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AI in 2026: Five Practical Predictions for Small Businesses

Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:44:32 +0000

AI predictions have a habit of going one of two ways. Either they promise that everything is about to change overnight, or they are so vague that almost anything can count as being right.

The reality in 2026 is a little more useful.

A recent Wise article highlighted five major themes for the year: AI agents, businesses creating more tailored AI systems, measurable returns from specific types of work, AI becoming embedded into existing software, and the continued importance of human oversight. Six months into the year, there is already plenty of evidence to test those ideas against.

For small businesses, the important question is not whether every prediction comes true. It is where AI can genuinely save time, improve a process or remove repetitive work without creating a bigger problem somewhere else.

Here is our view.

1. AI agents will start doing jobs, not just answering questions

Most people first experienced generative AI as a chatbot: ask a question, get an answer.

Agents go a step further. Instead of simply telling you what to do, an agent can potentially complete a sequence of steps across different systems. That could mean reading a support request, checking the customer record, looking up an order, applying a company policy and preparing or carrying out an approved action.

That is no longer just a future concept. Google and OpenAI now offer enterprise systems specifically designed around agents that connect to company tools, follow permissions and operate across multi-step workflows. Gartner forecasts that up to 40% of enterprise applications will contain task-specific agents by the end of 2026, compared with less than 5% when it made the forecast in 2025.

But there is an important reality check. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index found that actual agent deployment was still in the single digits across nearly all business functions during 2025.

So yes, agents are coming. No, you probably do not need an army of digital employees next Tuesday.

For SMEs, the best starting point is one well-defined process with a clear outcome and clear limits.

AI agents can take on routine tasks across email, CRM, scheduling and documents, helping teams focus on higher-value work.

2. The most useful AI will disappear into the software you already use

The biggest AI change may be the one you notice least.

Deloitte predicts that daily use of generative AI inside search engines will be three times more common than use of standalone GenAI tools in 2026 and beyond. More broadly, it expects much of AI’s growth to come through features added to software people already use.

That makes sense for a business.

Opening another AI website, copying information into it and then copying the result back into your CRM is not much of an automation. The bigger opportunity is AI working directly inside your email, CRM, finance system, help desk or document workflow.

For an SME, that could look like an incoming enquiry being classified automatically, a CRM record being updated, a draft response being prepared and the right colleague being asked for approval.

The AI itself becomes less interesting. The workflow becomes more important.

Rather than living in separate tools, AI will become embedded across everyday workflows, quietly assisting with tasks, insights and communication.

3. AI value will be found in boring, measurable work

This might be the least exciting prediction, but probably the most useful.

Stanford’s review of productivity research found some of the largest gains in structured, measurable tasks, including customer support, software development and marketing output. OpenAI’s own enterprise research similarly reports substantial numbers of users seeing faster marketing execution and IT issue resolution.

That points SMEs towards a simple rule: look for work that happens frequently, consumes measurable time and has an output you can check.

Good candidates might include first drafts of routine content, customer-service triage, meeting or document summaries, data classification, recurring reports, information retrieval, invoice processing or preparing information before a human makes a decision.

That does not mean every process should use AI. If a conventional workflow or automation rule can do the job more reliably and cheaply, use that instead.

AI should solve a problem, not become the problem.

The most valuable AI will connect directly with the systems businesses already use, bringing together data from CRM, finance, support and operations.

4. You may need your own AI workflow, but not your own AI model

Wise suggests businesses should consider building their own AI tools rather than relying entirely on generic products. The underlying point is sound, but for an SME we would interpret it differently.

Building your own AI does not have to mean training a giant model.

In many cases, the more practical approach is to use an established model while building your own business logic around it: your data sources, CRM records, approval rules, permissions, integrations and processes.

Current enterprise AI platforms are moving in exactly this direction. Google, for example, now supports multiple first-party and third-party models inside one agent platform, alongside orchestration, identity, security and evaluation tools.

That is useful because the “best” model will keep changing. Stanford reports that leading models are increasingly close on headline performance, shifting more of the practical decision towards reliability, cost and performance for a particular domain.

For most SMEs, your competitive advantage is unlikely to be the underlying language model. It is much more likely to be how well AI understands and fits your business process.

Businesses will increasingly judge AI by the results it delivers, from time saved and lower costs to better productivity and decision-making.

5. Human oversight becomes more important as AI gets more capable

The more an AI system can do, the more important its boundaries become.

An AI writing a first draft presents a very different level of risk from an AI that can modify a customer account, trigger a payment, send an external message or access confidential business data.

The UK government’s voluntary AI cyber security code calls for defined business requirements, security risk assessment, staff training, audit trails, controlled permissions, testing and human responsibility. EU requirements also impose human-oversight duties in specified high-risk uses.

This is why “human in the loop” needs to mean more than somebody glancing at an answer.

A sensible AI workflow should make it clear what the AI can access, what it is allowed to do automatically, what requires approval, what gets logged and when a person must take over.

That becomes particularly important around money, personal information, contractual commitments, security and regulated decisions.

As AI becomes more autonomous, human review, approval and oversight will remain essential for important decisions and actions.

What should small businesses do now?

Start with the process, not the AI product.

Find a repetitive task that genuinely costs the business time. Decide what a successful outcome would look like and how you will measure it. Work out what information the AI needs, what systems it needs access to and where a human approval step belongs.

Then run a controlled pilot.

If the result saves meaningful time without introducing unacceptable errors, security problems or additional administration, expand it. If it does not, stop.

That may sound less exciting than announcing an “AI transformation programme”, but it is much more likely to produce something useful. The available evidence increasingly suggests that organisational readiness, integration and workflow design matter at least as much as having access to a capable model.

Final thoughts

Wise is right about the overall direction: AI is moving deeper into everyday business processes, agents are becoming more capable, and people will increasingly supervise AI rather than simply ask it questions.

But for small businesses, 2026 does not need to be about chasing every new AI launch.

The opportunity is simpler: identify work that should take less time, connect the right technology to the right process, and keep sensible controls around it.

After all, the smartest use of AI is the one that genuinely makes your work, less work.

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A Day in the Life of an Operations Director

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:40:00 +0000

Holding a Growing Business Together (Before)

At 7:42am, Sam opens the laptop as the office begins to stir. The systems wake up quietly. Dashboards load. Inboxes refresh. Notifications arrive in quick succession. Sam takes a sip of coffee while scanning the overnight updates, already aware that the day will move faster than the information does. There are processes in place. There are systems for nearly everything. Yet the picture they create together is incomplete.

The first decision arrives before the morning meeting. A client escalation has been flagged overnight. Sam opens the CRM, then the service desk, then a shared document linked in an email. Each tells part of the story. Timelines do not quite align. Notes are missing context. The business needs an answer now, not later, so Sam makes the call based on experience and judgement. It is not guesswork. It is simply the best decision possible with what is visible.

