Every organisation relies on communication to keep its members connected and business processes on track. What is internal communication? You can read our in-depth internal communication definition here, but in short, it’s the collection of interactions that occur between an organisation and its employees.

An internal communication system is the technology solution that supports these interactions across business processes and projects.

“It’s vital to select the best-fit internal communication system for your company,” says Michelle Devani, founder of LoveDevani. “You need a solution that will effectively facilitate communication and disseminate information from management to employees—and vice versa—along with employees to their peers. This is the secret ingredient to empowering employees to their maximum potential.”

So how do you know which internal communication system to choose? Several industry experts share their insights below on what to consider as you peruse the market, and the kind of real-world impact implementing such a tool can have on an organisation.

7 Considerations For An Internal Communication System

1. Compatibility With Current Systems

Lauren Cook-McKay, director of marketing & content at Divorce Answers, says most communications professionals require a flexible internal communications tool that works well with other tools or systems.

“When determining compatibility, take into account tools with varying levels of integration with your present platform or tech stack,” Cook-McKay explains. “Most importantly, keep your company's and internal communications goals in mind. Consider the cost, any recurring contracts or maintenance fees that may be required, as well as the additional time and effort that may be required if your chosen tool requires updates.”

2. Communication Flexibility

“Your internal communication will not be effective if it isn’t a two-way street,” says Baidhurya Mani, CEO of Sell Courses Online. “Employee interaction is essential, so make sure your tools enable users to comment, tag people, ask questions, and explore ideas with peers and management.”

Mani notes that having a proper internal system in place for your employees, especially while working remotely, will help improve workplace operations. “It keeps everyone on the same page and enables you to avoid communication gaps.”

3. Device Accessibility

Ayelen Osorio, content editor for Netcoins, says you should remember that your employees have different roles and responsibilities; some work in an office behind a desk, others have to personally deal with clients, and others may work in warehouses and on production lines. “This will impact the kind of internal communication system you should choose.”

For example, Shawn Plummer, CEO of The Annuity Expert, notes that, if you have many on-the-go employees that mainly use tablets or smartphones, your internal communication system needs to be accessible from multiple types of devices. “In this case, a system that charges extra fees for people using multiple devices might not be a cost-effective choice.”

4. Workspace Formation

“It should be easy for employees to form their own groups or channels for their projects or common work topics, and store files relevant to those projects,” says Plummer. “This helps facilitate collaboration within the organisation.”

5. Scalability

“No organization remains the same size forever,” says Lauren Proctor, marketing head & designer at BenchMade Modern. “As your business grows, so will your needs. It’s best to choose a system that can be scaled alongside your growth to address new needs you’ll have in the future.”

6. Searchability

David Aylor, lawyer and CEO of David Aylor Law Offices, says searchability is essential—users should be able to easily search for essential files and messages going back days, weeks, and months without issue.

“We use a tool that lets us pin any essential messages to the top of our private and company-wide chats for easy reference,” Aylor explains. “Any feature like this that helps improve your team’s productivity—even if it saves just a few seconds—adds up to significant savings over time.”

7. Usability

“Think about internal communication as an alternative to speaking in your native tongue—your internal system should be just as natural to use,” says Maciej Kubiak, head of people at PhotoAiD. “Choose a system that is intuitive and simple to grasp.”

Impact Of Implementing An Internal Communication System: 7 Real-World Examples

1. Improved Client Relations At The Annuity Expert

Plummer’s team works remotely, so their internal communication system is an integral part of daily operations. “We're able to talk to each other quickly, stay informed on the latest updates, and collaborate a lot more effectively to deliver better service to our clients and ensure they’re well taken care of—even if their assigned salesperson isn't available.”

2. Productivity Gains At BenchMade Modern

Since implementing a robust internal communication system, Proctor’s team has seen a significant rise in productivity. “Our internal system has made interacting with remote and in-office workers much more hassle-free and convenient. Workflows have become much more smooth. Collectively, these disparate improvements have raised the overall profitability of our organisation.”

3. Greater Interconnectivity At Lawn Love

Jeremy Yamaguchi, CEO of Lawn Love, says implementing an internal communication system has helped his employees become more connected across departments. “Since many of our teams work remotely, it was common that individual departments had little to no interaction with other departments, which often caused project and operational hiccups. Now, however, communication between departments has improved because it’s much easier to do so.”

4. Better Employee Engagement At Home Grounds

Julia Bobak, content creator at Home Grounds, says onboarding an internal communication system increased her company’s employee engagement a “hundredfold” in a very short period of time. “Our employees are much more connected and projects are conducted remotely and on-site seamlessly. Everyone is able to quickly receive relevant information, which mitigates issues related to being misinformed.”

5. More Satisfied Employees At LuckLuckGo

Ryan Yount, founder of LuckLuckGo, says his company has seen enhanced employee synergy and job satisfaction from instituting an internal communication system. “We have more streamlined interactions, and improved coordination and cooperation among employees. The system has also reduced bureaucracy and made reliable information readily available, making employees happier to be working here. At a high level, we’ve also seen a marked improvement in company results.”

6. Increased Transparency At Netcoins

Osorio says implementing an internal system for communication has resulted in greater transparency and employee performance. “In addition, workers feel like they’re provided with complete and fair information. Thus, we are building trust, improving company culture, and enhancing our brand image to better attract future talent.”

7. Seamless Collaboration At PhotoAiD

Kubiak says the internal communication system his company put in place reduced conflicts and improved employee performance. Apparently, real-time communication was never a reality prior to bringing in the tool.

“Team members rarely received timeline updates on coworkers' tasks, which often resulted in rework or unproductive waiting,” Kubiak explains. “It caused a lot of conflict and misunderstandings. But with our efficient communication system, everyone gets the information they need when they need it, making collaboration much smoother. Subsequently, teams complete their assignments much quicker.”

Get the only internal communication system you’ll ever need: Glasscubes.

Glasscubes is an all-in-one collaboration solution that ensures your entire organisation is able to stay connected internally and externally—regardless of industry or workforce size. You can access our solution from any device, search for files quickly and easily, and get up and running the same day.

Our solution helps everyone stay in the loop on the latest updates, and share what’s most important—all while keeping work moving efficiently. Use threaded discussions to keep conversations in context, whether discussions deal with client tasks or important project files. From task management to communication to file sharing, our platform helps you stay in touch and on top of things all in one place.

With Glasscubes, you can:

• Store and share files in a secure location, complete with automatic version control. You can even create approval workflows and view clear audit trails of user actions.
• Assign and manage tasks for different members of the team, and track them to completion.
• Create customised workspaces for each project team in your portfolio. Team members can share resources and communicate with one another in their specific workspace, and you can access them all for easy oversight.

Want to see how other companies are using Glasscubes to ensure seamless internal communication? Check out these case studies.