How Leveraging Unified Communications Can Boost Productivity, Communication, Collaboration, And Safety In The Construction Industry

 

All construction and engineering projects require a hefty amount of collaboration. All too often, projects get delayed or costly mistakes are made due to failures in communications. When you’re racing to meet construction deadlines, your team needs to take advantage of technology systems with built-in collaboration tools that enable principals to connect regardless of their location. You can’t afford not to. That’s where Unified Communications (UC), or UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service), is the perfect fit.

Unified Communications provides construction businesses with an all-in-one environment for synchronizing teams, boosting collaboration, and unlocking critical insights. The right solution not only improves team performance, productivity, communication, and safety, but can also reduce security risks and save money.

Watch this video to gain insights into the importance of communication in construction and learn valuable techniques that can elevate your construction projects to new heights.

The Demand for UC in Construction

The UCaaS landscape is experiencing significant growth throughout virtually every industry as businesses struggle with the onset of remote and hybrid work. However, for construction companies, dealing with distributed workers is nothing new. Very little work is completed from the confines of an office in the construction space. This means business leaders need to find effective ways of keeping their mobile, field-based, and back-end staff connected.

The UC environment provides a critical tool for keeping these scattered employees aligned and working towards the same unified goals. It’s also a critical tool in eliminating some of the major productivity issues construction teams face. Here’s how UC can solve the problems construction teams might be facing today:

Enhanced collaboration: Poor communication and collaboration between distributed teams in the construction industry is a frequent cause of delays, mistakes, confusion, and errors. Relying on distributed tools for communication only makes the issue worse. Fortunately, unified communication tools can bring teams together wherever they are, through a multitude of platforms, including voice, video, messaging, and email.

Greater safety and security: The construction industry has long suffered from a poor history with health and safety. One of the key reasons accidents take place in this landscape is due to poor communication and collaboration. A UC system or UCaaS solution in the cloud, can help to eliminate errors by ensuring professionals have the guidance and support they need in the field. UC systems can even store useful health and safety guidelines.

Reduced costs: Limited budgets are affecting virtually every industry in today’s changing landscape. While switching from a legacy communication system to unified communications might come with an initial expense, the long-term benefits are huge. A UC or UCaaS offering combines all of the tools companies need for communication into one environment, allowing for easier financial management and cash flow analysis.

Better data insights: In order to grow effectively, construction companies need to be able to keep track of data about how their workforce is operating on a significant scale. Unified Communication tools can come with built-in solutions for tracking critical metrics and key performance indicators. They also provide companies with an end-to-end way of viewing how the workforce performs on a day-to-day basis.

Boosted productivity: Adding UCaaS solutions into the construction industry can also lead to increases in efficiency and productivity. When teams can communicate more effectively, project delays are less common. Teams can use UC solutions to collaborate over ideas and solve problems rapidly without the need for face-to-face interaction. Plus, employees can avoid having to switch between tools to reach different team members.

The nature of construction means that most employees work remotely, away from the corporate headquarters. Additionally, on individual job sites, workers are often disconnected from superintendents, supervisors and shop stewards. Safety issues can arise at the drop of a hard hat, and as a result, workers may be injured when a swiftly communicated alert might have warded off such dire consequences. Revised work orders from off-site engineers that are normally communicated at the beginning of each workday can result in hours of lost productivity, whereas timely wherever-whenever communications means that foremen and workers can adjust planned activities accordingly and immediately, with no downtime.

Usually, a construction company will have employees spread over multiple job sites. Further, no actual hands-on construction work is ever done in the home office, or the trailer or shanty on site. Historically, business leaders in construction have searched for ever more effective ways of keeping their mobile, on-site and home office staff connected. Both Unified Communications (UC) or Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provide an all-in-one environment for synchronizing teams, boosting collaboration, and unlocking critical insights in the construction industry.