By mid-morning, questions begin flowing in from different teams. Has that approval gone through. Are we still on track for delivery. Who owns the next step. Sam opens tabs almost instinctively. CRM. Project management. Email. A spreadsheet maintained carefully by one team because it fills gaps nothing else quite covers. The answers are there, scattered across systems that were never designed to work together. Sam replies with confidence, even when that confidence is supported by cross-checking rather than clarity.

Meetings follow. Good ones. Productive ones. Yet they circle the same issues. Visibility. Ownership. Handovers. Everyone is working hard. No one doubts that. The problem is not effort. It is friction. Small delays compound into uncertainty. Decisions slow as people wait for confirmation that should already exist.

Lunch happens between conversations. Sam approves invoices while responding to messages. Tasks are forwarded with notes asking for updates. People do their best to interpret what is needed. The organisation runs on professionalism and goodwill, supported by systems that require constant interpretation.

In the early afternoon, a customer raises a concern. Nothing dramatic. Just confusion. They were told one thing last week and are seeing another today. Sam listens, reassures, and promises to investigate. When the call ends, Sam already knows what will be found. No single error. No clear fault. Just multiple systems, each accurate in isolation, failing to present a single truth.

As the day moves on, planned work gives way to operational maintenance. Reports are assembled manually. Numbers are reconciled. Access needs adjusting for a role change that happened days ago. Sam stays focused, but the mental load builds quietly. This is not strategic work. This is compensating work.

At 6:30pm, the laptop finally closes. Sam reflects briefly before heading home. The business is performing. Clients are served. Targets are met. But it feels heavier than it should. Too much knowledge lives in people’s heads. Too many decisions depend on memory rather than visibility. The organisation functions, but only because experienced people are constantly holding it together.

Where Systems Carry Their Weight (After)

At 7:42am, Sam opens the laptop as the office comes to life. Dashboards load cleanly. Notifications are fewer, more meaningful. The day’s priorities are already visible. Context sits alongside meetings, tasks, and alerts. Sam takes a sip of coffee without rushing. There is time.

The first issue of the day appears clearly rather than urgently. A client escalation is flagged, already linked to the relevant project, support history, and recent communications. Sam reviews the information in one place. The timeline makes sense. The next step is suggested, based on similar cases and current capacity. Sam approves it and moves on. The decision is still human, but it is no longer made in partial darkness.

By mid-morning, questions arrive from teams, just as before. The difference is speed. Sam checks a single view. Status is clear. Ownership is visible. Updates are shared automatically. Answers take seconds. There is no need to cross-check or interpret. Everyone is working from the same version of events.

Meetings feel different too. Less time is spent aligning understanding. More time is spent improving outcomes. Data is trusted. Discussions move forward rather than looping back. Sam notices it without consciously trying to. The organisation feels calmer, not slower.

Lunch still happens between tasks, but the interruptions are fewer. Invoices are queued automatically. Role changes trigger access updates without reminders. Tasks appear where they should, already prioritised. Sam no longer needs to ask people to pick things up. The system has already done the coordination.

When a customer calls in the afternoon, the conversation is straightforward. Sam sees the full context instantly. What was agreed. What has been delivered. What comes next. The response is confident because it is informed. When the call ends, there is no follow-up scramble. The system already reflects the outcome.

Later in the day, Sam works on what the role was meant to focus on. Improving processes. Anticipating future demand. Making changes that reduce friction rather than reacting to it. Admin still exists, but it arrives in order and leaves quietly. It no longer competes with strategic thinking.

At 5:45pm, the laptop closes. Earlier than it used to. Sam does not think about what might have been missed. The systems are visible. The information is shared. The business does not rely on individuals to compensate for gaps anymore. People still matter deeply, but they are supported rather than stretched.

It is the same organisation. The same teams. The same ambition. The difference is not effort or talent. It is that the systems now carry their share of the load.

Contact

Get in touch with the team to discuss how we support your business with practical, people-first technology and long-term solutions.

About

Learn who we are, what we stand for, and how Ostratto helps businesses make their work, less work through practical technology solutions.

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Our Approach

Discover how we partner with you - focusing on strategy, simplicity and long-term value to deliver technology that truly supports your business.

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Business Technology Trends That Matter in 2026

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000

In 2026, the organisations pulling ahead aren’t necessarily the ones buying the most technology - they’re the ones turning it into measurable outcomes: faster delivery, better customer experience, tighter security, and clearer decision-making.

That outcome gap is very real. PwC’s 2026 Global CEO Survey reports that only 12% of CEOs say AI has delivered both cost savings and revenue gains, while 56% say AI has delivered no significant cost or revenue benefit so far.

Below are the tech trends that matter most this year - with practical guidance throughout.

1. AI moves from “tooling” to operational decision support

Most businesses start with AI in a helpful-but-small way: content drafting, meeting summaries, basic assistance. Useful, but limited.

The organisations gaining advantage in 2026 are using AI for decision support inside workflows - where it influences prioritisation, next steps, and risk.

This trend is largely driven by a hard truth: many organisations invested in AI but haven’t seen returns yet. As noted above, PwC found 56% of CEOs report no significant cost or revenue benefit, and only 12% report both cost savings and revenue gains. PwC also reports CEO confidence about revenue growth is low: only three in ten (30%) CEOs are confident about revenue growth in 2026.

What this means in practice

AI creates the biggest impact where decisions are frequent and time-sensitive, for example:

Sales: next-best action, pipeline prioritisation, forecasting confidence
Support: ticket triage, suggested responses, escalation risk
Finance: anomaly detection, cashflow forecasting, spend pattern alerts
Ops: scheduling recommendations, capacity planning

The mistake many SMEs make is treating AI as a side tool. The win comes when AI is embedded into the systems teams already use (CRM, helpdesk, projects, finance) so that insight becomes action.

Actionable Takeaways

Start with one high-friction decision (e.g., “Which tickets should we handle first?” or “Which deals are most likely to close this month?”), then measure time saved and accuracy.
Create a simple ‘human-in-the-loop’ rule: AI suggests, humans approve (especially for customer-facing or financial outputs).
Treat data readiness as part of the AI project: if the CRM is inconsistent, AI outputs will be inconsistent too.
Use leading indicators (response time, backlog size, conversion rate) rather than vague success measures like “adoption”.

2. Automation becomes a margin-protection strategy, not just efficiency

In 2026, automation is less about being “faster” and more about being more consistent. SMEs are under pressure to deliver high service levels while controlling cost. Automation gives leverage when it removes:

Manual handovers
Duplicate data entry
Chasing updates
Inconsistent processes between staff members

This trend connects directly to the AI ROI story: businesses can’t get outcomes from AI if the underlying workflow is messy. Automation is often the bridge that turns “we know what to do” into “it actually happens every time”.

What this means in practice

The most valuable automations aren’t flashy - they’re the ones that eliminate repeatable admin work and reduce errors:

Sales won → create onboarding tasks + schedule implementation steps
Support ticket created → categorise + assign + set SLA + notify customer
Invoice overdue → trigger reminder sequence + internal alert
Offboarding → revoke access + archive data + confirm handover steps

Actionable Takeaways

Map one end-to-end journey (lead → sale → delivery → invoice → support). Most inefficiency sits in the gaps.
Automate the handoffs first (handoffs create delays and errors).
Automate “status movement” (changes in stage should trigger tasks, reminders, and checks).
Monitor outcomes, not just time saved: fewer escalations, faster cash collection, fewer missed steps.

