Communications management, including call reporting, is not a new concept, but lots of people haven’t explored it fully. Communications management can deliver significant business benefits, regardless of business size or industry sector. Historically, communications management was used to verify a phone bill at the end of the month or allocate call costs across departments. Whilst these uses are valuable, there are lots of ways that the software can help other business functions, automatically, and daily.
Communications management should be an important component of every business communication set-up, to ensure equipment and lines are being used effectively, usage optimised, and costs minimised.
The ways in which communication management can be deployed through any organisation are unlimited. After all, the telephone, email, and now the Internet are the most highly used business resources. As a result, it makes sense that only through a clearer understanding of how these resources are being used, can all these activities be measured and improved.
You can’t manage what you can’t measure!
Communications management has evolved from basic hardware-based telephone logging systems to today’s web-based software solutions that capture all aspects of communications to provide business managers with detailed statistics on fixed line, mobile, Internet and email analysis.
At the same time, more advanced applications readily integrate with other voice and data equipment, such as voice recording, unified communications and CTI applications, to provide better management information and control, together with a single point of data entry and database synchronisation.
With the arrival of IP telephony, call management can now integrate directly with the phone switch over the LAN, which means it can easily be set up on any PC in a matter of minutes.
With the Internet, secure web-browser clients make it more widely available, 24/7, and globally. So users can literally check their communications system from home, or any other part of the world, and give specific access rights to remote workers.
Desktop communications management
Today, communications management has moved from a back office application to everyone’s desktop. Instant alarms and messaging bring communications management to the front office, to alert people when certain event criteria are matched and give an instant view of communications usage and costs.
This automation is further supported by the facility for the management reports being auto-scheduled, run at predefined times and automatically emailed to selected individuals, or groups.
The future of communications management lies in its ability, both through software development and services, to help users understand the information it delivers and propose recommendations for change.
This will include trend analysis and business modelling, interactive reports (like playing a call back through a voice recording by selecting a line item on a report), and greater integration with other systems, to provide the central command centre for voice and data infrastructures.
Considering the concept has been here for over 3 decades, one thing remains certain in a world of changing technology… communications management works and calls reporting is a key element of its success!
For more information about our call logging solutions please contact us on 0800 50 533 50 or CLICK HERE to complete an enquiry form.
