Coronavirus, scientifically known as COVID-19, has been taking over the newsstands by storm. This outbreak has affected over 100 countries and is causing a commotion globally. Travel warnings/ bans are in place, group events are being canceled, and quarantines are being enforced. According to the Wall Street Journal, there are even airlines going bankrupt! 

When a disaster like this strikes, what are you supposed to do? Business must continue, but how can it, if your employees are quarantined?

The Solution:

Prepare a pre-disaster recovery plan to ensure business continuity. 

AKA:

Embrace remote work! 

Unfortunately, many companies are struggling HARD to implement a work from home solution because they lack the proper tools to do so. As per the BBC, Twitter has already asked its employees in Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea to work remotely to help contain the spread of the virus. Other companies are also allowing (and in some cases enforcing) their employees to work from home. 

However, some companies do not offer unified communications solutions to their employees, and therefore, employees are finding it challenging to collaborate from home successfully.

Tools are available for when certain circumstances come up, like COVID-19. Employees can stay connected by utilizing unified communications, collaboration tools, and digital events. 

Unified Communications📞💻📱

Unified Communications means having all your tools, such as phone, video, instant messaging, email, fax, CRM, etc. on one single platform. UC tools can apply in/out of the office, and when you are out of the office, the functionality remains the same. 

Better yet, possessing a UC mobile application is like having your office in your pocket! Users can make and place business calls over wifi or by using cellular data. Phone calls that start on your desk phone or softphone can easily switch to your mobile without disruption. Bicom Systems mobile UC application, gloCOM GO, is designed to give users all of the communicating abilities of their office right in the palm of their hand.

Collaboration Tools 🛠🖱🖇

Collaboration tools like Google Drive, make sharing, editing, and presenting documents easy. Information is updated in real-time and it allows users to work on projects at the same time. The security on Google Drive is exceptionally safe, and users can allow access to only their employees. 

CRM platforms are another excellent collaboration tool that remote workers can use. Employees can manage customer contact information, sales pipelines, handle leads, export reports, and so much more from any location! Integrating CRM software with a UC solution gives employees all the functionalities they would have in an office. 

Digital Events🎧📹📺

Thanks to video conferencing, users can attend digital events! Hear from industry leaders, learn and educate all from the comfort of your own home. A digital event could be recorded or live and in the form of a webinar,  conference, Q&A session, presentation, demo, etc. 

Digital events have many benefits! They are budget-friendly, allow you to reach more attendees, offer more customization opportunities and more. Digital events are also beneficial in case a user is unexpectedly unable to attend. The user can watch the recorded version at a later date.

Thanks to these three solutions, not even COVID-19 can stop collaboration! One thing is for sure, we are really going to find out if that meeting could have been an email. 😉

What measures does your company have in place? Are you seeking a solution for your employees during this time? Contact our sales team here or by sending them an email to sales@bicomsystems.com.