3. Cybersecurity becomes business continuity, not an IT topic

Security incidents are now normal business risk. The UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 reports that 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months.

What this means in practice

Among those that were breached/attacked, phishing was the most prevalent type by far - experienced by 85% of affected businesses (and also described as among the most disruptive).

But preparedness lags. A UK Government visual summary drawing on the same survey notes that only around 1 in 5 businesses (19%) provided staff cyber security training in the prior 12 months.

What this means in practice

The biggest risks for SMEs are often not advanced hacking - they’re:

Compromised email accounts
Weak identity controls
Staff clicking convincing phishing emails
Slow response when something goes wrong

This is why security is becoming a competitive advantage: customers increasingly choose vendors they trust to protect data and maintain continuity.

Actionable Takeaways

Make identity the perimeter: enforce MFA everywhere, remove shared accounts, review admin access.
Reduce your “blast radius”: least privilege access (people should only access what they genuinely need).
Practise incident response: define what happens in the first hour of an incident (who does what, how you contain, how you communicate).
Run short training regularly: 10 minutes monthly beats an annual checkbox session (and tackles the phishing reality in the survey).

4. Integration beats tool sprawl - complexity is the hidden productivity cost

Businesses are using more apps than ever - and that complexity is expensive. Okta’s 2025 Businesses at Work report states that the global average number of apps per customer has topped 100 for the first time, driven by 9% year-on-year growth.

More tools usually means more silos. Salesforce reports 81% of IT leaders say data silos are hindering digital transformation.

What this means in practice

Tool sprawl creates invisible drag:

People can’t find the latest information
Teams duplicate work across systems
Onboarding takes longer
Reporting becomes unreliable

Integration is not about having fewer tools - it’s about having clear systems of record and reliable flow of data between them.

Actionable Takeaways

Define your systems of record (one place that is “truth” for customers, billing, tickets, projects).
Eliminate manual copying: if staff copy/paste between tools, that’s a high-value integration target.
Build dashboards off live data (not exported spreadsheets).
Retire low-adoption apps: every extra system increases support burden and security exposure.

5. Data quality becomes the limiter for growth and AI

As organisations push more automation and AI into operations, data quality becomes non-negotiable. Gartner states that poor data quality costs organisations at least $12.9 million a year on average.

What this means in practice

Even if you’re not a giant enterprise, the pattern holds: poor data causes:

Wrong decisions (bad forecasting, misprioritisation)
Wasted time (cleanup, reconciliation, “which number is right?”)
Lost sales (duplicate or incomplete CRM records)
Weak AI outputs (because AI relies on the same underlying data)

If people don’t trust your dashboards, they’ll rebuild spreadsheets. Once that happens, you lose a shared reality - and scale gets harder.

Actionable Takeaways

Assign data ownership (CRM owner, finance owner, support owner - named people).
Standardise key fields that drive decisions (lifecycle stages, industry, renewal date, lead source).
Use controlled inputs: dropdowns and validation rules beat free text.
Schedule monthly hygiene (dedupe + incomplete records + incorrect statuses).

A simple 60-day plan most SMEs can actually execute

AI works best when it’s built on strong foundations, not dropped onto messy processes.

Weeks 1 – 2

Choose one measurable outcome (e.g., “reduce support backlog by 30%”) and audit the workflow + data feeding it.

Weeks 3 – 4

Implement automation at handoffs + tidy the key data fields.

Weeks 5 – 8

Add AI for decision support (triage, recommendations, summaries) with human review, then measure impact against your baseline.

Weeks 9 – 12

Expand to the next workflow only if the first one delivered measurable improvement.

The defining difference between businesses that thrive in 2026 and those that struggle won’t be how much technology they buy - it will be how deliberately they use it.

The data is clear:

AI only delivers value when it’s embedded into real workflows, not run as an experiment.
Automation protects margins when it removes friction between teams, not just speeds up tasks.
Cybersecurity is now a core business risk, driven largely by identity and human factors.
Too many disconnected tools quietly destroy productivity - integration matters more than ever.
Poor data quality undermines every investment that sits on top of it, from reporting to AI.

For most organisations, progress doesn’t come from wholesale transformation. It comes from small, well-chosen improvements that compound over time: fixing one workflow, tightening one dataset, or solving one recurring decision properly.

The most successful businesses in 2026 will be the ones that stop asking “What technology should we adopt next?” and start asking “What’s slowing us down - and how do we fix it for good?”

That shift in mindset is where technology stops being a cost centre and starts becoming a strategic advantage.

Contact

Get in touch with the team to discuss how we support your business with practical, people-first technology and long-term solutions.

About

Learn who we are, what we stand for, and how Ostratto helps businesses make their work, less work through practical technology solutions.

Learn More

Our Approach

Discover how we partner with you - focusing on strategy, simplicity and long-term value to deliver technology that truly supports your business.

Learn More

Streamlining Natural Burial Ground Management: Leedam's Digital Transformation

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:21:35 +0000

Leedam Natural Burial, a leading provider of natural burial grounds across multiple sites in the UK, faced significant operational challenges managing their diverse locations through manual, spreadsheet-based systems. Their existing process relied heavily on fragmented data management across multiple registers, TypeForms, and daybooks, making it increasingly difficult to track burial plots, manage customer interactions, and maintain accurate inventory across their growing number of sites.

The business was managing critical sales and inventory data through a complex web of spreadsheets, with separate registers for each burial ground, creating risks in data accuracy and making it challenging to maintain a unified view of their operations. This fragmented approach was particularly problematic when handling multiple site requirements and was limiting their ability to scale efficiently.

Ostratto partnered with Leedam to implement a comprehensive Zoho CRM solution, transforming their burial ground management from a spreadsheet-dependent system to an integrated, automated platform. This digital transformation project focused on unifying their data management while maintaining the specific requirements for each unique burial ground location.

The Task

Ostratto was commissioned to implement a comprehensive CRM system that would consolidate Leedam's fragmented data management systems. The challenge was to transform multiple spreadsheet-based registers and forms into a streamlined, digital workflow that could handle multiple burial sites, varying location requirements, and complex inventory management. The system needed to manage everything from initial inquiries to plot allocation while maintaining accurate records across all locations.

Centrally Managed

The system required the capability to consolidate multiple site registers into a single, manageable platform while maintaining distinct tracking for each location. This meant creating a unified system that could handle different burial grounds' specific requirements while providing comprehensive oversight.

Process Automated

The solution had to streamline the entire customer journey from initial inquiry to plot allocation, with automated workflows replacing manual data entry. This required creating seamless connections between forms, CRM, and documentation processes.

Accurate

The platform needed to deliver precise tracking of available plots across all locations, preventing double-booking and maintaining accurate records of plot status. This meant implementing sophisticated inventory management that could handle the unique nature of burial ground plots.

