Choosing the Right System for your company… some basics.
We try to make selecting your next communications system a pleasant experience!
Please consider the following questions which you need to address before
making your decision and choosing a new system.
- How many telephones do you
need to operate efficiently and effectively?
Remember to include all employees plus any common areas such as conference
rooms that will need telephones.
How many incoming lines and extensions will you need in the future,
and do you foresee any changes to your business, like growth, move, or merger?
Save yourself money in the long run by anticipating your future needs. Most of
the time it will cost less to expand an existing system than to buy a new one.
- How many telephone lines do you currently
use and what type are they: Central Office, DID, Centrex, OPX, T-1, T-1
PRI?
The number of lines you need varies from business to business.
According to one study, the typical office-based business should buy three
lines for every four or five people. A retail store, on the other hand,
might need only a few lines for 30 employees.
- Planning ahead is crucial.
Most consultants agree that companies should
buy a phone system that can expand by at least 50% and last three to five
years.
- Remember, a phone system is something that you will have
in your office for a long time
A good rule of thumb is to think optimistically
when figuring out the number of extensions needed in your office in terms
of the size of your company in the near future.
- How much do you spend on
your monthly telecommunication bills, both voice and data?
ACD can help you save up to 40% by conducting an audit of costs
and analyzing your phone bills.
- What other options (e.g., music on hold, external paging, special
ringing devices, headsets, etc.) do you want?
Having additional features can add value to your phone system.
- Do you want voice mail?
For most people, the answer is yes. Voice mail is a valuable tool that
most, if not all, businesses cannot afford to be without.
- Do you have or foresee
to add any satellite offices or home offices?
When you have satellite offices and/or home offices, phone systems can
be networked and therefore providing a unified appearance to your callers.
- Do
you require an auto attendant answer all of your incoming calls?
Auto attendant can be an extremely useful tool to provide direct station
dialing, directory information, and night and off-hours call coverage.
- Do you use or need any cordless and wireless phones?
Using cordless and wireless phones give you the freedom you need to move around
the office and still stay in touch with callers.
- How
do computers integrate with your telecommunication system?
Another feature, computer telephony integration, lets your phone and PC
work together with popular contact management software such as ACT!, Microsoft
Outlook and GoldMine to provide "screen pop-ups" of customer
information. For instance, when a customer calls, his or her company information
would automatically appear on your computer screen.
