In a business landscape where disconnected workflows and outdated technology can silently drain resources, we sat down with Matilda Bailey, a leading networking specialist focused on next-generation solutions. With companies losing ground due to communication friction, she sheds light on how a strategic shift to the cloud is not just an IT upgrade but a fundamental business transformation. We explore the tangible costs of sticking with the status quo, from frustrated employees to duplicated spending, and discuss how modern platforms can realign teams, free up innovation, and build a more resilient, hybrid-ready workforce.
The article highlights how fragmented tools and legacy PBX systems create “disconnected workflows.” Could you share a specific anecdote of how this fragmentation negatively impacts a company’s bottom line and the steps a UCaaS platform takes to immediately resolve that kind of inefficiency?
Absolutely. I worked with a mid-sized company where the sales team was operating in what I can only describe as organized chaos. They used an old PBX for phone calls, a separate subscription for video conferencing, and another for team messaging. A salesperson would finish a client call, then have to manually log notes in one system, and if they needed to loop in a technical expert, they’d have to start a new conversation on a different app. This duplication of effort was infuriating for them and a real drag on personal productivity. When they moved to an integrated UCaaS platform, it was like a light switch flipped on. Suddenly, that client call, the file sharing, and the group chat with the technical team all happened in one continuous thread, within a single application. The immediate result was that they could handle more client interactions per day, which directly boosted their bottom line by reducing the time wasted toggling between disconnected tools.
You mention that with UCaaS, the cost burden shifts to the cloud provider, freeing up IT for “higher-value innovation projects.” Can you walk me through an example of how a company’s IT team repurposed its time and budget from maintaining old systems to driving new business value post-migration?
I have a great example of this. One IT department I advised was spending nearly half its time and resources just keeping a clunky, on-premises communications system alive. They had specialists dedicated to managing the old hardware, dealing with vendor support for patchwork integrations, and handling routine maintenance. It was a constant, reactive fire drill. After migrating to a UCaaS provider, that entire burden vanished. The provider handled the updates, security, and uptime. This freed up not just one or two people, but a significant portion of the team’s mental energy and budget. They were able to create a new “innovation pod” that started exploring how to leverage AI within their business processes, a project that had been on the back burner for years. They went from being system janitors to genuine strategic partners in the business.
The piece notes that measuring productivity gains from UCaaS can be difficult. For leaders building a business case, what are some of the most compelling and easily trackable metrics you recommend focusing on that demonstrate tangible ROI beyond the shift from Capex to Opex?
It’s true that saying “we’re 15% more productive” is a tough claim to prove. So, I always advise leaders to focus on the hard, undeniable numbers. First, look at cost consolidation. We often find that different departments are independently paying for their own communication tools. A UCaaS platform eliminates that duplicate spending across lines of business, and you can show a simple “before and after” of your software subscription bills. Second, budgeting becomes incredibly predictable. You move to a flat-rate, per-user licensing model, which gives you absolute cost certainty, unlike the surprise maintenance costs or metered usage charges that come with legacy systems. Finally, there’s the reduction in direct IT support costs. You can literally track the decrease in support tickets and staff hours previously dedicated to the old system. These are concrete savings that make a powerful business case, even before you factor in the softer, albeit critical, benefits of better teamwork.
You state that legacy tools are unable to support today’s hybrid work model. How does a UCaaS platform specifically address the communication challenges of a distributed workforce, and what are the top three features that directly improve teamwork between in-office and remote employees?
Legacy tools were designed with the assumption that everyone was in the same building, connected to the same internal network. They simply fall apart in a hybrid model. A UCaaS platform is built on the opposite principle: your location doesn’t matter. It provides a consistent, unified experience whether you’re at your desk, at home, or in a coffee shop.
If I had to pick the top three game-changing features, first would be the single, integrated interface. Having one application for voice, video, and text means remote employees aren’t treated like second-class citizens; they have the exact same toolset as their in-office colleagues. Second is the ability to seamlessly escalate communication. You can be in a text-based chat, realize you need a deeper conversation, and elevate it to a video call with a single click, bringing in others as needed. This fluidity is crucial for distributed teams. Third is the built-in, easy-to-use file sharing. It eliminates the version control nightmare of emailing documents back and forth, ensuring everyone is literally on the same page, regardless of where they are.
While UCaaS is a big step forward, the article says it won’t fully overcome all communication issues. Based on your experience, what cultural or procedural changes must a company make alongside the technology migration to truly minimize the cost of poor communication?
This is the most critical piece of the puzzle. You can give someone the best tools in the world, but if the company culture is broken, the tools won’t fix it. The technology is an enabler, not a magic wand. A successful migration requires a deliberate cultural shift, starting with a holistic view of communication from the top down. Leadership must champion new norms. For example, they need to establish clear guidelines on when to use chat versus email versus a video call to avoid digital fatigue. More importantly, they need to foster a culture of trust and transparency that encourages the open collaboration these platforms are designed for. Simply installing the software without addressing the human element—the choices employees make in how they interact—means you’re only solving half the problem. The strategy must be to modernize both the technology and the mindset.
What is your forecast for how these integrated platforms will evolve over the next five years?
I believe we’re on the cusp of a major leap forward, driven primarily by the deeper integration of AI. These platforms will become more than just tools for communication; they’ll become intelligent assistants for collaboration. Imagine a platform that automatically summarizes your meetings, assigns action items based on conversations, and suggests the best way to reach a colleague based on their status and calendar. The evolution will be away from users having to manage the platform and toward the platform proactively supporting the user’s workflow. As collaboration needs continue to change, the most successful UCaaS providers will be those whose platforms are agile enough to easily add these new, intelligent applications, making teamwork not just easier, but smarter.
