture.
In a dynamic, challenging and competitive business landscape, this can be a significant advantage. iPECS Cloud, from Ericsson-LG Enterprise, is the perfect example. It offers full unified communications functionality, with voice, video, conferencing and instant messaging delivered over the cloud.
Not only does this offer convenience to users – it also allows a transformation of customer experience. Combined, these benefits can offer a huge boost to businesses as they face the challenges of 2023.
iPECS Cloud and iPECS ONE: a boost to service and efficiency
iPECS Cloud is the flagship cloud unified communications solution from Ericsson-LG Enterprise. iPECS ONE is the app that makes it fully mobile, giving users access on their cell phone or tablet. Thanks to WebRTC technology, iPECS ONE is accessible on any web browser with no downloads at all.
Now we will explain how these solutions can help improve service and efficiency.
Work from anywhere
As a hosted solution, iPECS Cloud is accessible anywhere with an internet connection. This is a huge benefit in the age of remote and hybrid work. It means your whole team has full access to your communication system wherever they are based.
This in turn allows businesses to recruit more widely to include fully remote workers in any location, potentially saving costs and attracting more talent. With full access to all the collaboration and customer contact tools they need, they can perform these tasks seamlessly.
Smoother collaboration
Collaboration is an excellent way to share creativity and divide tasks to manage individual workloads more effectively. However, without the right technology in place it can be difficult to maintain smooth workflows. This is especially true in an age of hybrid working, which requires some digitization of project management.
iPECS Cloud makes it easy, by placing all channels of communication in a single place. You can create instant messaging chat groups for different teams and projects, allowing everyone to share ideas and files immediately. If you need a quick video catchup, this only requires a few clicks.
Scheduling video calls is equally easy, and Outlook calendar integration ensures that everybody is aware of the meeting. Such seamless collaboration can improve both the quality and quantity of work you produce.
Multi-channel customer contact
Customer contact is changing. Many customers still want to contact you with voice calls, but preferences are diversifying. Some prefer instant messaging chats, or email forms.
Multi-channel customer contact is becoming the new norm, and it is important to be able to meet that expectation. Through integrations, iPECS Cloud can be seamlessly configured to offer customers the omni-channel experience they expect.
Service-enhancing extras
iPECS Cloud also comes with optional extras to further boost customer service. This includes an easy-to-use, cloud-based call recording tool, allowing quick quality assurance. Sampling calls allows you to assess the quality of your service, and suggest improvements and additional training where necessary.
iPECS: your communication solution
2023 will present challenging circumstances to many businesses. Economic uncertainties remain, but customers will continue to expect great service. iPECS communication solutions can help businesses to meet these challenges and succeed, by maximizing efficiency and boosting customer service.
To find out more, speak to your nearest Ericsson-LG Enterprise Global Partner.
