Lately, it seems like the only thing we can rely on within the UC world is constant change.
As new technology is created and deployed, the landscape of Unified Communications shifts with it.
Communication is more than just speaking to someone in person or picking up the phone to call them. Each day, UC providers discover new and better ways to strengthen connection, collaboration, and community.
It’s important to follow up with support content needed to adopt those very discoveries. Without it, updated features and new roll-outs may lag in adoption or get missed entirely, causing major challenges down the road.
The good news? You can learn how to keep your support content up to date in a world of seemingly constant technology change with the help of managed support content.
A Constantly Changing UC Technology
In 2019 and so far in 2020, we’ve seen major changes to UC products. Some of the most notable shifts include:
- Adoption of cloud platforms was a major trend of 2019, even among larger enterprises. While cloud products are not necessarily new, the adoption of their features is making a big difference within the industry.
- There has been a growing popularity of chat-based platforms in 2020, utilizing automated systems, AI, and human support.
- In 2020 we have seen a major shift to remote work and the WFH model as the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped businesses and organizations worldwide.
Why Updated Support Content is Important
While it may be a pain in the neck to develop and distribute updated support content following every tech update, it’s crucial for both you as the UC provider and the end-users engaging with the systems every day for these reasons:
Updated content reflects new changes.
You could send out an email introducing new features and hope everyone will “get it,” but there’s no assurance behind that. Help your users get a good grasp on the technology updates so they can see it as an advantage rather than a hurdle to overcome.
Updated content reflects corrections and improvements.
No matter how carefully you check your training materials, there’s always a chance a few errors will slip by. Over time, there will also be information that becomes out of date. We’re always learning as we go, so why settle on a training program you created years ago when you have so much more to offer?
Updated content allows room for growth.
Your organizational identity may shift as you scale. Don’t hold it back with training material that doesn’t reflect where you’re currently at. It could be something as simple as swapping out the logo or as extensive as reframing the training around new values.
Stress and Downfalls of Constant Updating
When you introduce innovations into your systems and must constantly update your users on relevant changes, it’s easy to feel burdened by the extra stress and expectations. As organizations are faced with constant updating, they encounter three major struggles:
- Budget restraints – Meager training budgets can make it hard to afford regular updates, which leaves many organizations to rely on old materials or outdated systems.
- Lack of an in-person administrator – Without an administrator to address questions and concerns, it becomes a major task to roll out new software updates and foster speedy product adoption. You may end up with users who missed the memo or ignored the content you sent out.
- Lack of central learning system – When companies don’t have a central learning system to house their content and serve as the hub for all support content, constant updates can feel all over the place.
Benefit of Managed Training Content
Up-to-date support content can feel like an unreachable goal. There’s no arguing that it becomes difficult to properly distribute user-wide support updates again and again. However, with managed training content, what was once a stressful, constant cycle, becomes an easy-to-use, comprehensive solution for updated support content for years to come.
Smart-Lynk is the perfect example.
Smart-Lynk is B-Lynk’s managed service solution that provides ongoing content maintenance, monthly reporting, and all help and support content through one central website. It addresses many of the disadvantages of a constantly updated UC landscape:
- Controlled cost of content development – Don’t let a tight budget exclude your users from the training they need to help themselves. B-Lynk’s team of web developers, video experts and digital designers can do that for you.
- A home for all resources and documents – Keep things cohesive and comprehensive with a custom website and knowledge base focused on your product and all the technology updates that come along with it.
Updated Support Content with Smart-Lynk Managed Solution
It’s amazing how quickly technology can change everything in the UC world. Organizations can easily get lost in the shuffle without the proper systems in place to distribute and manage relevant support content.
Smart-Lynk, B-Lynk’s managed training and content solution, can help businesses that are straining to stay current with their training. Through a fully customized support site and a knowledge base centered around your product, our Smart-Lynk solution enables your customers to serve and educate themselves without needing to contact your customer support.
Learn more about how Smart-Lynk can help you elevate your end-user’s experience and keep your support content updated.