The Covid-19 pandemic inspired our passion for unifying business and technology. It also, caused numerous businesses to rethink their collaboration strategy and the way they work at home and in the office. Collaboration tools within the legal sector, in particular, were lacking, as many organisations relied on traditional methods.
For a lot of organisations, this was the first time they had to consider this. Moreover, they had to determine how they were going to implement a strategy that ensured they were meeting their business goals whilst working at home. When looking to provide a solution for a business, we create a unique strategy just for them. After getting to know a business and determining the digital gaps they want to fill, we can find the right solution to improve their team morale, productivity and overall operations.
Traditional working methods
Traditionally, legal teams were based in the office and relied on the tools they had in the workplace. Therefore, when the pandemic hit, there were lots of adjustments for businesses in the legal sector to make. This proved particularly difficult for external calls that would have previously gone through to a hardwired phone which sat on an employee’s desk. At a time when everyone was so physically isolated from one another, communication did not need to become any more difficult.
The problem
In 2020, businesses were ordered to work from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, IT heads had to re-think their UC strategy rapidly. A customer we took on board in 2020 had a traditional on-premises PBX, something which was quite common pre-pandemic. Then, when COVID-19 hit the UK and businesses were instructed to work from home, the only solution available was to set a call to the receptionist’s personal mobile phone. This meant that when anyone called the business looking to speak with someone, they were unable to transfer the call directly. Staff members were having to take a message and then relay this with instructions to call them back.
This caused a higher and unnecessary workload for reception staff, as well as decreased call retention. Particularly during the pandemic when so many businesses were struggling, it was key not to miss important calls.
Not having the right tools makes your business operations more difficult than they need to be.
How can collaboration tools solve this?
To solve this, Virtual First deployed a cloud-based telephone system. Our team produced a strategy that ported all their phone numbers, ensuring easy access. We also provided each user with a ‘softphone’. This meant they could make, receive, and transfer calls, while they worked from home. The reception team adopted this seamlessly, so we set up call flows to spread out the workload. Transferring calls to the rest of the organisation became quick and simple. Meaning the team were prepared for whatever came their way.
This drastically reduced the number of missed calls and delayed returned calls. Something which vastly improved the overall operations of the business. Team members became more confident that they were not missing calls. This means they could focus their energy elsewhere. The business was able to resume as normal, even when the rest of the world was not. This also set them up to continue a mixture of hybrid working with confidence. Our team ensured they were prepared for whatever the pandemic threw at them next. Improving the collaboration tools for an organisation in the legal sector meant they could comfortably work from anywhere. A novelty for many businesses in a similar situation.
Other benefits
This is also key for organisations when looking to increase the size of the team. You can show you accommodate your worker’s needs by having a secure set up at home and in the office. We are enthusiastic about supporting businesses alongside their digital ventures. As the world has changed throughout the pandemic, we think it is key that businesses keep up to date with this. Therefore, improving your collaboration tools is key for existing team members as well as future ones. Workers are valuing flexibility more than ever, so it is important to prioritise their needs within their role. You can prepare for this by providing team members with the tools to be the best they can be. This is key when looking to maximise their potential and improve their happiness.
