Travel and accommodation costs are on the rise and sending employees out of the office can end up being costly. However travel is a necessary business expense. In a bid to be more economical and for a business to increase productivity many are now considering video conferencing.
It’s a simple enough practice; video conferencing connects individuals in real time through audio and visual communication over broadband networks. This enables visual meetings and collaboration on digital documents and shared presentations.
With everyone having a smartphone (nearly), laptop, or tablet computer, video conferencing becomes much easier. Cameras are in abundant supply so a business would do well to utilize them to its advantage.
Video conferencing has many benefits to a business, its communication infrastructures, and its ability to free up conversation from one geographical location. Let’s consider some of the ways that video conferencing can be applied to a businesses advantage.
Increase Productivity
Many businesses have plenty of employees in transit, so for communicative reasons it pays to use video conferencing to keep in touch. Firstly video conferencing allows employees to meet at the same time regardless of place – and it saves money on travel.
It simplifies communication too and everyone can be on the same page at the same time. Instead of someone having to relay the information back (and retain it) everyone can be involved with a video conferencing call and get the information needed immediately.
It also saves time. This is a clear benefit of the video conferencing model and instead of individuals having to travel far for a short meeting they can simply utilize the internet and video conferencing to keep in touch. This means that the time that would’ve been spent traveling can instead be used for much more productive purposes.
Non-verbal cues are difficult for humans to understand and read correctly. An email can be mistaken or read out of context, whereas video conferencing provides the most natural digital communication aid. It provides users with the ability to maintain eye contact and for all intents and purposes have a ‘real’ conversation.
The quality of video conferencing
The pros and cons of video conferencing as a concept can be highlighted and promoted but video conferencing in application hinges on quality. In the past this practice had uneven clarity when it came to audio and video broadcasts. Now though the issues are less problematic but they do still plague low-end consumer systems.
Modern video conferencing systems are state-of-the art comparatively and most professional solutions will deliver excellent, reliable audio and video quality, making video conferencing a viable option for businesses.
Remote workers can be reached more readily
There are more and more remote workers in the contemporary workforce. Video conferencing means that they can be reached and communicated with effectively in person. This will foster more of a team-based ethos and allow internal and external workers to get along and increase productivity together.
For any business that has to work across multiple locations video conferencing can provide a tantalizing solution. It fosters a greater sense of community but in a practical sense it can reduce any confusion between departments and branches. There’s evidence to suggest that videoconferencing can improve employee engagement significantly
. Employees are then less likely to make a mistake or experience a misunderstanding – two huge productivity killers.
Interestingly, the better engagement and team spirit fostered by video conferencing solutions provides a business with more positive consequences than any sort of added privileges or workplace incentives.
Dr. Jim Harter (Gallup’s chief of workplace management and well-being) said:
“If you’re engaged, you know what’s expected of you at work, you feel connected to people you work with and you want to be there. You feel a part of something significant, so you’re more likely to want to be part of a solution, to be part of a bigger tribe.”
This clearly will have productivity benefits and will suit employees well to feel like, collectively, they’re pulling towards a greater goal. In fact the incoming workforce expects greater connectivity and video conferencing tools because they use them in their personal lives.
Video conferencing and its applications
Cloud-based services have made video-conferencing much easier. This is both in terms of deployment and accessibility for businesses of all sizes. However it’s important for a business to consider its internal culture and whether or not video conferencing solutions will benefit it.
Perhaps a good way for a business to start is by implementing video conferencing practices within one department with one function in mind. If it works and performs as desired then you can upscale and implement video conferencing throughout your business’ infrastructure.
The best thing to consider is that if video conferencing works successfully in one department then your employees will want that functionality across the enterprise. Video conferencing can greatly increase engagement, productivity, and save a business money that would otherwise have been spent on travel arrangements.
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William Thompson
William Thompson is the Marketing Manager at Power Admin, a server monitoring software business in the Kansas City area. You can find him on Google+ and Twitter. William has been a professional in website design, digital marketing and 3D/graphic design for over 20 years.