10 Questions Every CEO Should Ask About Their UC Strategy

Why CEOs must lead the UC conversation

Today, where hybrid work is the new normal, Unified Communications (UC) has evolved from a stand-alone IT strategy to a CEO concern. As organisations want to be agile, collaborative, and connected globally, UC systems need to align workforce capabilities to business outcomes. Beyond operational efficiency, a good UC strategy can drive business growth, flexibility, and competitive advantage in a digital world.

From talking to our customers, we have identified 10 essential questions CEOs should ask to evaluate their UC strategy and ensure that the technology is aligned with their broader vision.

1. Does our UC strategy align with our broader digital transformation goals?

A good UC strategy represents one of the building blocks of digital transformation. It connects communication platforms with other business tools. Workflows will become smoother, customer experiences will be improved, and decision-making will be simplified.

For example, organisations leveraging platforms like Microsoft Teams or Cisco Webex can integrate them with Contact Center, CRM, or industry specific tools to create a unified digital ecosystem.

For a CEO, the UC strategy can’t be viewed in isolation but as an integral part of a wider technology environment

2. How does our UC support hybrid working and employee productivity?

Today’s workforce expects to be able to communicate and collaborate from anywhere, on any device, with the same look and feel. This is key to employee productivity, and increasingly recruitment and retention. CEOs must ensure that their UC strategy includes both modern workplace features like video conferencing, real-time messaging and file sharing; as well as analytics to track engagement, output and the return on investment.

3. Are we maximising the ROI of our current UC investments?

A good CFO will demand his CEO realises the full benefits of existing UC assets when assessing digital strategy and future investments. So, understanding both the operational and commercial performance of existing UC systems are equally important:

Are all features being used effectively? Are there redundancies in the tools employed across the organisation? Evaluating the metrics of their utilisation will show gaps in adoption and areas where ROI can be improved.

If the existing asset has not fully depreciated, needs minimal OpEx funding and still delivers, then perhaps an augmentation rather than replacement strategy would work best.

4. Do we really need all the features (and cost) of the latest, cutting-edge UC tools?

The temptation to go for the best-in-class tools in a digital transformation can be hard to resist, particularly for a CTO/IT manager who lives and breathes technology. In cloud UC these tools can have a myriad of features, from powerful data analytics to sophisticated security policies.

However, a CEO must balance the cost vs what the business needs (and will actually use!). A clear trend in the last two years is executives realising they oversubscribed in an understandable rush to access cloud capabilities. The Microsoft E5 license is a great example. E5 is an amazing tool, but unless you have advanced Security/Compliance needs or heavy data analytics, and the internal IT expertise to support it, then an ROI is tough to realise.

5. Does a full move to the Cloud really suit my business needs?

A dominant trend in UC is the mass adoption of Hybrid UC, a mix of On-Premise and Cloud tools. 3 years ago, analysts were convinced every business would be cloud-only but today it’s less than 25%.

For Small to Medium-Sized Businesses, full Cloud UC can eliminate the need for extensive on-prem hardware. It also easily scales to accommodate rapid growth and add new features as required.

For larger businesses it’s less clear-cut. For collaboration-intensive enterprises, or those with a mobile or remote workforce, the cloud is ideal for connecting and teamwork. If your communication needs are seasonal or would benefit from the ability to scale up or down as needed, then cloud UC adds a lot of value.

But then there are the caveats. Cloud does not provide the same control, security and reliability of legacy on-premise infrastructure. You will need to assess if the cloud UC solution integrates with your current non-UC business applications. Ask if your current network and connectivity support the needs of the cloud or is investment needed? Have I considered the need for some on-premise or dual-cloud UC for resiliency and regulatory compliance?

6. How is my UC impacting our customer experience and engagement

Increasingly a UC strategy isn’t just about internal efficiency, it plays a critical role in customer engagement, satisfaction, and retention. Customers expect fast, responsive, and omnichannel support, and a reliable UC environment that connects frontline, agents and experts can be crucial to support this process.

Ask yourself: Are customers able to reach support or sales teams easily through voice, chat, video, or social media? Are my UC tools helping employees collaborate efficiently to solve customer problems faster? Are there any issues with call clarity, dropped calls, or lag in video conferencing? Is our UC system integrated with my Contact Center and CRM tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) to provide agents with customer history and preferences?

7. Are employees adopting and effectively using the UC tools?

The best UC system is useless if employees don’t adopt and use it effectively. For older systems we need to know if it’s making collaboration easy and efficient, or causing frustration and silos. For newer UC tools we need to measure if employees are actively using all the features. If there are departments with lower adoption rates then we need to understand if it’s the tools, the processes or training needs that’s causing the issue. And then across all UC we need to assess the shadow IT risk, where employees bypass official UC tools and understand what’s causing them to seek alternative solutions.

8. Do I consolidate tools to reduce costs or integrate tools to keep functionality?

Many organisations grapple with “tool sprawl,” where multiple platforms create inefficiencies and increased costs. Many CEOs are exploring how consolidating to a single UC platform can streamline communication while cutting costs. This can make it easier to administrate via a unified portal and enable higher technology adoption rates with employees. The Cisco Webex suite or the Mitel UC/CX platform are good examples of this.

In parallel UC/IT vendors are getting better at integrating with complementary tools. This enables the retention of customised, feature-rich UC while also accessing new or specialist technology. Using one vendor for voice, another for collaboration, then integrating feature-specific add-on tools is a typical use case today. So, depending on what your existing infrastructure is, a wider portfolio of best-in-class technologies might give you the better return, and competitive edge.

9. How secure are our communications, and what protections are in place for data breaches?

With more hybrid work environments and an increasing reliance on cloud communications, proactive cybersecurity must be integrated into every UC strategy and must evolve with ever increasing threats. CEOs must ensure their UC platforms are not only secure today, but also able to withstand constant change to the threat landscape. Key considerations include encryption, multi-factor authentication, and vulnerability assessments on a regular basis to protect sensitive information.

Recent breaches and vendor failures have shown that while the latest security technology in cloud systems is advanced, it will always be a reactive toolset. So, as CEO a decision is needed on whether to invest in building internal, specialised resources, or to strategically work with a partner to regularly assess, remedy and prepare your security posture.

10. Is our UC strategy future proof and embracing emerging trends like AI-powered tools and automation?

As usual AI gets the last word!

AI and automation are changing the UC landscape. Features like AI-powered transcription, AI Agents, and sentiment analysis can improve collaboration and decision-making. UC systems, as the link between communication channels, as well as the collectors of vast amount of data, have become an early focus for Gen AI use cases and tools.

CEOs must ensure their strategy leverages these innovations to stay ahead. You don’t always need to be experts in Gen AI yet but need to understand now where you may gain (or lose) a competitive advantage in the future. You don’t necessarily have to invest heavily right now, and the costs are still relatively high; but when your market or customers demand it, you must have planned how to access, adopt, and scale when needed.

The CEO’s Role in UC Strategy

The CEO’s role in UC strategy isn’t just about technology; it’s about people, processes, and business growth. By asking the right questions, you can make sure that your communication systems are effective, flexible to future needs and providing a competitive advantage.