Understanding The Hybrid Working Model
Hybrid working is a location-flexible arrangement between employees and staff. Hybrid working means that your employees have the freedom to work within your office space or remotely, either permanently or for some specific days of the week.
There are different kinds of hybrid working models that have emerged since restrictions are lifted. The Digital Workplace identified four main types of hybrid work models found with organizations as follows:
There is the office-based with limited flexibility which means most of the business activities happen in the office. Organizations running this type of model have digital tools that are used internally in the office and as well helps employees connect to the work in case they miss a day or more in the office. The second model is office-based with generous flexibility, allowing employees to work from home once or twice a week. These organizations also rely on digital tools that help employees to connect to work while away from the office.
There is also the digital-based with an office that runs essentially on digital tools and has an office space to meet clients/ customers, hold staff meetings, and accommodate employees who cannot work effectively from home.
Lastly, there is the digital-based with no dedicated office. In this case, work operations are completely digital. However, when required, the team rents space to meet, and some team members who cannot work from home work at co-working centers which are paid for by the company.
In some scenarios, employees alternate between working remotely or in the office according to prepared roasters by line managers. Some organizations have a 50/50 mix or 40/60 for people working remotely or in the office per time.
Whichever model your organization is running, one of the key issues is how to sustain the collaboration within your teams when some are working remote and some onsite. However, seamless communication between remote and office teams can ease the workload and create a better workflow. This is why digital systems such as the VoIP phone system are essential for hybrid working teams.
What Is VoIP and How Does It Support Hybrid Teams?
Simply put, VoIP means Voice over Internet Protocol and it is a telephony system that relies on digital or cloud technology to transmit voice and video data. VoIP uses high-speed digital networking to route phone calls between phones and computers. It offers cheaper and sometimes free calls for teams making local, national, and international calls. Users on the same VoIP network communicate for free or at highly discounted rates depending on calling plans. Therefore, VoIP helps businesses significantly reduce costs on all kinds of calls.
One of the things that set VoIP phone calls apart is the HD call quality. It also has an array of features that make it suitable for teaming and collaboration within remote or hybrid teams. Some of these features include instant messaging, 1:1 video chats, video conferencing, screen sharing, and file sharing.
For teams involved in customer service, you can create toll-free or vanity numbers on VoIP. There are also advanced features such as the auto-attendant feature for self-service as well as automatic call routing and call recording features. VoIP systems also come with end-to-end call encryption to protect you from VoIP fraud and other security issues.
Another good thing about VoIP phones for hybrid teams is that they have desktop and mobile app support. They have web-based administrative panels which means anyone with a PC or Mac or mobile phone with strong Wi-Fi or mobile internet connections can connect to your VoIP system. Therefore, your employees can make voice calls, group calls, and participate in video conference calls from wherever they are, using their assigned phone numbers.
What Businesses Use VoIP?
VoIP services can be used by a small business, as well as medium and large enterprises requiring instant team communication, sales prospecting, and customer service. Therefore, organizations in e-commerce, customer service, hospitality, healthcare, financial services, real estate, and others as such use VoIP to keep their business process running.
Irrespective of what business or service your organization provides, if you are embracing a hybrid working model as part of your business strategy, then clear and continuous communication is essential for your team to help them drive success. Therefore, one of the most effective communication solutions to support your employees is the VoIP phone system.
What VoIP Phone Systems Are Out There?
There are three types of VoIP telephone systems. These are cloud-based systems, on-site and hybrid VoIP.
Cloud-based VoIP
A cloud-based VoIP system is essentially supported by the service provider and requires no onsite installation. The advantage of this is that you can sign up for the service and start using it immediately. All you’ll need to get started is a dedicated VoIP router and handsets or headsets for your team, and then pay monthly subscriptions per user to the service provider.
On-site VoIP
Onsite VoIP systems rely on the installation of IP PBX equipment and VoIP phones on your premise. You own the equipment and software and have control over your infrastructure. The advantage of this is that you can easily use your internal IT specialists to troubleshoot and solve issues whenever there is downtime or other network issues. This is better than waiting in queue to speak to cloud-based customer service before you get your problem sorted.
If you have staff running over 100 and have capable IT teams, you might consider this option of installing your IP PBX system onsite, you will incur some initial cost but will record a better ROI in the long run.
Hybrid VoIP System
If you already have an ISDN (analog) phone system installed onsite, you can use that with VoIP concurrently. You can migrate both the numbers and the phones to VoIP to start with. However, check your internet connection to know whether you have the bandwidth that can support VoIP network requirements. You also need network equipment like routers and switchers to provide a high upload speed and good calling experience.
You can also get brand new VoIP phones for your office. The good thing about VoIP phones is that they cost far less than the traditional telephone and are very easy to set up. They can also be set up and used anywhere as long as there is an internet service.
Irrespective of the type of VoIP Phone system you choose, rest assured that your staff can connect from wherever they are working from using their own devices or the ones you will provide for them.
How Much Does It Cost?
Unlike traditional telephone infrastructures, it doesn’t cost a fortune to procure and install VoIP systems. You can save up to 90% in cost on procurement and installation of VoIP phone systems compared to telephone landlines.
VoIP devices costs between $70 — $900 and operational costs are between $20 — $30 per month per user. Your team can use their VoIP numbers on all of their devices. This means whether your employees are in the office, at home, or a coffee shop, they can connect and get going with their work.
Looking for a reliable VoIP phone services provider in Los Angeles to support your hybrid teams? Look no further! Flagman Telecom offers some of the best features in VoIP solutions, at affordable prices, and with interesting features!
Give Flagman Telecom a call at (848)-800-8008, toll-free, or check out their self-service quoting system, and you can get started right away!
