According to Richard Roberts, VP Northern Europe, Mitel, the sphere of opportunity driven in large part the new ‘everyday’ will continue to expand.
What do you see as the key success factors today?
To survive and thrive in the new normal, companies need to combine effective employee engagement with a deep understanding of their business, knowing the value chains linking employees and suppliers while optimising the technology to support where this value lies. In all cases, balance is crucial: Success lies in finding the perfect pivot point that supports the productivity gains borne out of flexibility, as well as focusing specifically on where the business generates its value and the quality of its interactions.
The pandemic has accelerated companies’ digital transformation efforts. Businesses are pivoting to adapt their operating models in the new normal, whatever that may be. Just as companies are having to challenge the status quo, so the channel needs to redefine its sales approach to them. Fortunately, as the definition of work continues to evolve, communications services and technology are advancing too.
Has Covid-19 redefined conventional views of productivity at work?
The pandemic has clearly demonstrated that it is misleading to associate time with output, particularly when it comes to knowledge-based work. Gauging performance based solely on hours worked can even be counter-productive and discourage staff from being efficient with their time. It’s time to ditch the nine-to-five and embrace a more results-driven model for this new paradigm of work, where performance is measured against success metrics.
Instead of logging how many hours are spent at a desk each day, bosses should look to set an employee’s priorities and goals within an agreed timeframe, empowering them with the most effective communication and collaboration solutions. By doing this, people have the flexibility to work to a schedule that suits their lifestyle and peak productivity period, whether at home or in the office. More importantly, employers can far more easily determine if their staff are being effective and delivering for their business.
What channel opportunities does the new work paradigm present?
The boundaries between personal and professional life are blurring for remote workers everywhere. This new, always-on culture has diverse implications for businesses, both internally and externally. From placing greater emphasis on supporting employees’ health and wellbeing, to meeting the greater expectations of their customers for exceptional experiences, whenever and wherever they are.
This creates a real opportunity for the channel to provide the digital innovation that companies need to meet these challenges. The approach that resellers must consider is that results-driven ways of working are enabled by digital innovation and integrated solutions. In this new hybrid world, tools such as video, voice and chat foster purposeful communication, connect teams and drive collaboration across an organisation. All helping to maximise staff performance and ensure deadlines are met, results are produced, customers are satisfied, and strategic goals are achieved.
How is Mitel addressing the evolving market?
Mitel provides integrated work-from-anywhere solutions including cloud-based VoIP calling, conferencing, chat, collaboration tools, with built-in features to help protect data and safeguard cybersecurity, as well as customer interaction and experience capabilities that transform customer journeys into dynamic, omnichannel experiences. We enable businesses to remain flexible and adapt to further change in these uncertain times, fostering resilience that will keep them moving, no matter what happens next.
As disparate workforces become the norm, businesses of all sizes are facing similar challenges in this new ‘everyday’. But from adversity comes opportunity. Digital solutions can empower employees to be productive and collaborate from anywhere, which offers big benefits to organisations, from opening up new talent pools to reducing overheads and improving the employee experience. They also enable employees to enhance the customer experience they are delivering, in turn driving sales and helping the business to succeed.