A UCaaS solution can help construction business leaders keep their distributed workforce aligned with company goals, without adding additional workload to their already stressed IT team. It can also go a long way toward eliminating some of the major productivity issues challenging construction companies today.

Imagine this typical scenario: 

* A design change for a building is called for after a client meeting.

The change needs to be communicated to the site supervisor quickly before additional work is conducted.

* The project manager in the office uses UCaaS messaging to alert the site supervisor of the change and attaches new blueprints to the shared project workspace.

* With the latest information, the site supervisor was able to immediately change course which resulted in more efficient work, saving time and money for the company and client.

But what features in a UCaaS solution should business leaders in construction companies look for, to reap the benefits of scenarios like this? Remember, one factor that defines construction is how collaborative it is. Key to efficient teamwork is communication between the job site and home front office, connecting project managers and supervisors wherever and whenever they need to collaborate.

Build the Foundation to Support Your Projects

Implementing a UCaaS driven blueprint for your businesses requires several key steps to ensure successful integration. Here are some important considerations when sourcing a solutions partner:

Assess Business Needs: Before integrating UCaaS into construction operations, the project team should assess field service management desired outcomes to streamline communication between project managers, site supervisors, and subcontractors spread across different locations. Review the current communication infrastructure and identify pain points such as delays in decision making. UCaaS allows your team to share blueprints, streamline project updates, and speed up document approvals.

Choose the Right UCaaS Provider: Compare providers based on their ability to support construction-specific needs such as enabling mobile access for on-site supervisors and subcontractors using tablets or smartphones, ensuring reliable job site connectivity for real-time updates and inspections with ruggedized devices, and facilitating secure data sharing between project stakeholders through encrypted channels. Consider factors such as scalability, robust security measures to protect sensitive project data like CAD files or project schedules, responsive customer support to address technical issues on-site, and integration capabilities with industry-standard construction management software such as Procore or Autodesk BIM 360.

Customize and Integrate the UCaaS Solution: Once you choose a provider, integrate UCaaS with scheduling tools like Primavera P6 to update teams on site progress in real-time or with document management systems such as Aconex, Fieldwire or PlanGrid. Establish user permissions and access controls to safeguard sensitive project information such as architectural plans, progress photos, or sensitive financial data stored in cloud repositories, all on one platform.

Train and Educate Employees: Conduct comprehensive employee training sessions for tasks such as conducting virtual site inspections. Collaborate on BIM revisions remotely using Autodesk Revit. Facilitate real-time communication through UCaaS platforms like Cisco Webex. Enforce best practices for leveraging these tools to improve client interactions by providing timely updates through platforms integrated with CRM systems like Salesforce.

Monitor and Evaluate: Post-implementation, monitor UCaaS performance closely to gauge its impact on construction operations. Track metrics for daily progress reports shared through platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams. Adhere to project timelines by comparing planned versus actual milestones. Gauge client satisfaction based on responsiveness to queries or change requests managed through customer support portals. Gather feedback to identify areas for improvement such as enhancing integration with other project management tools like Oracle Primavera Unifier or refining user interfaces for easier navigation on mobile devices.

For FREE help developing a customized unified communications strategy for your construction or engineering company, simply tell us what you’re trying to accomplish at FreedomFire Communications and we’ll make it happen. It really is that easy.

UCaaS Can Save Every Company Money Meeting Their Communication And Collaboration Needs…A LOT Of Money

 

Ever thought pinching pennies 💰 could be your biggest innovation catalyst? Let’s talk UCaaS 💡.

Picture this: Your business, streamlined 💼. Communication? Seamless 🌐. All because you decided to give your old, costly communication systems the boot 👢.

Enter Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). It’s not just a tech upgrade; it’s a revolutionary way to slash costs ✂️ and simultaneously supercharge your customer experience. Imagine delivering unparalleled service that keeps your clients coming back, all while your finance department sings praises for the savings 🙌.

But here’s the kicker: those savings fuel innovation. Every dollar saved on outdated systems is a dollar you can invest in new ideas, products, and services. It’s a virtuous cycle of saving and innovating that keeps you miles ahead of the competition 🏁.