Integration-Ready

The system needed to work seamlessly with existing tools while establishing a foundation for future digital enhancements, strengthening Leedam's technology investment and enabling future growth.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Zoho CRM

A customer relationship management solution that brings sales, inventory, and customer management together in one place.

View Product

Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to meet requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

View Service

Ostratto Support

Dedicated helpdesk support ensures users confidence in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

View Service

Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Centrally Managed

We transformed Leedam's ten separate site registers into a unified CRM system, creating a single source of truth for all burial ground data. The implementation included setting up custom modules to handle the specific requirements of each location while maintaining standardized data structures.

We developed custom views and filters that allow staff to quickly access site-specific information while maintaining the ability to generate cross-site reports and analytics. This centralization eliminated the need to maintain and update multiple spreadsheets, significantly reducing the risk of data inconsistencies.

Process Automated

The implementation replaced manual data entry with automated workflows throughout the customer journey. We migrated 12 different TypeForms to Zoho Forms, creating seamless integration with the CRM. Each form submission automatically creates or updates relevant records, triggering appropriate notifications and next steps.

The system generates required documentation automatically, from initial quotes to final certificates, pulling accurate data directly from the CRM. This automation extends to the sales process, with structured stages guiding staff through each step while maintaining compliance with burial ground regulations.

Accurate

We implemented a robust data management system that ensures precise tracking of every plot across all locations. The solution includes automated validation checks to prevent double-booking and maintains real-time inventory status.

We created custom fields and workflows to track the various stages of plot allocation, from available to reserved to occupied, with clear audit trails of all changes. The system automatically updates plot status based on sales progression, ensuring that staff always work with current, accurate information. This precision was extended to the creation of certificates and burial notices, eliminating manual data entry errors.

Integration-Ready

The solution was built on Zoho's platform, enabling immediate integration with complementary tools like Zoho Forms and Zoho Writer for document generation.

The system architecture was designed to accommodate growth, whether through adding new burial grounds or implementing additional features. This forward-thinking approach ensures the system can evolve alongside Leedam's business needs.

Result

The implementation of Zoho CRM has fundamentally transformed Leedam's natural burial ground operations, consolidating ten separate registers and twelve different forms into a single, powerful platform.

Manual data entry across multiple spreadsheets has been eliminated, reducing administrative time by 70%, while the automated form-to-CRM workflow has cut data entry errors by 95%. The new system has virtually eliminated plot allocation errors through automated inventory tracking, with all documentation now generated automatically from verified CRM data, ensuring consistency across all burial grounds.

Response times to inquiries have improved, with automated workflows ensuring consistent follow-up, while the streamlined process from initial contact to plot allocation has reduced the average transaction time. The platform has enabled Leedam to handle more inquiries without increasing administrative overhead, and the scalable system can easily accommodate new burial grounds without requiring additional administrative processes. Updates that previously required changes to ten different registers are now made instantly in one central location, with changes immediately reflected across all relevant documentation.

Digital form integration has made it easier for customers to submit information, while automated document generation has accelerated the delivery of certificates and burial notices. Most significantly, the improved efficiency has allowed staff to focus more time on customer care and site development.

The implementation has provided Leedam with a robust foundation for future growth, capable of handling increasing demand while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and service.

At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.

We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.

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Case Study: Transforming Quote Generation for a Leading Solar Energy Provider

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 15:19:00 +0000

Solarsense, established as a leading solar energy provider in the South West of England, faced growing pains with their manual quoting system. With a team of field consultants handling complex solar installations nationwide, the company needed a solution that could match their reputation for excellence.

The business was relying on spreadsheet-based quotes that required office access, limiting their ability to serve customers efficiently. This created a significant bottleneck in their sales process, particularly affecting their energy consultants who needed to generate accurate quotes during site visits.

Solarsense partnered with Ostratto to implement a comprehensive Zoho CRM solution, transforming their quote generation from a desk-bound process to a mobile-friendly, automated system. This digital transformation project focused on enabling field consultants to create professional quotes on-site while ensuring accuracy through automated calculations and product compatibility checks.

The Task

The primary challenge was to transform a complex, manual quoting process that required office access into a mobile-friendly system their field consultants could use anywhere. The solution needed to handle intricate product configurations, including solar panels, inverters, and mounting systems, while automatically calculating compatibility and pricing.

Beyond just digitising the process, the system needed to enable on-site quote generation, standardize proposal documents, and integrate e-signatures for faster deal closure. This required a careful balance between maintaining the detailed technical specifications necessary for solar installations while creating an intuitive interface that consultants could use efficiently during customer visits.

Mobile-First

The system required seamless functionality across all mobile devices, enabling consultants to generate professional quotes during customer site visits. This mobile-first approach meant designing an interface that balanced complex technical capabilities with intuitive usability, ensuring consultants could work efficiently from any location.

Automated & Intelligent

The platform needed to deliver smart automation throughout the quote generation process, from initial product selection to final proposal creation. This meant implementing sophisticated rules for product compatibility and automated pricing calculations, while maintaining accuracy and eliminating manual checks.

Instantly Updatable

A central requirement was the ability to push real-time updates across the entire system, ensuring all users had immediate access to the latest product specifications and pricing information. This real-time synchronization needed to work across all devices, eliminating the risk of outdated information in quotes.

Integration-Ready

The solution required seamless integration between multiple systems, connecting CRM functionality, quote generation, and e-signature capabilities into a single, cohesive workflow. This integrated approach needed to support future scalability while maintaining consistent performance across platforms.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Zoho CRM

A customer relationship management solution that brought together sales and customer management in one place.

View Product

Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to meet requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

View Service

Ostratto Support

Dedicated helpdesk support ensures users confidence in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

View Service

Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Mobile-First

We transformed Solarsense's field operations by optimizing Zoho CRM's mobile interface specifically for their consultants. The solution focused on streamlined mobile layouts that displayed essential quote information at a glance, while enabling one-touch quote generation during site visits.

Understanding the challenges of rural installations, we implemented offline access capabilities, ensuring consultants could continue working even in areas with poor connectivity. The mobile interface was extensively tested and refined based on consultant feedback to ensure optimal usability on both tablets and phones.

Automated & Intelligent

The heart of the solution lay in creating a sophisticated CPQ system with custom rules for solar panel compatibility. We developed automated calculations that instantly determined system sizing and pricing based on site requirements.

The system was programmed to make smart product suggestions based on installation parameters, while automated validation checks ensured technical specifications were always accurate. This eliminated the manual cross-checking that previously consumed hours of consultant time.

Instantly Updatable

We established a centralized product catalog that served as a single source of truth for all product information. Real-time updates to pricing and specifications were immediately reflected across the entire system, with automated synchronization ensuring consistency.

Push notifications kept all users informed of product changes, while version control for proposal documents eliminated confusion over outdated templates. The quick-update tools we developed allowed product information to be modified efficiently when needed.

Integration-Ready

The implementation connected Zoho CRM, CPQ, and Sign into a seamless workflow that eliminated manual handoffs between systems. We integrated automated document generation through Zoho Writer, creating standardized proposals that maintained brand consistency.

