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Originally Posted On: The Times, They Are A-Changin’ – UC Today

How the great hybrid revolution can drive growth for all

No matter what mission we are on, the devil is always in the detail.

After all, how can we design an improvement to a process if we fail to fully understand the process itself.

And not just a rudimentary understanding either.

Rather, a thorough appreciation of all the component parts: how they interact with each other, and the inter-dependability of them all to mesh together in a way which delivers efficacy, productivity and – just as importantly – value for money.

That’s why only those who dive deep into the detail of what the world’s post-pandemic hybrid working model REALLY looks like will turn that seismic change to their own advantage.

And that applies right through the communications supply chain – from network and hardware providers, to resellers, their customers AND the end user.

The fact that one size won’t fit all presents significant challenges.

But, for the channel, the opportunity to help organisations respond appropriately to the biggest change to their ways of working since the dawn of digital itself is as transformational as it gets.

US-based global mid-market managed services provider BCM One is one of those providers already getting ahead of that tight and fast curve.

“Organisations know they have to navigate to a new place and they know unified communications hold the key to getting there,” says BCM One’s Director of UCaaS, Derrick Dike.

“Channel partners who work with providers like BCM One who are flexible and who really understand an organisation’s needs are super–important. We say start with the call flow. Get under its skin. Insist on the customer giving you a detailed look at every link in the chain and at every touchpoint in whatever delivery process applies.

“Only then can you start to see the potential for positive change and what is needed to affect it. All parties need a crystal clear understanding of the products that are available and the often-myriad ways in which they can be configured.

“It’s about being able to identify the 20-30 per cent of a business for which a particular communications product, solution or strategy isn’t right. And then it’s about being able to design and deploy a more effective, more productive and more cost-effective alternative.

“For us, it’s clear: the new hybrid workplace is a ‘when’ not an ‘if’ – and the capture and analysis of call flow data will be a significant focus for organisations as they address these issues.”

That means key questions are likely to revolve around four main aspects of any hybrid reboot: product (choosing the most suitable hard/software), productivity (ensuring any changes support growth), computing power (timing a move to the cloud), and adoption (education/training).

Delivering simultaneously (and quickly) on all four fronts will be a challenge for all organisations.

For the channel’s customers, the opportunities are boundless.

“The pandemic has forced many workforces to work from home for over a year,” says Dike.

“Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx and Zoom have enabled that to happen with a surprisingly low level of negative disruption. But the new, permanent hybrid model will demand much more functionality going forward.”

“Re-routing, call analysis, cross-department interactivity, increased productivity: all of that business-as-usual enhanced functionality will be a standard prerequisite, which is why we are placing such emphasis on understanding current call flow data”

“Deploying the best applications will depend on an organisation’s computing power, so moving customers into the cloud will be pivotal.

“Finally, the adoption piece will of course continue to be as critical to successful transformation as it’s always been.

“For us, that means a focus on quality training for our customers and partners as well as their end users.”

In short, ALL parties will need to flex as the world of work adapts to the new order of things.

And it seems those providers best-prepared to holistically support partners will put themselves AND their customers in prime position to reap the rewards.