Businesses often have a global infrastructure. This requires vast numbers of employees to be spread across the world. Extension countries need offices.

With this, they also need branch members to manage their consumer base, distribution and helplines. The net of commerce is vast, but it has drawbacks. It requires extensive travel to conduct meetings or the delay of awaiting electronic responses. This wastes valuable time, lowering employee morale and creating an unintentional divide between local and overseas branches. This means distinct, often uncommunicative bubbles of workers that hinder productivity and slash profits.

5 Ways Video Conferencing

Being able to communicate directly with team members has always been a vital component of company growth. So, in this article, we’ll delve into 5 ways video conferencing brings teams together and boost productivity for any business.

Easy Information Exchange

There’s nothing worse than staring at your inbox, waiting for marketing to see your email on last quarter’s sales. Delays like these can stifle profits, waste manpower and inevitably, lead to lost revenue. Scheduled meetings via video conferencing allow teams to hear about department goals and the current tasks assigned to other parts of the team. They also help teams understand what is expected of them both individually and as a whole.

You can share data with everyone simultaneously. The team can give direct feedback on the objectives assigned. This optimizes information exchange between departments and potentially allows the incorporation of feedback into a business model. This can improve the product and increase profits.

Anytime, Anywhere, No Travel!

Bring all of your team to one place, without filling up the room! Whether you’re working from home, away on other business or based abroad, video conferencing allows any team member to communicate with other employees with ease. Simply set up a time, with digital meeting rooms at your fingertips. This way, you can eliminate the lost time and unnecessary travel of calling your team to the office every week.

In addition, coworkers currently away on business can still join a meeting, so long as they have internet access. Video conferences can be called anywhere, at any time they’re required. They don’t even require desktop computers; many smart devices, tablets and phones can join calls with audio and video streams. Even premium subscriptions are usually incredibly cheap compared to travel expenses, making it more financially viable.

“Plane tickets and vehicle hire can be considered an old expense. With video conferencing, an employee can join a meeting from their home, the coffee shop or their own car. This is without a need for expensive travel costs and time wasted in transit. It’s truly a game-changer for expenditure accounts!” says Holly Lawrence, a business journalist at Phdkingdom.

Features to Consider

Screen and file sharing

Broadcast a file, graph or sales summary you’re viewing to everyone in the call at once. This allows an instant visual representation of what you all need to discuss. This engages your employees and can improve cross-departmental understanding and cooperation. In addition, you can make files available on third-party sharing apps such as Dropbox and Google Docs. All this allows fast and effective dispersal of important information.

Chat

Most video conferencing platforms have an associated chat function. This allows participants to send messages rather than speak. This can be beneficial for a record of what was discussed. Or it can allow the meeting holder to speak uninterrupted while still allowing colleagues to ask questions and give feedback. This maintains sharp focus and increases productivity. It can also double as a chat log if the session is recorded.

Recorded minutes

Even with the availability of technology and the internet, not everyone will make it to every meeting. This could be due to time zone discrepancies, or flights or family emergencies. So, making use of the ability to record meetings can streamline catching up when they get back. It effectively removes the necessity of having someone take minutes. You can also distribute this to the necessary parties or simply kept on file for future reference. This allows others to experience the meeting as if present, hours or months after it occurred.

Project, time management and productivity tools

Links to shared scheduling and project management tools can be observed and queried by all parties present. This allows all departments and branches to feel included in the planning process and their opinion valued. A team can see what their own objectives are and others, communicate with those they need to work alongside without difficulty and update their progress, all in real-time and without delay.

Goal Setting and the Work-Life Balance

Especially with the rise in remote working, you’ll want to make sure everyone on staff is focused on the most prudent tasks. Using video conferencing, you can spend time setting goals that work towards project milestones. This encourages productivity, as it keeps a team focused and gives a sense of accomplishment when fellow team members meet and surpass these goals.

In addition to this, employees are more likely to reach goals if they feel valued and able to take time for themselves. Encouraging a recurring “clock-off” and “clock-on” schedule allows staff to switch off and recharge. This sets a precedent that while you appreciate their work, their wellbeing is just as important.

“Goals drive productivity, but clear expectations bring teams together. Encouraging employees to take time for themselves — especially if their work is at home — boost productivity, lowers the risk of becoming overworked and shows you value them as a person, not just as an employee,” states John Murroway, a writer for Originwritings.

Get More out of Video Conferencing

Where life is fast-paced and work can encapsulate our lives, it can be revitalizing to take a breather and talk to our loved ones. Seeing the faces of friends and family members can boost our mood, while the conversation can bring us joy and laughter. Video conferencing makes quick drop-ins with your parents or watching a show with your friends easier than ever before.

Still, required to travel for work? During long, tiring transit is a great time to refresh and call up a loved one and check-in, both informing them of your location and safety while allowing them to share their own recent experiences. Chatting with friends and family like they’re there with you on the train can make a journey go by faster.

All it takes is the touch of a button and a smile.