So, what’s the secret sauce? Efficiency. UCaaS streamlines your operations, making every process smoother and every team member more productive 👥. And when your team is firing on all cylinders, magic happens. Customer satisfaction skyrockets, and your business grows in ways you never thought possible 📈.

This video explains everything evrey business needs to know about UCaaS:

So, are you tired of the endless costs and headaches that come with maintaining your outdated communication system? Then it’s time to consider making the switch to UCaaS and take your business to the next level!

Let’s face it, traditional phone systems can be a drain on your resources. From expensive hardware upgrades to complex maintenance, the costs can quickly add up. But when does switching to UCaaS make financial sense for your business?

Here’s the deal: UCaaS offers a wide range of benefits that can save you both time and money. With UCaaS, you can say goodbye to costly hardware installations and maintenance fees. And with everything hosted in the cloud, you’ll have the flexibility to scale your communication needs as your business grows.

But the benefits don’t stop there! UCaaS also brings a whole new level of efficiency to your team. With features like instant messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, your employees can collaborate seamlessly from anywhere in the world. Say goodbye to missed calls and hello to increased productivity!

So, how do you know if it’s the right time to make the switch? It all comes down to a cost-benefit analysis. Consider factors like your current communication expenses, projected growth, and the potential savings and productivity gains that UCaaS can offer.

If you’re ready to take the leap, we’re here to help! To get FREE help designing a customized UCaaS strategy for your company, simply tells us what you need at FreedomFire Communications and we’ll make it happen. It really is that easy.

Exploring 5.5G Technology Advancements, Features, And Benefits (INFOGRAPHIC)

 

Expert Advice For Cybersecurity Professionals On Successfully Interacting With Senior Executives (VIDEO)

 

In this video Avrohom Gottheil of AskTheCEO talks with Kayne McGladrey, CISSP cybersecurity strategist for Ascent Solutions and senior member of the IEEE.  They discuss everything a cybersecurity professional needs to know to interact successfully with senior executives and influence desired outcomes.

To learn more about all the options available to you for meeting your organization’s data protection and network security requirements (including security posture and risk assessments, and awareness training and employee education programs) ... simply ask us at FREE Network Security Sourcing And Design Support. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3.

THE WAY WE WORK HAS CHANGED FOREVER

 Working from home became a necessity this year, and companies across the world found themselves having to adapt to the need for remote work. Surprisingly only thirty percent of business leaders feel their organization is well prepared for remote work. Most companies saw challenges in the following three areas:

RingCentral’s goal is to make it easier for companies to pivot towards a work from home environment, and they accomplish this through their Collaborative Communications platform. They also offer the following:

• 240+ out-of-box integrations
• 5,000+ customer integrations
• 50,000+ developers

When talking to your company leadership about where RingCentral succeeds, there are three things you should be discussing:

• Global Telephony
  • 30% -50% usage savings
  • Highest quality voice
  • Quality AND Uptime SLAs
  • 29 Global data centers
  • Local telephony and Global admin
• Company-wide Collaboration
  • Connected Contact Center
  • Expert access
  • Shared directory
  • Call transfer or conference
  • Pulse notifications
• One Vendor Relationship
  • One support number
  • No finger-pointing
  • Simplified pricing
  • Single sign-on
  • Simplified admin
  • Global number procurement

Earlier this year RingCentral also announced their direct routing solution, RingCentral Cloud PBX for. Microsoft Teams. This means that RingCentral can now integrate with MS Teams.

Whether you're a big enterprise business or a small shop, the way you interact with your customers is vital to your business success and customer loyalty. Finding the right contact center technology solution for your organizations specific needs can be an exercise in total frustration. But it doesn’t have to be. Simply tell us what you need accomplished at the link below (including WFH and cybersecurity requirements)....and we’ll help help you source and design a custom contact center solution just for you (whether that be RingCentral or another best-in-class provider). Plus.....our services are FREE.

