There are better ways to communicate besides email
Email is deeply ingrained in modern digital communications. An estimated 319 billion emails are sent and received daily across the globe, making this the most popular way to share files and information for many workplaces.
Emailing is straightforward and largely free, hence the popularity. But despite its widespread use, it has some serious drawbacks. For one, emails can be time wasters in the workplace. On average, employees spend up to 21 minutes of every working day just checking emails. Plus, emailing is not the most efficient or secure way to share information in a workplace.
This is because;
- Emails are vulnerable to cyberattacks
- Excessive emailing can cause information overload
- Emailing does not allow for two-way communication in real-time
- It takes time to check, read, and respond to an email
- Work and personal emails often get mixed up in the same inbox
Luckily, there are many better ways to communicate than using email. Below is a list of email alternatives purposely designed for modern workplaces:
Microsoft Teams
Teams is a cloud-based collaboration tool for virtual workplaces. You can get Teams as a standalone app or as part of a Microsoft 365 package. Teams is a much more versatile communications solution than email. The platform is based on two main concepts: teams and channels. A team is a collection of people, tools, and resources with common goals. A channel is a collaboration space within a team. Microsoft Teams packs several useful functions and features, such as:
- Virtual meeting
- Alerts, notifications, and activity feeds
- Audio and video conferencing
- Calling with Teams
- Workflow scheduling
- Usage reports
Slack
Slack is similar to Microsoft Teams in terms of usage, structuring, features, and functions. Premium Slack plans come in three tiers: Pro, Business+, and the Enterprise Grid with customized pricing for large organizations.
Like Teams, Slack features all the bells and whistles for virtual collaboration and communications, including video and audio conferencing, chat, screen and file sharing, and third-party apps integrations. Businesses may consider using Slack over Teams if they do not have the Microsoft 365 suite.
Monday.com
Monday.com is a cloud-based work operating system (Work OS) on which companies can create and run custom work management applications. The platform is primarily designed for project management, allowing easy coordination, collaboration, and transparency in team-based tasks.
Trello
Trello is a highly-visual collaborative work management platform. It’s based on Atlassian’s Kanban Project Boards, an agile project management tool for visualizing work progress from start to finish. Think of Trello as a whiteboard with listed sticky notes (cards and lists) representing workflow status.
VoIP
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) enables voice transmissions across IP-based networks. In other words, VoIP lets you make and receive calls over the internet or private intranet.
VoIP is the last word in unified communications, a solution that encompasses all communication needs under a single platform. A VoIP platform is a better communication solution than email. It provides safer and more convenient communications possibilities such as audio and visual conferencing, cheaper outgoing calls, and advanced security features. Look beyond email for better communications solutions for the workplace. KME Systems can help you find the proper communications framework for your business. Contact us to learn what makes a convenient, cost-efficient, practical communications solution.
