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As we’ve all discovered in recent times, two-way communication isn’t something we can take for granted. Especially not in the world of business – where there’s been less face-to-face interactions, but the requirement remains for colleagues and businesses to stay in touch throughout the working day. 

For chemical manufacturers, and other businesses, who operate within ATEX-designated zones, two-way communication isn’t as straightforward as an on-site worker picking up the phone to speak to somebody off-site. 

Mobile phones are off-limits, physical and virtual obstacles can limit coverage, and people are spread across vast space and multiple locations at once. Add into the mix the fact the sector taps into several supply chains, and all of a sudden, a simple-sounding solution becomes a real head-scratcher. 

That’s why today’s blog is all about how workers using intrinsically safe radios can still keep in touch with off-site colleagues and third-party suppliers, through a solution known as Telephone Interconnect. 

Telephone Interconnect 

Unified communication is vital for businesses operating in an ATEX environment. Without it, safety, productivity, and efficiency can suffer. 

This is where Telephone Interconnect comes into play. It’s a solution that allows digital radio users to contact mobile phone and landline devices outside of the parameters of their on-site surroundings. 

It’s a cost-effective alternative to mobile phones and other expensive telephony systems that would mean workers would have to stop their daily tasks to make a phone call. With Telephone Interconnect they can speak to head office staff and third-party supplies whilst on-site. 

Here's a quick overview of Telephone Interconnect’s benefits:

• Calls can be made from obscure locations (like underground facilities)

• Coverage is greater than a mobile phone as it’s using radio coverage

• Access to emergency channels in areas where mobile coverage wouldn’t be present

• Workers can be contacted anytime, anywhere

• Can help cut out the middle man when third party suppliers need to speak directly to on-site staff 

Never break the chain

Competition is healthy in chemical manufacturing, but to stay competitive, businesses must ensure production runs smoothy when it comes to supply chains. 

To put this into context, the world’s chemical industry is one of the largest interacting industries globally, as it supplies to several sectors – including automotive, agriculture, construction, nutrition and pharmaceuticals.

More than 20 million people are employed globally, with annual sales amounting to approximately $5 trillion. Without effective communication, production levels drop, and so do breathtaking statistics to paint a picture of how important the chemical industry is. 

If this doesn’t give you food for the thought, then a Mckinsey report - that states companies with advanced supplier-collaboration capabilities tend to outperform their peers – will.  

In the survey of 100 large organisations, those that regularly collaborated with suppliers demonstrated higher growth, lower operating costs, and greater profitability. This doesn’t hinge solely on being able to communicate without interruption, but it’s an important part of the puzzle. 

Customer-centric approach

The need for workers on-site to communicate with off-site colleagues and third-party suppliers, goes far beyond just having the capability to talk to each other. 

It forms a vital part of getting customer experience right. In a demanding industry, that lives in a high-pressure environment, you have to get the basics right to satisfy your customer base and your balance sheets. 

An EY white paper documents how to accelerate revenue growth in chemicals, with one of the key components of success being customer centricity – which focuses on: 

• Customer excellence and service

• Unparalleled experience through digitisation

• Cross-selling

For the decade that ended in 2019, organic growth for the industry was a real challenge. In 2021, the market size growth for organic basic chemical manufacturing has fallen 23.5%. 

And with customer centricity covering everything from the first phone call made to order fulfilment, it’s important that everyone is connected from a communication perspective. 

Without the right solution in place, new and repeat business can suffer, along with worker productivity. 

Internal affairs

From an internal perspective, you have to get the fundamentals right before you can execute a customer-centric approach. By this we mean, if your staff can’t communicate effectively and it has a negative impact on productivity, then the likelihood is, it will impact your customer-base too. 

Research conducted by Queens University suggests that 39% of employees worldwide say people in their organisation don’t collaborate enough. And from a financial perspective, it’s estimated that disengagement costs the UK between £52 billion and £70 billion per year in lost productivity.  

If your workers are disengaged, or productivity is lost, purely because they can’t communicate with each other, then you should consider implementing a cost-effective solution that could reap rewards in the future. 

Book a FREE Demonstration

If you would like to find out more about how Telephone Interconnect will transform your on-site and off-site capabilities, then book a FREE demonstration of our ultra-smart TRBOCALL system today.