What to ask your cloud communications supplier?
Business telephone systems are becoming increasingly dependent upon the cloud technology used by your supplier. Therefore, when selecting the company which installs and supports your businesses telephone system moving forward, it is vital that you consider the service level agreement, disaster recovery plan and security of the cloud communications technology they use for your business.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the key questions you should be asking any supplier when they are pitching to you. These same questions can also be brought to your existing supplier to ensure that you’re not caught out in the future. Either way, these simple questions could save your business a small fortune in the future as well as ensure you’re able to provide the level of communication your team and customers demand daily.
Experience with Cloud Communication Technology
Before you begin to ask technical questions regarding the suppliers cloud communication technology, you must firstly outline whether they have a good level of experience with it. After all, you wouldn’t want to play the role of ‘guinea pig’ for an inexperienced supplier.
When asking this question ensure that they outline their experience with specific forms of cloud communication technology and both the installation and support of such technology. Unless they have rounded experience, you could find that the quality of service varies dramatically over time.
Service-level Agreement
It is the service-level agreement that protects your business in both the short and long term. Without a valid and comprehensive service-level agreement you may find yourself receiving poor service during the installation period or when receiving support thereafter.
When reviewing their SLA you must ensure that it makes assurances on performance within your region, the level of ongoing support you will receive and the availability of their support team should you ever require it. It is also preferable that the service-level agreement outlines the time it will take for any support enquiry to be responded to and resolved.
During and Following a Disaster
It is during and after a disaster that your supplier and your business will be tested most. Therefore, it is vital that any supplier pitching to you outlines how they will respond to a disaster and what, if anything, will be done after.
Firstly, they should outline the structural approach they take to any issues and how their resources are focused on resolving those issues for your business. Secondly, they should outline the way in which they will learn from that disaster to avoid a repetition in the future.
Security
Whenever your communication system is at risk it puts both your business and its customers in danger. Therefore, to avoid such an issue arising in the future you must take a stringent approach to security and this often falls back on your supplier.
You supplier should be able to assure you of a robust approach to security and outline the technology they use to protect the network used by your business, data transferred through that network and any applications they may introduce to your business.
Level of Integration
Integration is now an essential consideration when choosing your business telephone system. Whilst the level of integration may range, although all of this integration should allow your team to switch over to the new system seamlessly.
Further considerations should include whether the system works with your chosen CRM, whether that be Salesforce or ZohoCRM. Whilst this isn’t essential, it will increase productivity moving forward and avoid the need to transfer large quantities of data.
Finding the Right Provider
It is only once you’ve received competent answers to each of these questions that you’re able to outline the right business telephone system supplier for your business.
Opus Telecoms, a leading provider of business telephone systems, provide both the installation and ongoing maintenance of your businesses communication system. This ensures that your business and its customers have seamless communication all year round, which is an essential element to any businesses retention of customers.
Click here to find out more about the Phone System Maintenance that Opus Telecoms can provide, or call our UK based team on 020 8545 8200.
