Despite the acceleration of technological advancements like AI, augmented reality and smartphones, many businesses still struggle with one of the most fundamental aspects of daily operations: effective use mobile communication for ‘remote’ or ‘mobile’ workers and teams. While this is a mild inconvenience for most businesses, it’s a serious operational and safety risk for organisations operating in high-risk or high-demand environments – from manufacturing plants to healthcare facilities.
According to an ip.access report, poor coverage alone costs UK businesses £32 million a week, highlighting just how costly this issue has become. However, financial losses aren’t the only downside. For businesses that are public-facing or operate with any degree of risk, poor performing mobile communication could lead to delays in emergency responses, reduce productivity, and leave lone workers vulnerable. Yet many companies continue to accept unreliable communication as an unavoidable part of their environment.
That mindset needs to change. Chris Potts (pictured), Marketing Director at ANT Telecom, explains how businesses can improve safety, productivity, and responsiveness by investing in the right communication technology…
The Real Cost of Poor Communication
Manufacturing, healthcare and high-security businesses often face daily challenges caused by poor communication. For instance, in a manufacturing plant, a delay in reporting a machinery fault due to poor mobile coverage can lead to extended downtime and loss of production. In a healthcare facility, a missed call due to a weak mobile signal can result in a delayed response to a patient’s emergency, potentially compromising their health. When mobile coverage is poor, it also forces staff to find workarounds, like trekking across building sites to pass on messages, or relying on colleagues to act as go-betweens to ensure messages reach the desired targets. This clunky and often time-consuming approach to work will lead to delays, drops in productivity, and ultimately frustration from both the workforce and the business’s customers.
Poor communication systems can also put lone workers at risk. Without a dependable way to report incidents or call for help, employees working in more remote parts of a site are left exposed – especially when working with heavy machinery or in areas with gases present. This means that minor problems can escalate quickly when there’s no way to raise the alarm or get immediate support. Ultimately, every missed call or delayed message is a missed chance to keep people safe and operations running smoothly.
For businesses that depend on real-time data, the consequences of communication failures can be even more serious. Sensors might flag a fault with equipment, but if that alert doesn’t reach the engineers on site quickly, response times suffer and downtime becomes more likely – not to mention more expensive. In industries where speed and precision matter, these kinds of hold-ups don’t just cause inconvenience; they seriously undermine the entire operation.
The Answer: Communication Technology and Strategic Partnerships
In reality, the likelihood is that any communication problem can be solved with the right technology in place. However, to get the right technology in place is far easier said than done. And the first step any business should take when looking to solve poor mobile connection is to ensure that it chooses the right technology provider for the job. Instead of going with any old vendor, businesses must do the due diligence required to ensure they are getting the right technology to fit its unique set of requirements and locations it will be used across. This approach prevents the “square peg, round hole” problem that often arises when companies choose solutions that aren’t tailored to their operational needs.
Businesses that opt for a provider that understands its pain points before recommending any solution will benefit far more than a business that just goes with the first provider that comes its way. By selecting the right partner, a business can integrate new communication systems with existing infrastructure, ensuring that technology investments enhance, rather than disrupt, operations. Any good provider should also go above and beyond to provide ongoing support so the customer can continue to maximise the value of their investment, adapting the system to changing needs and emerging challenges over time.
To conclude…
The true cost of ineffective mobile communication extends far beyond lost revenue. It compromises safety, delays essential actions, and just creates unnecessary operational friction. By investing in appropriate mobile communication technology tailored to the organisation’s specific needs, businesses can achieve measurable improvements in efficiency, safety, and staff productivity. The result? A workforce that is safer, more responsive, and better equipped to meet the demands of modern operations. Investing in the right communication technology isn’t just a smart move, it’s an essential step toward a more resilient and efficient future.