Contact Center Technology Resources

Technology Is Handicapping Millennials

One of main traits that makes us human is our ability to communicate. Whenever we live a healthy communal life, we engage in conversations face-to-face, care and respect others, and we pay attention to important principles of etiquette which then helps us to live in conjunction with each other without engaging in too much discord. I am not aware of any critical mass of individuals living in a society in any time in history that has survived the times living in total isolation from their immediate community, its values and communication practices. And as importantly - the ability to learn from his own mistakes over time. The smartphone has been handicapping the millennial generation in this regard.

The smartphone has been handicapping the millennials. You have heard it right. You might be asking... Why do you say that professor? Let me explain why by giving you a real life example that has changed the way I interact with human beings of the opposite sex.

When I was a kid, I struggled to converse with girls face-to-face. I was so shy and literally afraid to speak with a girl one-on-one... I had a terrible fear of rejection back then. Even though these feelings are not totally foreign to young boys, I know today that my levels of shyness (and therefore my inability to speak with a person of the opposite sex) back then were probably higher than most boys who were shy in my generation.

Like most kids in their teenage years, I was unprepared to engage in interpersonal communications with a female. I still remember this beautiful girl named Peggy which I truly had the hots for. She was beautiful, nice, and to my fortune... she seemed to like me. The fact that we never ended up going out on a date had nothing to do with her interpersonal ability. It had everything to do with mine. I failed to initiate a meaningful conversation with her to have the chance to ask her out on a date. My total loss... and I knew it. However, my inability to break the ice and carry on a honest conversation with a girl made me stop and think about why I wasn't being successful in my love endeavors. I spent some time thinking about this question and then BINGO! Eventually, I've learned what girls like out of my struggles. "They like to talk," for the most part. I figured... Well, if girls like to talk, then I need to be a good listener. The rest my friends, is history.

Look, I didn't need to have a smartphone to make me feel better or learn how to speak with a girl. My humanity helped me with enjoying my later teenage and young adult years simply by stopping and thinking about the obvious. For most of my teenage years (up to the age of 16), I struggled with speaking with girls. Some might consider the former as being a "bad" life experience. Well, I see these former struggles differently today. I thank God for how things ended up working out in my life in that regard and for having the ability to face the problem and find a possible solution like a man.

When I was 16 years old, there were no smartphones. My parents happened to have cell phones back then, which was unusual for Brazilians back in the 90's, but they were not smart. I didn't have the opportunity to go on-line to make me feel better for my inability to speak with a girl. Because I had no technology, I had to face the problem and develop a two very important life skills - Critical thinking and Listening.

Kids today are handicapped because of technology. Too many millennials face a problem with a girl and rather than facing the problem head on to find a solution... They often go to their smartphones and text! Can't talk with a girl tonight? Go to a smartphone, watch a video with girls and feel better. Can't find a date to go to prom... Go to the smartphone, chat with girls on Tumbler, and move on... Don't have any friends? Go to the smartphone and log into Facebook and chatting! The problem is that text messaging won't teach a kid how to speak with a girl like a man. Avoiding (or the inability) to speaking with a real girl can't be replaced by watching a video about girls. Not having a date for prom can't be replaced by chatting with strangers on Tumbler...

What if I told you that if a person faces a problem in life and decides to ignore the issue and move sideways, eventually they will walk in a circle and be bossed around for life? With or without technology. All this technology that is supposed to make our lives better is having a tremendously negative impact in the lives of millions of teenagers and young adults today. It is, in fact, handicapping them by discouraging them to face real life problems for the sake of technology.

By Luis Almeida

If you want to book Dr. Luis C. Almeida (a.k.a, Dr. A) as a keynote speaker or consultant, please visit his website and look for the contact page. Why complicate if you can simplify? Dr. A makes the complex easy -- Do it now!

Website --> https://luiscalmeida.info/