The e-signature process was streamlined for quick customer approval, while automated follow-up workflows kept deals moving forward. All integrations were built on a scalable framework, allowing for easy addition of new features as Solarsense continues to grow.

" Ostratto helped us implement Zoho without any of the usual tech headaches. No jargon, no complications - just practical solutions that work. Their training was spot-on, and whenever we need help, they're quick with clear answers. Our teams now spend less time on admin and more time on actual work."

James Molloy

Head of Quality & Support

Result

The implementation of Zoho CRM transformed Solarsense's sales operations, delivering immediate and measurable improvements across the business.

Quote generation time plummeted by 75%, with field consultants now creating and sending professional quotes during initial site visits rather than returning to the office. The automated system virtually eliminated pricing errors and incompatible product combinations, while reducing quote revision requests.

Consultants now report 100% reliability in generating quotes on-site, regardless of location, with the mobile-first approach enabling a 40% increase in daily site visits. The streamlined process has allowed Solarsense to handle 60% more quotes a week without increasing administrative overhead, while e-signature integration has reduced closing time from days to hours, with an increase in proposals signed within 24 hours of presentation.

Perhaps most significantly, the improved efficiency has allowed consultants to focus more time on customer relationships, resulting in an increase in conversion rates. Product updates that previously took days to implement are now instant, ensuring all team members work with current, accurate information at all times.

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Streamlining HR Operations: The Thinking Traveller's Digital Transformation

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 09:46:00 +0000

The Thinking Traveller, a luxury villa rental company operating across multiple countries, faced significant operational challenges as their team expanded to 150 employees across three countries. Their existing manual HR processes, which included paper-based onboarding, spreadsheet-driven leave management, and decentralized employee records, were becoming increasingly complex and time-consuming. With different regional requirements for each location and a growing need for standardized processes, the company needed a solution that could scale with their ambitious growth plans while maintaining compliance across all territories.

The business was managing critical HR functions through a combination of emails, spreadsheets, and physical documents, creating bottlenecks in employee onboarding and leave management. This fragmented approach was particularly challenging when handling multiple regions' specific requirements and was limiting their ability to maintain consistent HR practices across their expanding operation.

The Thinking Traveller partnered with Ostratto to implement a comprehensive Zoho People solution, transforming their HR management from a manual, location-dependent process to an automated, globally accessible system. This digital transformation project focused on standardizing processes while maintaining the flexibility needed for regional variations in HR requirements.

The Task

Ostratto was commissioned to implement a comprehensive HR management system using Zoho People. The challenge was to transform manual HR processes into a streamlined, digital workflow that could handle multiple locations, varying regional requirements, and complex onboarding procedures. The system needed to manage everything from employee documentation to leave requests while maintaining compliance across different territories.

Globally Adaptable

The system required the flexibility to handle multiple territories with different HR requirements, forms, and processes. This meant creating location-specific workflows while maintaining consistent company-wide standards across three different countries.

User-Friendly

The solution had to be accessible and easy to use for both HR administrators and employees, with self-service capabilities for common HR tasks. This required intuitive interfaces and clear guidance for users across all levels of technical ability.

Process-Driven

The platform needed to enforce structured HR workflows with automated approval processes, from employee onboarding to leave management. This meant implementing clear procedures that could be consistently followed across all departments and locations.

Integration-Ready

The system needed to work seamlessly within the existing Zoho ecosystem while remaining flexible enough to accommodate future growth and additional integrations, strengthening The Thinking Traveller's technology investment.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Zoho People

A comprehensive HR management platform that streamlines employee data management, onboarding, and HR processes.

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Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to meet requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

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Ostratto Support

Dedicated helpdesk support ensures users confidence in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

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Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Globally Adaptable

We configured Zoho People to handle multiple territories by creating location-specific forms and workflows for each country. This included setting up 17 departments, 70 designations, and specific processes for three different locations, ensuring compliance with local requirements while maintaining global consistency. Each location received its own customized set of HR documents and processes, with automated translations where needed.

The system was structured to automatically route employees through the correct regional processes based on their location, while still maintaining centralized oversight for global HR managers. This careful balance of local autonomy and central control ensured that regional HR requirements were met without creating administrative silos.

User-Friendly

The platform was set up with intuitive self-service features, including an automated leave management system with eight different leave types and clear approval workflows. We created standardized processes for common HR tasks, making it easy for both administrators and employees to navigate the system.

The interface was customized with role-based dashboards, ensuring users only see the information and options relevant to their position. Mobile accessibility was prioritized throughout the implementation, allowing employees to submit requests and access information from any device. Training materials and help documentation were created specifically for each user type, from basic employees to HR administrators.

Process-Driven

We implemented structured workflows for employee onboarding, including automated document collection, digital signatures for contracts, and customized forms for each location. The system was configured with up to 10 forms per location, covering everything from basic employee information to specific regional requirements. Each form was designed with smart validation rules to ensure data accuracy and completeness.

The onboarding workflow was built with conditional logic that adapts based on the employee's role, department, and location, automatically triggering relevant tasks and notifications. This eliminated the need for HR to manually track and assign onboarding tasks, reducing the risk of missed steps in the process.

Integration-Ready

The solution was implemented as part of the Zoho One ecosystem, ensuring seamless integration with existing tools while establishing a foundation for future expansion. This included setting up automated workflows that could be easily modified as the business continues to grow.

The architecture was designed with scalability in mind, allowing for easy addition of new locations, departments, or HR processes without requiring significant system changes. This forward-thinking approach ensures the system can evolve alongside The Thinking Traveller's business needs.

Result

The implementation of Zoho People transformed The Thinking Traveller's HR operations, delivering significant improvements across their global business.

Manual onboarding processes that previously took days are now completed in hours through automated workflows. The system successfully manages 150 employees across three countries, with standardized processes reducing administrative time by up to 60%.

Leave management, previously a complex manual process, is now handled automatically with location-specific rules and approval workflows. HR documentation is now 100% digitised, with all forms and processes accessible through a single platform. The self-service capabilities have reduced HR inquiry response times, while the automated onboarding process has cut new employee setup time significantly.

Most importantly, the system has provided a scalable foundation for future growth, capable of handling increasing employee numbers without additional administrative overhead.

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Case Study: Using Google Workspace to Support a Global B2B Marketing Business

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:57:27 +0000

Modern, an award-winning global media agency, sought to revolutionise its technical infrastructure to support its rapid growth and hybrid workforce. With a presence in multiple countries and a reputation as one of the fastest-growing agencies nationally, Modern faced challenges with outdated systems and limited scalability. By partnering with Ostratto to transition from a Microsoft-based environment to Google Workspace, Modern achieved a seamless transformation that empowered their team with flexible, secure, and reliable tools, enabling them to continue delivering exceptional results for their clients worldwide.

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The Task

As Modern experienced rapid growth in the B2B marketing space, the need for a robust technical solution became critical.

Expanding their team both nationally and internationally placed immense pressure on their existing support infrastructure, which could no longer meet demand. With the team outgrowing available office space, implementing a hybrid working model was essential.

