Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is completely portable, usually comes with a monthly low subscription cost, and provides flexible scalability options as your business grows.
Communication is a vital component of any business and a good VoIP system and successful implementation is a great way to address vital communication needs. Great communication can help drive your business forward, and poor communication can cause your teams and your company to unravel quickly. We have all been through the hassle of being on hold for what can feel like hours when we need to contact the customer services of a business. Knowing how this can easily tarnish a customer’s impression of a business, it’s important to maintain continuous and sufficient communication with VoIP implementation.
No matter the size of your business, you may also rely on the quality of VoIP technology and VoIP implementation to facilitate your business communications and growth.
However, in order for your VoIP implementation to best facilitate your business communications and support your continued growth and success, it must be implemented successfully.
There are many factors that can contribute to an unsuccessful VoIP implementation, but the most common reasons stem from a lack of planning or knowledge about what type of phone system will best suit your business communication needs. Fortunately, with the correct preparation and planning, you can overcome common VoIP implementation pitfalls and choose a phone system and deployment method that will more adequately serve your business.
If you have recently experienced a VoIP implementation failure, you can recover gracefully and plan for successful VoIP implementation by following these recommendations.
Reassess Your Business Needs
One of the most common reasons contributing to unsuccessful VoIP implementation is a lack of clear understanding of what business needs exist in your company, and how a VoIP phone system will fulfill those needs. If you do not use business needs to select your phone system, then you may end up spending more than necessary for features you don’t need or find that you’re missing key tools to support your VoIP implementation.
You can avoid frustrations, lapses in communication, and costly VoIP implementation failures by taking the time to consider what business needs you need to meet with your VoIP system. You can use the questions below to shape your planning and help you make a list of VoIP implementation requirements:
- How many people within your company will be using your VoIP phone system?
- What tools and features are necessary for your business communications Which do you not need?
- What type of deployment makes the most sense for your business?
- Will remote employees be able to use the VoIP solution phone system successfully?
- What other business software do you use daily that will need to be integrated with the VoIP phone system you choose?
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Reevaluate the Features and Tools Needed for Successful VoIP Implementation
If your chosen VoIP implementation does not offer the important tools and features that you need to meet your business communication needs, then the implementation can easily fail.
Using your list of business communication requirements as a guide, you can more easily determine the exact features and tools you need for your business's VoIP implementation. If you are unsure about what tools and features will best serve your company, it can be helpful to incorporate your leadership and employees into the conversation to learn what they would find most valuable before VoIP implementation.
At a minimum, your VoIP implementation should include:
- Call forwarding and routing
- Call recording
- Call conferencing
- Auto-attendant or virtual receptionist
- Voicemail to email capabilities
- Mobile apps
- Easy-to-use dashboards
Determine if a Second Internet Connection is Needed to Fulfill Your Communication Demands
One of the most common reasons for VoIP implementation downtime is an internet service provider's insufficiency or failure. If the main factor in your VoIP implementation failure was insufficient broadband width or communication lapses or failures, then you may simply need to increase your internet coverage to support your VoIP phone system software.
If you have other business systems that rely on a sole internet connection, then you may need a second connection specifically for your VoIP implementation in order to manage call volumes and support all the features you need for successful business communication.
Choose Your New VoIP Provider Thoughtfully and Carefully
A VoIP implementation can fail quickly if you are not happy with the service or support your provider is offering. Fortunately, there are many excellent VoIP service providers competing in the market, and you have a wealth of options when it comes to choosing your perfect phone system and services for VoIP implementation.
As you research your options carefully, you will be able to create a short list of options you’d like to consider for VoIP implementation. To ensure your VoIP provider is the right one for your business, it is also a good idea to schedule a meeting with the provider to talk through your key business needs and see a demo of their features and support options before VoIP implementation.
The VoIP implementation provider can also guide you through a discussion aimed to determine what type of deployment method (IP-PBX or Cloud-based) will best support your business communications and meet your budget requirements for VoIP implementation.
A failed VoIP implementation does not mean that a VoIP communication system will not work for your business. It is important to rectify the reasons that made your VoIP implementation fail initially and to reconsider what it is that you want to accomplish with the chosen VoIP implementation service provider after all. Maybe now you have a better understanding of your need for a VoIP system, and you need to completely overhaul your VoIP implementation service provider.
Consider different VoIP service provider’s reviews and compare VoIP providers to ensure that you decide on what suits your company’s needs the best. If you take the proper steps to carefully plan and prepare for your VoIP implementation, you can achieve success and enjoy a business phone system that will help your business flourish.
