Enhancing communications during social distancing
Communicate safely and effectively
As countries begin to relax lockdown restrictions put in place to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers will be returning to shops, offices, and factories after weeks and months in isolation.
These returning workers will still be required to maintain social distancing as they try to perform the tasks their role requires, potentially causing communication issues and affecting efficiency levels. This ‘new normal’ may continue for many months after the lockdown ends and businesses will need to find ways of maintaining clear communications between colleagues while keeping a safe distance apart.
Whether you work in a small boutique or a large office complex, two-way radio can provide instant communication between individuals and teams across your whole facility. Two-way radios can also assist in making workers more efficient through automated dispatching via work tickets and location-based tracking systems.
Two-way radios allow individuals to keep in contact with each other using radio waves.
Each user is given a radio handset which sends and receives audio and data sent over these radio waves. A two-way radio system can be as simple as two radios connecting directly to each other, or as complex as an encrypted network that covers an entire country.
Licensed or licence-free radio?
Your choice of licence-free or licensed radios will depend on the functionality your team requires and the area of coverage.
For small shops and offices, you may be able to use licence-free radios. Licence free radios use 16 frequencies reserved for radio-to-radio communications (PMR446) but these channels can become congested in busy areas such as town centres and shopping centres where multiple businesses may be trying to use two-way radio as well.
In these circumstances, or for larger facilities or multi-site operations, you will need to upgrade to a licensed system. Licensed systems provide dedicated channels for your operation which can start from one-channel in a small geographical area up to multiple channels spanning an entire country.
As a Motorola Solutions Platinum Partner, Audiolink can help you manage the licensing and installation of a larger system and we can get your system operational quickly and professionally.
Faster than phones
By setting up each of your teams on a separate channel, group conversations can happen instantly with the press of a button.
Any team member on the channel will receive crystal-clear audio thanks to Motorola Solutions’ 90 years of design experience. Group conversations are the norm with two-way radios without the struggle of conference calling software and bandwidth issues.
No downtime
Two-way radios can communicate directly with each other, or through repeaters installed at your facility to extend the coverage area.
By putting you in control of the system infrastructure, you can reduce your risk of losing communications through telephone networks.
Efficiency features
Many Motorola Solutions radios come with a display and keypad, allowing workers to communicate with text.
Programmable buttons can be used to send pre-programmed messages, keypads can be used to craft non-standard messages, and work ticketing systems can be connected to the system to dispatch work orders to your employees.
Models are also available that can be located and tracked inside and outdoors. Being able to visualise where and when groups of employees congregate means you can make changes to ensure social distancing is maintained, while also being able to serve customers better by locating the closest, qualified employee to serve them.
How will two-way radios benefit the efficiency of you business?
Small boutique shop
Team members working at the front-of-store use their licence-free radios to communicate instantly with members of the team working in the storeroom to request specific stock be brought out. This minimises the amount of contact between employees and reduces the number of employees that a single customer comes in contact with.
City centre office
Employees working across multiple departments and floors in a city centre office need to communicate events such as deliveries, visitors, and enquiries. Small to medium sized teams and facilities can use license-free radios to instantly talk to each other, whilst licensed systems allow workers to communicate over larger areas, or using text to avoid disturbing meetings.
Large Factory Complex
A manufacturing company with a large campus site can replace its daily in-person briefings for teams and for managers with radios. This ensures that all employees maintain social distancing while remaining informed.
By installing radio infrastructure to provide coverage across the whole site, the company can also implement data services for work ticketing and employee locations, allowing maintenance employees to stay in the field rather than returning to a dispatcher or maintenance office to receive new work orders.
Department store
A department store with multiple entry and exit points can co-ordinate the number to shoppers in the store by providing staff at with two-way radios. The door staff can inform each of their colleagues when a shopper leaves, meaning another shopper can be allowed in.
Drive-through testing centres
Workers can communicate information across the whole site instantly such as managing queues and communicating free bays to those controlling access to the centre.
Educational facilities
Staff can monitor the number of students in the cafeteria and ask colleagues to allow another group of students into the area. Teachers can also co-ordinate staggered lesson finishes to ensure that all students aren’t travelling around the site at the same time.
Two-way radio technology enables your teams to keep communications flowing once they return to work as lockdowns are lifted.
By keeping your employees connected through voice communications and data services such as work ticketing you can maintain and even improve the efficiency of your workforce.
Motorola Solutions’ experience in developing industry-leading radio solutions coupled with Audiolink’s professional expertise makes us the perfect solution to your post-lockdown communication needs.
Whether you are looking to hire or purchase two-way radio equipment, we believe in long-term, positive business relationships. We will work in close collaboration with you, supplying you with a dedicated sales or hire manager and all our technical know-how, experience and support.
We offer flexible solutions, such as hiring you extra handsets at short notice, in case of large-scale events. Ultimately, we ensure you install absolutely the right solution for your needs and that your system is working optimally, now and in the future.
To discuss your requirements, please call us: 020 8955 1100 or email us: info@audiolink.co.uk