The outdated systems were unable to support this shift, highlighting the need for a flexible and scalable solution like Google Workspace to streamline operations and enhance productivity.

Flexible

With all team members becoming hybrid, a flexible infrastructure was desperately needed. Systems needed to be accessible for all workers, regardless of their location. By implementing Google Workspace, Modern ensured seamless access to tools and resources, enabling hybrid teams to work productively. Desks in the offices needed to be readily accessible with minimal disruption.

Efficient

The requirements capturing process not only focused on what was wrong - it focused on what could be vastly improved. With increased productivity being a key objective, a thorough understanding of working practices and processes means that new systems could be designed to work for the users.

Secure

As the geographical spread of workers increased, so did the surface of potential cyber threats. Business systems needed to be secure, auditable and constantly monitored, with potential vulnerabilities identified before they became a threat.

Reliable

With the existing infrastructure and support function "bulging at the seams", user confidence was low which in turn impacted productivity. Implemented systems needed to be reliable and any required support needed to be high-quality in order to restore confidence and promote positive working behaviours. By adopting Google Workspace, Modern gained a dependable solution that not only enhanced reliability but also improved user satisfaction and overall efficiency.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Google Workspace

Google Workspace acting as the 'glue', was vital to ensuring communication across the business was efficient.

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Sophos: Intercept X

Advanced Endpoint Protection was implemented to ensure all endpoints are protected and centrally managed.

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SaaS Protection

A backup and disaster recovery system was an essential function in order to meet customers strict compliance requirements.

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Ostratto Support

Dedicated helpdesk support ensures users confidence in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

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Professional Services

Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to meet requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

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Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Flexible

By adopting a cloud-based and web-first productivity solution, Google Workspace, users were introduced to fast loading times, instant access and enhanced usability. Although comprehensive training was provided on the new tools, use was intuitive and within a short space of time, users were comfortable sharing files, setting up video calls and creating online calendar events.

Gone was the requirement to connect to an unreliable VPN. Team members - in the office and working remotely - were able to do their best work without hindrance.

With all devices enrolled in Google Workspace device management, not only were devices securely audited and managed centrally, but users could also sign into their Windows devices using their Google account, greatly enhancing accessibility and streamlining workflows.

Reliable

Thorough requirements capturing meant that Modern's needs were fully understood. This enabled us to implement a hybrid setup that worked just as well for those working remotely as it did in the office environment.

All desktop workstations in the business were swapped for portable laptop devices, with one-cable high-speed connectivity docks issued to all users as well as installed on every desk in the main office. This meant that team members visiting the office would be able to plug one cable in and seamlessly be provided with all peripherals on the desk including power, displays and input devices. This made the transition between remote environments and the office environment simple and reliable, which in turn encouraged users to work more collaboratively in the office.

Team members were provided with access to Ostratto's support service, which opened up communication with an approachable and knowledgeable team with scalable capacity to support, consult and implement.

Secure

All devices (Windows and MacOS) were enrolled into Sophos Intercept X's advanced protection. This provided enhanced monitoring which feeds back to Sophos Central for oversight and alert management.

Aging office network equipment was replaced with Sophos' network equipment - introducing intelligent synchronisation between network equipment and endpoint protection software which automatically protects users from threats across multiple layers.

By leveraging Google Workspace as the identity directory, all users were able to use their Google Workspace login to log into their devices and applications which improves the user experience whilst at the same time providing simpler and auditable user management.

SaaS Protection was implemented to complete backups of all company data three times a day to an alternative location - meeting the compliance requirement of more regulated customers whilst providing peace-of-mind and automated recovery capabilities.

Efficient

Whilst the initial brief of our journey with Modern was to help them migrate 42 users to Google Workspace as their core productivity platform, it quickly became obvious that there were inefficiencies and productivity-holes in the day-to-day operations which could be improved.

New processes were implemented, followed by interactive workshop sessions which enabled team members to have direct input on the design of systems such as how files should be shared, how departments should be connected and how other services should be integrated for improved usability.

By designing the systems around the users and their workflows rather than forcing new systems onto users, users were naturally empowered to fully adopt the new offering and benefit from effortless productivity.

"We have had a few technical consultants over the years and there are two types.

1) Those that try to support you but often do the minimum to fix issues without really thinking about your business.

2) Those that are really customer focused and will keep fixing technical issues until they are tested and fixed and make recommendations that with solve problems in your business.

Ostratto are a gold standard 5 star company, they are brilliant and so customer focused, they always work with us to solve problems making sure we are getting what we need."

Stuart Ray

Chief Commercial Officer at Modern

Result

After a successful migration of 42 users (and over 10 years of data) from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, our attention was entirely retargeted toward ensuring Modern had the correct tools and adequate support to facilitate their continued growth.

The implementation of a simpler, more lightweight infrastructure meant that Modern saw a significant drop in support requirements. In the last three months prior to this writing, Modern are averaging a 64% drop in user-raised issues compared to the demand before Ostratto came on-board. Based on completed surveys, 94% of users reported that they are confident in their equipment and technology and 100% of users reported that they feel that they can get the support should they need it. This has resulted in a workforce able to focus on outputting their best work, instead of struggling through technical issues.

Our technology strategy approach has meant that Modern has been equipped to win several significant tenders with major customers - with all technical security compliance requirements passed with flying colours.

We have now worked with Modern for many years - with many continued improvements planned.

64% Support Ticket Reduction

Efficiency Improved

Contract Extended Indefinitely

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Case Study: Supporting High Quality Care with Website Design, Google Workspace, Zoho People and Vonage

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000

BBcare10 is a care provider based in Gloucestershire, UK, specialising in bespoke support for young people and adults with complex care needs. With increasing demand for their sought-after care services, BBcare10 faced challenges due to aging technical systems and tools. These limitations hindered growth and restricted service capacity.

The initial engagement with BBcare10 focused on creating a modern, optimised website design to align with their planned marketing efforts. During the consultation, we uncovered other technical pain points, including unreliable email systems, the use of mobile numbers for business enquiries, manual paper-based shift rotas, and difficulties onboarding new staff.

At the time of the inquiry, BBcare10 had a team of 4. Today, they’ve grown to a team of 24 and are actively recruiting. Here’s how we supported their growth with professional services tailored to their needs.

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The Task

With the demand growing for BBcare10's high-quality care service, existing systems were causing instability and limiting growth.

To meet the demands of required service, BBcare10's systems needed an overhaul. Systems implemented needed to be simple to maintain, reliable and scalable to meet the onboarding expectation.

Simple

Systems must be intuitive to use, minimising training requirements.

Maintained

Solutions had to work seamlessly across a mobile, dispersed workforce without requiring heavy maintenance.

Reliable

With 24/7 care services, system downtime was not an option.

Scalable

Solutions needed to grow alongside BBcare10's expanding team and operations.

Secure by Design

It was also vital that systems were secure by design. With sensitive client records being involved - all data needed to be strictly access-controlled and on a 'zero-trust' basis. All solutions were implemented with this at the forefront of importance.

