Modernize Communications and Collaboration Infrastructure
We don’t need to sell you on UC&C.
- Organizations are losing productivity from managing the limitations of yesterday’s technology. The business is changing and the current communications solution no longer adequately connects end users.
- Old communications technology, including legacy telephony systems, disjointed messaging and communication or collaboration mediums, and unintuitive video conferencing, deteriorates the ability of users to work together in a productive manner.
- You need a solution that meets budgetary requirements and improves internal and external communication, productivity, and the ability to work together.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Project scope and assessment will take more time than you initially anticipate. Poorly defined technical requirements can result in failure to meet the needs of the business. Defining project scope and assessing the existing solution is 60% of project time. Being thorough here will make the difference moving forward.
- Even when the project is about modernizing technology, it’s not really about the technology. The requirements of your people and the processes you want to maintain or reform should be the influential factors in your decisions on technology.
- Gaining business buy-in can be difficult for projects that the business doesn’t equate with directly driving revenue. Ensure your IT team communicates with the business throughout the process and establishes business requirements. Framing conversations in a “business first, IT second” way is crucial to speaking in a language the business will understand.
Impact and Result
- Define a comprehensive set of requirements (across people, process, and technology) at the start of the project. Communication solutions are long-term commitments and mistakes in planning will be amplified during implementation.
- Analyze the pros and cons of each deployment option and identify a communications solution that balances your budget and communications objectives and requirements.
- Create an effective RFP by outlining your specific business and technical needs and goals.
- Make the case for your communications infrastructure modernization project and be prepared to support it.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
9.0/10
Overall Impact
$12,999
Average $ Saved
20
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
Columbia Mutual Insurance Company
Guided Implementation
9/10
$12,999
20
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
It confirmed the direction that we were headed in for telephony was in line with what other organizations were doing.
Legend Pictures, LLC
Guided Implementation
10/10
$61,999
50
I don't have any negative feedback on Thomas. HE was extremely helpful and i would love to work with him again.
Allegis
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
2
Best part was Tom engaged immediately on the relavent topics and quickly understood our situation which was supported by sharing very useful docume... Read More
Plumbing Distributors
Guided Implementation
10/10
$129K
2
Scientific Design Company, inc.
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
50
Victoriaville & co.
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
5
Best part : Very knowledgable and friendly advisor. Worst part : Not finding on the website what I needed.
Camosun College
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
M. A. Mortenson Company
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
20
A lot of very good content. Sharing personal and professional experience and perspectives was helpful. Documentation supplements are great, thoug... Read More
Denver Botanic Gardens
Guided Implementation
7/10
$11,460
5
Best: Jeremy's deep knowledge of communication toolsets, and implementation experience with multiple organizations. Worst: Listening for our uni... Read More
City Of Whitehorse
Workshop
9/10
N/A
N/A
Workshop: Modernize Communications and Collaboration Infrastructure
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Assess the Communications Infrastructure
The Purpose
- Identify pain points.
- Build a skills inventory.
- Define and rationalize template configuration needs.
- Define standard service requests and map workflow.
- Discuss/examine site type(s) and existing technology.
- Determine network state and readiness.
Key Benefits Achieved
- IT skills & process understanding.
- Documentation reflecting communications infrastructure.
- Reviewed network readiness.
- Completed current state analysis.
Activities
Outputs
Build a skills inventory.
- Clearly documented understanding of available skills
Document move, add, change, delete (MACD) processes.
- Documented process maps
List relevant communications and collaboration technologies.
- Complete list of relevant communications and collaboration technologies
Review network readiness checklist.
- Completed readiness checklist
Module 2: Learn and Evaluate Options to Define the Future
The Purpose
- Hold focus group meeting.
- Define business needs and goals.
- Define solution options.
- Evaluate options.
- Discuss business value and readiness for each option.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Completed value and readiness assessment.
- Current targets for service and deployment models.
Activities
Outputs
Conduct internal focus group.
- Understanding of user needs, wants, and satisfaction with current solution
Align business needs and goals.
- Assessment of business needs and goals
Evaluate deployment options.
- Understanding of potential future-state solution options
Module 3: Identify and Close the Gaps
The Purpose
- Identify gaps.
- Examine and evaluate ways to remedy gaps.
- Determine specific business requirements and introduce draft of business requirements document.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Completed description of future state.
- Identification of gaps.
- Identification of key business requirements.
Activities
Outputs
Identify gaps and brainstorm gap remedies.
- Well-defined gaps and remedies
Complete business requirements document.
- List of specific business requirements
Module 4: Build the Roadmap
The Purpose
- Introduce Unified Communications Solution RFP Template.
- Develop statement of work (SOW).
- Document technical requirements.
- Complete cost-benefit analysis.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Unified Communications RFP.
- Documented technical requirements.
Activities
Outputs
Draft RFP (SOW, tech requirements, etc.).
- Ready to release RFP
Conduct cost-benefit analysis.
- Completed cost-benefit analysis
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 7 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Assess communications infrastructure
- Call 1: Gain a notional picture of your tech debt. Determine methodology and goals for a deeper assessment.
- Call 2: Check in with analyst on progress. Brainstorm solutions to any current or upcoming obstacles.
Guided Implementation 2: Define the target state
- Call 1: Discuss and gain a clear picture of business needs and goals for documenting purposes.
- Call 2: Gain a working knowledge of the deployment model options available and how they relate to your business.
- Call 3: High-level gap analysis between current and future state; make plan to gather data for TCO/ROI.
Guided Implementation 3: Advance the project
- Call 1: Gain expert insight from Info-Tech analysts on how to approach and draft your RFP. Leverage Info-Tech as a sounding board and ensure your RFP misses nothing critical to obtain a successful response.
- Call 2: Ready to take this project to upper management? Let our analysts give you experienced and objective insight on how to present the case for modernization.
Contributors
- Aly Kara, Project Manager
- Andre Czarnecki, Voice Technologies Architect, TD Bank Group
- Andrew Prokop, Director of Vertical Industries at Arrow SI
- Brendan Ziolo, Head of Large Enterprise Technology, Alcatel-Lucent
- Derrick Wlodarz, President and Founder, FireLogic
- Michelle Demarest, Professional Technology Project Manager, TD Bank Group
- Richard Roye, IT Specialist/Consultant, TD Bank Group
- Tony Vassallo, IM/IT/ICT Executive Consultant / Project Manager, APV Tech
- 4 anonymous contributors
Establish a Communication and Collaboration System Strategy
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Modernize Communications and Collaboration Infrastructure
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Assess Your Readiness to Implement UCaaS