concept of telecommuting has increased significantly in the last few years. However there are many significant issues which can come into play that a business should think about when planning for their employees to telecommute. Too often the emphasis is simply on the computer system aspect of it and forget how much business will be always done via phone.
A telephone system needs to be more than a way to connect two people; it needs to be secure, capable of many advance functions and integrate into the company as a whole. Just giving out company cell phones is not a phone plan, it is a lack of imagination and opportunity. This is why smart business managers turn to products such as the Aastra (now Mitel) phone series to help keep telecommuting employees linked in properly.
The main problem with telecommuting is too often the employee is not as connected as they would be if they were onsite. While internet connections keep them connected to the main company server, in the past they were not part of the companies phone system. This means that any client/customercalled in would have to either have a message taken, be sent to voice-mail or told to call the employee at another number. This wastes time, money and the client/customer’s patience.
All of the Aastra- Mitel phone systems connect via Ethernet ports with the more advance models being able to handle gigabytes of information. All have XML capability to handle apps, advanced functions as well as call logging, and call information at the touch of a button. With phones such as these, your employees are still connected to the host VoIP network and so can have calls routed to them.
Most importantly, an Aastra Mitel phone gives offsite employees the same phone capability they would have at the office. This is crucial for training purposes, especially when a position requires certain days to be onsite. Having to deal with two different phone systems is inefficient, requires more training and can be confusing for the employees when having to switch back and forth.
Too many telecommuters end up using their own resources (such as their personal cell phones) which makes it more difficult for managers to accurately assess how much resources a project actually needs. It also blurs the line between work and non-work more than it needs to be.
There is also security issues. Having your employees offsite connected via a Aastra phone gives your IT department more confidence in security and the managers more transparency into their telecommuting employees work habits.
More Options for Managers
Having an Aastra Mitel phone system in place to link all the telecommuting employees allows more direct access for managers. Now, instead of relying on email or dialing employees phones sequentially, text messages can be sent directly to the phone with an alert along with conference calling. This gives managers more tools to do their job and helps break down one of the resistances against telecommuting many managers have.
So if your company has been thinking about allowing workers to telecommute but the managers are worried how it will affect them and productivity, call the experts and learn what the Aastra MItel phone system can do for your business.