Products and Services Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Website Design

A professionally designed business website was developed to serve as a hub for staff and customer information.

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Google Workspace

Google Workspace became the backbone of BBcare10’s operations, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration across the organization.

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Zoho People

Zoho People streamlined HR operations, simplifying the onboarding process and managing employee information efficiently.

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Vonage

Vonage transformed business communications by introducing a local landline number, which diverted to mobile devices for accessibility and reliability.

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Professional Services

Our team provided end-to-end professional services, including design, implementation, and ongoing maintenance, tailored to BBcare10’s unique needs.

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Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Simple

Google Workspace unified communication and productivity tools, restoring confidence in email reliability with Gmail’s 99.99% uptime. A single Google account allowed quick and intuitive access to all BBcare10 systems.

Following initial workshop training, team members required minimal ongoing support thanks to Google Workspace’s user-friendly design.

Maintained

Chromebooks were deployed to mobile team members, enabling them to complete shift notes securely using digital forms on the company website.

Centralized management via Google Workspace ensured updates and security without manual intervention. With cloud-hosted systems like the website and Zoho People, improvements were implemented seamlessly with no downtime.

Reliable

Cloud-based solutions ensured consistent performance and communication reliability. Gone were the days of missed emails or team communication breakdowns.

BBcare10 now operates with dependable tools, vital for their 24/7 service schedule.

Scalable

With systems designed around Google Workspace, onboarding a new team member now takes minutes. Zoho People further streamlined the process, automating document requests and saving valuable time. Scalability is now embedded into BBcare10’s operations.

Secure

Data security is paramount for BBcare10. Sensitive patient information is stored in Google Drive, with strict access controls and audit tracking. Chromebooks ensure no local data remains after a user logs out, adhering to zero-trust principles and guaranteeing compliance.

Result

With 24 team members and growing, BBcare10 now serves over 30 regular clients and delivers more than 320 shifts monthly. Their investment in cutting-edge systems has significantly improved efficiency, expanded service capacity, and streamlined onboarding processes. These enhancements have directly contributed to their ability to meet increasing demand while maintaining exceptional care standards.

The implementation of the correct systems and tools has resulted in BBcare10 vastly improving efficiency, communication, service capacity and onboarding times, ultimately enabling business growth.

Although initially only contacted for website design services, BBcare10 and Ostratto now work together on an ongoing basis to constantly improve systems and processes across the business.

Efficiency Improved

Staff Onboarding Streamlined

Service Capacity Increased

Why Choose Ostratto?

At Ostratto, we specialise in solving complex business challenges with innovative solutions like Website Design, Google Workspace, Zoho People, and Vonage. Our customer-focused approach ensures we deliver scalable, secure, and reliable systems tailored to your needs.

Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work. Contact us today to learn more about our professional services and discover how we can help your business grow.

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Case Study: Smarter Auditing with Google Workspace, iAuditor, and Vonage

Sat, 16 Jul 2022 09:49:41 +0000

Mistral Technical Services Ltd is a multi-discipline consultancy and management company based in Gloucestershire, UK. They provide tailored solutions to clients across sectors including manufacturing, retail, and care.

For a national supermarket chain, a poorly serviced retail estate can lead to operational downtime, health and safety issues, fines, and—most critically—damage to the national brand. After decades of mergers, acquisitions, and rapid estate growth, one of Mistral's retail clients needed a comprehensive store audit covering over 400 locations.

This ambitious audit aimed to provide actionable data to identify problem areas, improve servicing efforts, and align all stores with operational standards. Mistral played a pivotal role in delivering this essential information over a two-year period, ensuring the data was live, actionable, and prioritised by urgency.

The Task

To enhance servicing standards, the supermarket chain needed detailed insights into current processes, identifying problem areas requiring frequent, costly interventions.

Mistral was tasked with implementing a comprehensive auditing solution, involving site visits to over 400 stores to assess technical components such as air conditioning, lighting, and refrigeration. The gathered data needed to be accessible in real time, presented in an actionable format, and accurate enough to drive meaningful decisions.

Live

Data needed to be live and dynamic, allowing critical issues like safety hazards to be addressed immediately.

Accessible

Data had to be easily available to stakeholders nationwide in a user-friendly, informative format.

Actionable

Insights from the audits needed to prioritise pressing issues and provide a clear roadmap for improvements.

Accurate

The auditing process had to deliver precise, relevant data while being straightforward for field auditors to execute.

Products Featured

Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

Managed Devices

iOS devices were issued to auditors across the country, ensuring secure and manageable mobile access to the auditing system.

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Google Workspace

Google Workspace acted as the backbone of communication and data access, providing secure and seamless integration with auditing tools.

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iAuditor

The cloud-based iAuditor app enabled auditors to conduct inspections efficiently, capturing data in real time.

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Vonage

Vonage allowed auditors to contact stores using a landline number, maintaining professionalism and protecting personal contact details.

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Ostratto Support

Auditors had access to technical support at all times, ensuring confidence and uninterrupted operations in the field.

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Professional Services

From design to implementation and ongoing maintenance, all solutions were delivered by Ostratto's in-house team.

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Implementation

The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

Live

By adopting a cloud-based auditing solution, iAuditor, auditors utilised pre-defined templates within an intuitive mobile app to conduct audits. The system enabled the capture of notes, photos, and multiple-choice responses, with live data instantly uploaded to the cloud. Automations flagged critical risks immediately, allowing swift action.

Actionable

With over 2,100 audits completed to date and more than 17,400 issues flagged, Mistral used customised dashboards to distil raw data into meaningful insights. Each audit automatically generated a detailed report for the relevant teams, saving significant time and ensuring informed decision-making.

Secure

Given the sensitive nature of data collected, security was paramount. Using Google Workspace, all data access was authenticated at every endpoint. Auditors’ issued devices were secured with strong passwords, geographic tracking, and remote management, ensuring a safe yet seamless user experience.

Accessible

Stakeholders received their own secure logins and managed mobile devices, enabling them to view live data and reports at any time.

Automated graphs highlighted key issues, such as recurring faults with specific refrigeration suppliers in certain regions, facilitating targeted solutions.

I.e. Stores in the South West using a common refridgeration supplier were experiencing more fault call-outs than stores using a different supplier.

Accurate

Mistral developed bespoke audit templates with straightforward response options, such as “yes/no + photo.” This approach ensured auditors could complete inspections efficiently while producing reliable, weighted data for actionable reporting.

Manageable

Building on top of the secure user management offered by Google Workspace, all auditors are also issued a managed mobile device.

The managed devices are geographically tracked, apps and features are managed and restricted centrally, and security measures such as strong passwords are enforced. The devices are consistently monitored for non-compliance with automatic alerts being sent to Ostratto Support for investigation.

By managing the devices centrally, all stakeholders can be confident using them in the field so that more time and resource can be spent on achieving the overarching objective(s).

Result

At the time of writing, 2,694 audits have been completed with 20,171 items flagged for review across 421 stores. A confirmed value of over £500,000 has already been recognised as a cost saving due to proactive identification of failing refrigeration systems resulting in minimal stock loss. The information provided by this cutting-edge auditing solution has resulted in massive service overhauls within the end client's operations, improving efficiency and reducing costs significantly by taking a proactive approach to service issues.

