Pain points associated with multiple and poorly
integrated communications channels is
costing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) 40% of
productive time according to research by Siemens Enterprise
Communications (SEC).
The study of 513 organisations—ranging from very small firms of
1-20 employees to mid-size companies employing between 300 and 400
staff—in the USA, India, Russia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, France and
the UK found that
issues surrounding the
management of different communications systems that together were
not only seriously eroding employee productive time but also
compromising quality of customer interaction.
The top problem issues, cited by 70% of SMBs in the survey were
delays in receiving information from colleagues; receiving unwanted
communications; inefficient communications co-ordination between
staff; barriers to collaboration; time lost answering customer
complaints using different channels. These issues were combining to
deprive
SMBs of 17.5 hours’ productive time every week.
On average, said the survey, the annual financial cost of time
lost to these five issues was €20,572 (£17,383). It also estimated
that a 100-strong company is wasting the equivalent of €4140
(£3,498) for every employee and €414,000 (£349,830) every year by
not resolving these communication issues.
Analysing the results, Martin Northend, global head of SME
marketing, Siemens Enterprise Communications, said, “European
companies share a global problem – they’ve made heavy investments
in communications networks and devices without being able to
harness them for greater productivity. [SMBs] need to bring
disparate communications onto integrated platforms that support
rather than complicate staff operations, as so often happens
now.”