5 Tips For Implementing Unified Communications

Drew Robb

8/25/2009

Unified communications provides numerous ways to improve how people interact. But as it encompasses IP PBX, VoIP, email, audio/video/Web conferencing, voicemail, unified messaging, and instant messaging, most organizations don’t know where to begin.

“Although there is significant interest in UC from many enterprises, it remains a daunting and confusing topic,” says Bern Elliot, an analyst at Gartner, in his “Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications” research note. “As a result, many enterprises find it difficult knowing where and how to start.”

Start With Low-Hanging Fruit

Most experts agree that SMEs should keep it simple when it comes to UC implementation. A phased deployment is a good way to maximize investment. But which phase should come first? A good starting point is the identification of low-hanging fruit, such as an existing workflow that will be positively affected by unified communications with minimal investment and maximal return on investment.

For example, connecting an existing customer contact system with voicemail via an inexpensive upgrade might entail low costs yet bring high potential gain. By choosing such a task as the first phase of a gradual rollout, the end-user community sees the benefits of UC firsthand and gets behind further phases planned in the future.

“Most enterprises are phasing their deployments over time in order to write down legacy investments and preserve certain operational business workflows,” says Timothy Perez, vice president and general manager at Siemens Enterprise Communications (www.enterprise-communications.siemens.com). “Allowing them the flexibility and predictability of a phased deployment/payment schedule maximizes their investment in the implementation.”

Implement At The Business Unit Or Department Level

A big-bang approach to technology deployment is occasionally a success, but when it goes wrong, the consequences can be staggering. And as UC is not a one-size-fits-all proposition, it very much requires attention to local variations and regional needs. Therefore, it is best to avoid the large scale, at least initially, and focus efforts on specific business units and/or departments.

“Unlike telephony, which is an enterprise utility, unified communications should be implemented specifically for a business unit or department in mind,” says Kevin DeMers, senior manager for unified communications at CDW (www.cdw.com). “For example, the sales department generally desires an entirely different user experience than the engineering or human resources departments.”

Communicate With End Users In Advance

The most common pitfall that organizations run into during implementation is inadequate planning and lack of key stakeholder involvement. This can make or break the carrying out of unified communications.

“Planning the implementation, while focusing on end-user and business processes by department, is the only way to get in front of potential risk,” says DeMers. “This requires intense review and acceptance from key stakeholders on what changes to business process might be needed to better utilize the UC application being implemented.”

A high level of communication with end users in advance, backed up by hands-on user training, is a necessity. If users have a say in what is happening and are trained well, deployment hiccups can be largely avoided.

“It sounds simple, but many times organizations assume that the end user will learn how to use the technology through experience,” says DeMers. “That lack of training and inadequate communication leads to unhappy employees on the first day of service, creating a perception of a bad solution.”

Build On What You Already Have

Completely changing the current communications system is rarely called for and is an expensive route. Smart SMEs save big by building on what they currently have and preserving existing investments.

Say, for instance, an SME has PBX, voicemail, and email systems that were implemented in the past couple of years. It makes sense to use these elements as the basis for a broader UC vision. Ripping them up and starting anew may sound good on paper but is almost always the most expensive way to go.

"Enterprises should review their inventories of communication equipment and the business partners and then develop a vision for where their communication could be,” suggests Elliot.

One Vendor Does Not Fit All

It is rare that a single product suite addresses all of an enterprise’s UC needs. Planners, therefore, should not expect a lone vendor to meet every requirement. Success often demands multiple vendors working in harmony.

“UC solutions require vendors’ products to be interoperable,” says Elliot. “As a result, evaluation considers how well vendors can work with other vendors, and enterprises should consider this an important criterion.”

There are some products, for example, that are really only meant to be used in a standalone manner. They are simply not designed to be one component of a larger solution. Others, on the other hand, are relatively vendor- and platform-agnostic. Only detailed questioning of vendor reps and on-the-ground testing can reveal how well different tools will integrate.

“No one vendor offers everything an enterprise needs for communication,” says Elliot. “Enterprises should ensure that the different products can interoperate.”

Article by Drew Robb for

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5 Tips For Implementing Unified Communications

Drew Robb

8/25/2009

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8/25/2009

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