To understand how indispensable a phone system is to an office, just imagine the chaos that a slight problem to the phone system can cause—it is almost like one is rendered absolutely helpless with the link between oneself and all other stakeholders (be it staff, customers, partners or others) gets cut off. Importantly, it is not just the sense of frustration that is the problem; the disruption in communication due to a breakdown of the telephone system can have serious consequences on the top line and bottom line of a business.
Therefore, one should exercise extreme prudence in choosing the right phone system that is efficient, cost-effective and scalable to meet your current and future growth needs.
Like with most
office equipment, the sheer variety of the products that are flooding the market pose quite a challenge. A phone systems buyer has to strike the right balance between the “bells and whistles” and the must-have features to meet the operational needs of the business. Compatibility of the phone system that one intends to purchase with existing communication infrastructure in the office is a key consideration; as is the need for scalability between your current and (foreseeable) future business needs.
Main telephone systems
The choice of a telephone system needs to consider the number of present stations or extensions, the number of employees and the features that you need in your office. There are three primary types of office telephone systems: Key systems, Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and the KSU (Key Systems Unit)-less phone lines. Another option now is based on Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, which is increasingly gaining ground with the proliferation of the Internet. Unlike traditional phone systems, the VoIP system routes calls over the office data networks and thereby delivers substantial savings in costs. Which of these should one go for? Let’s understand the main systems briefly:
Most large offices find a PBX more suitable for their use. While their large sizes were an issue previous, the trend of miniaturization facilitated by advancements in office electronics has ensured that is no longer the case. Modern PBX systems tend to pack the same punch in much smaller sizes.
Price-wise, PBX systems are generally costlier than the other types of phone systems; however, the benefits offered by the former more than compensate the cost involved. Of course, as a buyer of phone systems for your business, one might be inclined to consider the absolute cost and compromise a bit on the features and flexibility accorded by a robust PBX system.
Small to medium sized offices with staff strength less than 40, the KSU phone system might be a viable option. Most of the KSUs come with all the standard features that an office executive might expect in a telephone system to work efficiently.
Then of course, there is an amalgam or hybrid phone system that blends the features of the PBX and the KSU systems.
For very small organizations, going in for a KSU-less system is recommended. Such a phone system is relatively inexpensive, while it delivers all the features of a standard phone system in a decentralized manner. These phones need not be permanently wired into your office thereby cutting down on infrastructure set up costs, that can be a huge boost for a small office.
Installation and maintenance costs
Once you have decided on the type of phone system you would like to purchase, the other problem is to identify the right vendor to supply and install the phone system for you. Improper installation can result in both tangible and intangible losses; therefore give due consideration to the capabilities and experience of the phone system vendor. Obtained detailed quotations from multiple vendors and review them; determine parameters such that you can get an "apples-to-apples" comparison.
A key factor in the comparison of quotations from different vendors is the service fees for installation and maintenance. Often the installation fees are almost as much as the cost of the phone system; therefore, it would be extremely prudent to study the vendor’s past implementations to ensure that they are in a position to deliver the service they claim to deliver.
QuotationJunction.com matches business buyers in the UK with high-quality vendors. Buyers can request for phone systems quotations for free and receive quotes from vendors that match the criteria specified by the buyer.
