How Unified Communications Can Benefit the Arts Sector

Do Unified Communications Systems Foster Creativity and Greater Collaboration?

Businesses in the arts and creative industries thrive on ideas and collaborative working. 

However, many enterprises still struggle with ineffective communications, maintaining outdated technology that slows them down. 

The arts sector, known for its creative nature and collaborative spirit, often faces unique challenges when it comes to communication and collaboration.

From coordinating complex productions to managing diverse teams and audiences, effective communication is essential for the success of arts organisations.

With cloud-based tools rapidly overtaking legacy technology, enterprises in the arts would be wise to rid themselves of outdated business communications technology. Embracing instead Unified communications (UC) systems. 

By housing all methods of communication a modern enterprise needs in one application, those in the arts sector can benefit from a more streamlined way to converse – even across multiple departments, buildings or locations. Offering complete clarity for all involved. 

These methods include phone calls, email, instant messaging, video conferencing, digital collaborative platforms and more.

But what are the precise benefits creative enterprises can expect when using unified communications? 

At Elite Group, we’re experts in UC technologies and can offer reliable, trustworthy advice and managed UC platforms for businesses in the arts sector and beyond. Keep reading to learn more.

The Benefits Creative Businesses Can Expect When Onboarding Unified Communications

Impressive Security

For those in the arts sector, hacks and leaks can significantly impact the success of a ‘to-be-released’ product, such as a new album or piece of literature. With the intended audience having instant access to leaked material, many will fail to purchase or stream the piece legally, reducing earnings.

Outdated communications systems with unimpressive cybersecurity tools are easy targets for cybercriminals. However, unified communications systems help create a stronghold that keeps data secure at all times.

By utilising the latest encryption tools, which scramble data to all but those with the correct access key, businesses can help keep sensitive information away from hackers even if they are successful in their breach attempts. 

Sometimes, though, sensitive data can be stolen in other ways, such as phishing. 

With phishing, login data is stolen, or victims are duped into clicking a malicious link, by a criminal posing as someone from within the organisation. 

It’s not always easy to spot and, for creative enterprises that spread their communications across numerous platforms, it is easy for employees to miss key giveaways that could help them avoid falling for such a scam.

Because UC systems house all communications methods arts sector businesses need in a single platform, the chances of an employee spotting such a scam are improved. 

Not only that, but these employees can quickly identify whether or not the individual in question is genuine by checking whether they are a part of the same unified communications system.

With up to 88% of data breaches caused by human error, including phishing attempts, according to data from Stanford University, measures such as the above are becoming more and more of a necessity.

Not every business has an in-house cybersecurity expert, though, and may need some extra help to keep things secure. This is where UCaaS solutions are infinitely useful.

UCaaS (Unified Communications as a Service) solutions offer all the same advantages as unified communications systems, but are instead managed by third-party experts on behalf of the business. 

This third party also handles the security side, employing the latest protocols and techniques, as well as ensuring the application remains updated at all times. 

Streamlined Communications Services and Collaboration Between Locations

Creativity is bred through consistent collaboration and teamwork. However, when colleagues in the arts need to travel between different locations constantly, becoming separated several times over, sharing thoughts and pushing projects forward can be difficult. Unified communications systems eliminate this problem.

For instance, a theatre production moving between playhouses (e.g. The National Theatre) will need to communicate effectively at all times to coordinate rehearsals, manage administrative tasks, keep track of costumes, equipment and more.

Without a central, company-wide communications tool, this messaging can be scattered across numerous messaging tools, which increases the chances of missed messaging.

But with a unified communications platform, travelling theatre companies can streamline theatre production processes, encourage flexibility, and coordinate effectively with staff (including freelancers) at all levels of the production.

This not only makes it a great choice for creative arts companies travelling between locations, but also for creative companies keen to encourage remote and hybrid working. 

Creative companies offering effective remote working opportunities are also likely to attract a wider pool of talent – extending the reach and possibilities of creative projects. 

Rather than spending on external project management software and collaboration tools every month, raising costs and widening the scope of potential security breaches, companies in the arts sector can allow employees to manage projects entirely within the unified communications platform. 

With these tools, workers can share ideas, update files, create fully-digital shared working environments and collaborate effectively, while everyone involved has full clarity on file versions, timelines and deadlines – no matter where they’re based in the world.

Greater Collaboration

Depending on the size of any given production, it may be necessary to remain in consistent contact and collaborate with large teams of artists, technicians and administrators.

This can be problematic when establishments that house major arts productions, such as an opera house, not only need to uphold consistent internal communications with full-time staff but also need to communicate effectively with visiting production staff, artists and similar team members essential to the production.

With everyone utilising separate communication methods, essential messaging can feel intermittent, with important or immediate updates being missed.

However, by onboarding both internal staff and visiting production staff onto the same UC system, establishments such as these can enjoy more streamlined communications and greater collaboration across departments, while also raising efficiency and saving time.

Improved Customer Experience

According to Elite Group research, 7% of large businesses are still using 6 or more separate methods of communication unnecessarily.

When it comes to single-location entities in the arts sector (for example, a museum or an art gallery) that are home to hundreds or thousands of customers a day, it can be a real struggle to manage a large and diverse visitor base without a single shared communications system.

Without set pre-determined methods of contact between staff and departments within the building, serving visitors as effectively as possible becomes a far greater challenge than it needs to be, with slowed response times and a lack of clear, concise information.

But by deploying a unified communications system, museum and gallery staff can better serve visitors by communicating with specific staff members wherever they happen to be based, accessing information that may be essential for certain visitors (such as those with disabilities or dietary requirements), and facilitate collaboration with external partners quickly and easily.

By keeping visitors satisfied and presenting a smooth-running operation, these establishments raise their chances of returning business and new visitors thanks to positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Choose Elite Group to Onboard Enterprise Communication Tools for the Arts

Do UC solutions sound like they could be a game-changer for your company’s efforts? 

If so, Elite Group is here for you. 

With decades of combined experience in business applications and UC tools, and a plethora of industry-standard accreditations across our entire team, we are the best people to speak to about onboarding unified communications.

With Elite Group, you’ll be assigned a dedicated account manager who will oversee the entire installation process and beyond, helping you fully utilise your new communications system and traverse any speedbumps you run into early on. 

With round-the-clock technical support available, you’ll always have the answers you need, so your team can get on with its essential work.

To find out more about how unified communications can be a game-changer for those in the arts and creative industries, speak to an Elite Group expert today.