Although initially only contracted for two years, the auditing service is now into it's fourth year of operation due to it's incredible success. The service is now deemed a vital part of the end client's service plan with no intention of ceasing Mistral's input or the solution implemented by Ostratto.

End-Client Cost Reduction

Efficiency Improved

Contract Extended Indefinitely

Ostratto specialises in delivering innovative, scalable solutions like Google Workspace, iAuditor, and Vonage. By combining cutting-edge technology with a customer-first approach, we help businesses streamline operations, improve efficiency, and achieve measurable results. Contact us today to learn how we can help your business thrive.

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Supercharging your Business with VOIP

Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:03:00 +0000

Instead of using traditional phone lines, a VoIP phone system uses the Internet Protocol to make and receive calls. With the growth of broadband, VoIP has emerged as the clear choice for phone service for both individuals and companies.

VoIP stands for voice-over-internet protocol. It is a technology that enables internet-connected devices to make and receive phone calls over the internet. Many organisations choose VoIP, especially when dealing with a high number of conversations and data storage.

How does it work?

Now you know we like to keep it simple here at Ostratto, so, if you aren't too interested in how the sausage is made you can skip to the next section.

Voice over IP is a technology that turns your voice into a digital signal, compresses it, and delivers it over the internet. To function, VoIP often requires an internet connection. Aside from that, the VoIP functionality is contingent on the quality and speed of the internet connection. This implies that VoIP phones perform best when such internet connection is fast and consistent. When both the caller and the recipient are using VoIP equipment, the call signals go fully digitally, with no signal translation.

How VoIP operates is dependent on the devices and extensions used to make these sorts of calls. It is critical to understand how they are employed and how they enhance voice quality and communication performance.

Credit: Unsplash

Pros and Cons of Voice over IP

Pros

Remote work friendly. Employees can work from any location thanks to VoIP. They can connect in from any computer, use any IP phone, and telecommute instead of creating a new satellite offices and adopting costs such as paying rent and utilities.
Cost. Calls using VoIP are often packaged in bundles providing unlimited (and sometimes internationally) minutes. With no physical PBX equipment costs and often no physical handset costs, the entry cost is minimal. Perfect for small businesses.
Quality. VoIP uses wideband codecs, which have a larger audio bit depths and so provide better voice quality. Narrowband codecs are used in traditional phone line networks, which generally result in lower-quality calls.
Feature-rich. VoIP, with its sophisticated capabilities like auto attendant and call transferring, allows even a one-person team to present the appearance of a larger organisation.
Availability. One distinguished aspect of a cloud-based VoIP service is the advanced availability offered by the cloud. Not only can you generally expect the likes of 99.999% uptime, redundancy features such as emergency forwarding to mobile phone numbers are often baked-in. This means users missing calls becomes a problem of the past.

Cons

Internet-dependant. The quality and dependability of your sound will be determined by your internet connection and network settings. You must rely on an internet service for VoIP communication, whereas traditional PBX systems use the PBX network. Should the internet connection go down in an office or satellite location, calls cannot be received by users. Data service is required on the go too.
Recurring cost. For as long as a cloud-based VoIP system is required, a monthly or annual cost will always need to be paid, and this is usually user-based licencing. As the business grows, so do the costs of the phone system whereas traditional systems can expand at a lower cost. That being said, many VoIP vendors have overcome this by offering volume pricing. And over the long run all businesses will see a cost saving.
Latency and jitter can be an issue. Jitter and latency are other call quality issues you may experience with your cloud-based phone calls. It’s just a natural function of wireless networks. Between your internal network, ISP, and VoIP service provider there are many servers in between which data needs to travel through. Jitter can result in choppy audio or calls that are delayed or dropped. The variance in ping responses that measures jitter. Latency can result in callers experiencing a brief delay or echo in a conversation. In most cases, it’s not noticeable, but in severe circumstances, it can be problematic.

Features that can be expected

And onto how cloud-based VoIP can really do bits for your business. Here's a list of common features you will see advertised within phone system feature-sets.

Auto-attendant/receptionist. An automated attendant is a top feature for companies. Using call routing rules, this functionality answers all incoming calls and forwards them to the appropriate extension.
Call Queuing. A call queuing tool will assist you in queuing your customers’ phone calls. You can often also set up notifications to remind your callers your callers of their turn and the wait time.
Call Recording/Monitoring. These two great features can empower your business by checking the consistency of your customer service on calls and limiting the deterioration of your company’s efficiency. They can also be used in a legal setting as evidence of claims.
Voicemail/call forwarding. Because often smaller businesses can't be available all hours of a day, there will be times when a call can't be answered. Call forwarding is a common corporate telephony tool that ensures that your customers’ calls are never missed. Inbound calls can be diverted to another extension, phone number, or a voicemail function.
Conferencing. Conference calls are ideal for remote teams because they allow them to collaborate even when they are physically apart. Some managers and owners may organise this sort of call on a frequent basis, whether it's keeping teams updated or checking in with customers.
Data analytics. VoIP Data Analytics are a sophisticated data report framework, generally included with most VoIP phone systems. It is useful for businesses that deal with a variety of outgoing and incoming clients calls on a regular basis. Informations such as missed calls and overall wait times help improve customer service quality.
Business Tool Integrations. In our opinion, one of the top VoIP benefits is the ability to connect data with external business tools such as ticketing systems or email, keeping conversation records consolidated and teams connected. These integrations are very useful for remote teams. Many modern business phone networks integrate with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programmes such as Zoho CRM. This guarantees that all transcripts of interactions are connected, forming a wealth of information. Sales app integration is a one-of-a-kind solution that enables users to automate their sales funnel, get closer to prospects, and complete more transactions. Sweet!

Is VoIP necessary?

For years, businesses have been debating whether or not to move to cloud-based VoIP. Some businesses made the changeover in the early days of technology, while others waited until prices dropped and quality, dependability, and availability of knowledge were ironed out.

Now, as these aspects have been ironed out, BT have announced they will be switching off the PTSN network in 2025. This means that not only is cloud-based VoIP the logical choice for businesses, it will soon be the only choice.

Price of VoIP

In general, with cloud-based VoIP, you can expect costs between £10 and £20 per 'seat' per month. A seat is essentially a user of the system.

Often suppliers offer monthly or annual payment options and generally expect a commitment of at least a year, with discounts provided on longer term contracts.

In Summary

Voice over IP is a fantastic and obvious method to run your business telephone communications. The significance of VoIP in telecommuting cannot be overstated. The current state of affairs necessitates a more advanced and adaptable work culture which means many business owners are concerned about their employees’ ability to work efficiently from home.

To make the best selection, you should first comprehend the benefits of VoIP, then examine the features and functionalities you require, and last compare all of your options until you find one that meets the bill. This is where we come in.

We offer a range of telephony options from different vendors, meaning we can suggest the most suitable option for businesses from an unbiased position.

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