Business Communication – Breaking the Commodity Myth
1 min read
It is time for UK business to ask some tough questions: How much value is the organisation attaining from its ICT investment? How much of the equipment purchased in recent years remains unused or has failed to fulfil objectives? And how much additional productivity could have been gained by making small changes to the ICT specification?
One of the key challenges for organisations in making the transition from commodity purchase to strategic acquisition is a lack of oversight of all communications requirements. Too often individuals within IT or facilities management are tasked with meeting specific demands and, without co-ordination, will simply purchase a single function solution. The result is not only a lost business opportunity but also additional cost and, for many employees, the need for multiple devices.
In an increasingly complex marketplace, there is a fast evolving risk of organisations opting for the wrong solution, resulting in under or unused equipment and wasted investment. Organisations need to take a step back. It is by assessing the real business requirements, which will typically require input from a number of individuals, including end users, that it is possible to identify the communications technologies that truly reflect business objectives. Combining this robust process with a pilot implementation safeguards the investment by both checking the viability of the technology and ensuring it is appropriate to meet specific and evolving business needs.
It is time to take a different approach to the communications infrastructure; time to evolve beyond single, point solutions and a price-first attitude to deployment. Communications is not a commodity; by applying strategic purchasing practices organisations can begin to exploit innovation to drive significant additional value and achieve business transformation.
