video conferencing

How integrated video conferencing can make your productivity skyrocket

In an increasingly global economy with access to a remote workforce, video conferencing is not new. But it has only recently become an indispensable part of modern business operations.

Businesses have to continue to take advantage of business technology services that prioritize and streamline digital connectivity and efficiency in an increasingly interconnected marketplace.

Here are a few of the benefits of using video conferencing as an integrated marketing and operational tool across organizations that we see as the most significant in worldwide commerce.

1. Makes internal meetings more efficient and productive

Meeting are indispensable for businesses of all sizes, from traditional enterprise companies to startups. But the reality is that most meetings tend to be unproductive and inefficient, for reasons that video conferencing can help solve.

According to Inc, getting people together in a room often has the opposite of its intended effect of improving team cohesion and working towards common goals. The social environment of a meeting, in addition to its length and bloated agenda, tends to be counterproductive.

Video conferencing can help eliminate many of the common barriers to running an efficient meeting. People can arrive late to a video conference without causing disruption. Through online chat functions, people can break off into side conversations without derailing the flow of the meeting.

In short, video conferencing lets people participate, but in a way that’s more compatible with the rest of their workday.

2. Reaches a wider audience

Video conferencing makes it possible to have an international team and global reach on a local scale and budget. Getting employees and business partners together in one place and one location can be expensive, logistically challenging and disruptive to productivity. But typically, an in-person discussion is unnecessary to achieve business goals.

Establishing a reliable, professional video conferencing system allows businesses to improve communication among stakeholders. The technology makes it relatively easy and cost-effective to bring people together wherever in the world they may be. Usually, all it takes is the effort and planning that it takes to schedule a phone call.

3. Improves collaboration

By their nature, traditional offices tend to separate employees and company divisions into silos. This is a challenge for many modern enterprises that see the value of cross-pollination of ideas, and want employees to collaborate across the organization and departments.

Video conferencing is not only a great tool for annual meetings and discussing quarterly earnings. Within an organization, the technology can also serve as an informal tool that allows diverse teams to talk to each other and brainstorm new ideas on the fly. No long walks to other sections of the company offices necessary.

4. Takes advantage of a mobile workforce

Video conferencing technology makes it easier to connect with the most talented human capital, wherever they live. With the right tools to allow teams to collaborate in a virtual world, companies can retain employees who are forced to move due to personal reasons. They can also develop relationships with freelancers and contractors whose home base is in a different city.

5. Saves time and money

By connecting with people and ideas through modern technology, companies use fewer overhead resources in their office space. In addition to the cost to fly participants to in-person meetings, there is cost associated with workstations and office utilities for people working on-site temporarily or permanently. Video conferencing allows for shorter check-ins with other employees, and less drain on the budget to do so.

Everyone from public relations to accounting teams can work better and smarter when they have more freedom and ease to communicate with co-workers, customers and business partners. As companies become more comfortable with the idea of virtual communication, video conferencing is becoming one of the most cost-effective and reliable tools available.