Top 10 tips when implementing unified communications
In the past two instalments of this column we’ve covered the current state of unified communications and why it is a good item to shortlist for near-term acquisitions.
With that behind us, it’s time to consider some of the lessons you’d rather not learn for yourself when implementing UC.
So what are the best practices and pitfalls of implementing UC? How can you prepare for it? In Tellumat’s experience, these are highly pertinent questions, so here are some guidelines to help you get the best out of whatever solution you put in.
- Make sure UC is for you: Notwithstanding the benefits of unified communications (such as savings, increased productivity and efficiency), it has to work for you. If you’re a two-man show and mostly office-bound, why bother? However, in the case of a greenfields installation, it is always useful to consider future growth, new branches and a need for roving salespeople.
- Get the foundation right: Your LAN should be able to handle converged communications. This means the right design (virtual LANs are the way to go), purpose-suited cabling and other little tricks that your supplier will be happy to share with you.
- Choose wisely (a): Your solution should be easy to use and compelling (integration with desktop productivity tools like Outlook is generally a winner with users). It should be easily manageable and the cost of maintenance should be low. In fact, you should be able to maintain it yourself, if you chose to do so. It should also have demonstrable return on investment and low total cost of ownership.
- Choose wisely (b): Does your partner have a solid track record in the installation of UC solutions? Will they still be there tomorrow to support you?
- Plan around corporate cycles: Implementation need not take more than a week if your foundation has been laid, but a week is a long time at month-end. (Take good care to get that right; you don’t want to be surprised by a sudden and unanticipated need to re-cable!) If you have an existing system, plan how you want to cut over to the new solution – all at once or in phases?
- Aftercare: Ideally, your provider should give you the tools to do ongoing monitoring of your solution’s health.
- Avoid the blame-storm: If possible have the same provider do network infrastructure and UC. But it’s not a necessity if your UC provider has IT as well as communications skills.
- Be in the picture: Make sure your provider shares the project plan with you and that you agree with everything in it. (It should provide for obtaining executive buy-in, or you could be in for some difficulty.)
- Train according to requirements: If your initial use of the solution will be limited to basic telephony, you can train as you go. Otherwise, train before cutover. The same goes if you plan to maintain the solution in-house. However, the right solution should be both easy to use and maintain.
- Beware integration issues: Let’s assume the solution is easy and compelling and everything has been done correctly preparation- and project-wise. What else can go wrong? Usually, it’s the networked applications that present a challenge – mostly antivirus and desktop productivity tools. Get a partner with the experience to resolve these issues and the tools with the proven ability to integrate.
Although the future is in UC and tight integration with your business processes, it may not be for you at this point in time, and implementing it requires some forethought and specialist skills. In many ways, it opens doors into your company’s future, so it’s important to get it right.
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About Bennie Langenhoven | About Tellumat
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