Industry solutions
TELUS Unified Communications: Lessons learned...
...by Canadian
businesses.
How can I do it better?
A significant part of our focus at TELUS is to explore the fundamental business value that technology is driving for our clients, versus focusing solely on the underlying technology itself. As a result, we invested considerable effort over the past two years in compiling rich data on trends and directions in technology spending in Canada.
Through one study conducted by IDC Canada, TELUS has built a database of over 400 technology projects from companies and organizations across the country and has determined the top 5 areas of focus that are predictive of business value. 65 of the 400 projects studied were Unified Communications projects.
For more information on the components that are measured see the box on the right. 
The Results:
Canadian organizations that have embarked on Unified Communications projects have indicated that these projects:
- are strategically more important than other projects
- are more likely to leverage best practices to plan and deploy them than other projects.
Four best practices are statistically significant in delivering business value:
- Business and IT are aligned on the project
- The project includes a technology integration approach into business processes
- The project scope ensures consideration of external needs, including customers, suppliers and business partners
- An implementation plan that uses external resources to ensure success
Strategic alignment is important but does not ensure that expected outcomes are met.
- Outcomes between non-unified and unified communications projects were not remarkably different, which is in itself remarkable considering their strategic nature and focus on best practices
- 25% of Unified Communications projects did not meet functionality expectations, twice the average for all other projects
- The research has found 3 critical success factors for those projects that met or exceeded expected outcomes:
- The project was driven by business and strategic needs, not technology or communication needs
- The project focused on a solution with a broad audience - employees, customers, suppliers and business partners
- The project was initiated and executed with high performance levels
Summary:
On average, Unified Communications projects scored higher in all thirty of the best practices as compared to the other technology types.
Unified Communications projects, though strategic in nature, require a staged approach based on best practices in order to ensure that outcomes meet or exceed expectations.
Do you have a communications or IT project planned or underway? Would you like to know where you stand compared to your peers? Interested in what you can do differently tomorrow to ensure business value of your investment?
Complete your assessment today in just 20 minutes.
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How are Unified Communications projects measured?
The Business Value assessment rates projects on three components:
1) Use of Best Practices
Reviews thirty best practices that relate to business value
Indentifies how the project is defined and executed, and how the business and operating environment support the project
2) Strategic Nature of Project
Based on the business problem the project addresses, the project’s “customers”, and who initiated, funded and staffed the project
3) Outcomes of Project
Based on how well the project met its schedule, budget, business case, adoption, functionality plans and business value expectations
The TELUS Unified Communications Roadmap
To help businesses plan towards Unified Communications, TELUS has developed a roadmap.
Demo
See what's possible for your business with Unified Communications? View demos
Online Assessment
Assess the business value of your IT project and learn what you can do differently tomorrow to get the most from your investment. Complete your assessment today in just 20 minutes. link to BVIC