How to Streamline Your Company’s Internal Messaging and Communication

Internal business communication has come a long way in the past several decades. From passing physical memos around to internal phone systems to instant messaging, technology has changed the way businesses communicate.

But with all that technology comes a problem. Sometimes businesses will onboard various systems that have overlapping capabilities. Other times, the business grows and needs more robust control options and customization.

Those issues can lead to a range of problems from inefficient data organization to unsound security practices. So if it feels like internal messages and data sharing are happening without any real oversight or processes in place, close examination is in order.

1. Make security a priority

Data security is especially important in certain fields such as healthcare, finance, and insurance. Those industries tend to have very robust email security with various safeguards in place such as data encryption. But even if email is secure, there are other ways information can get into the wrong hands.

Even if your company doesn’t deal with data in high-sensitivity fields, you should still take data security and sovereignty seriously. Make sure employees aren’t using personal instant messaging systems to conduct business, whether communicating externally or internally. And when it comes to the messaging system you choose for the company, be selective.

Instant messaging apps have been the source of hefty fines within the banking sector alone. In these instances, bankers and traders were caught sharing sensitive data over various banned or unsecure message apps.

Not all messaging systems prioritize security and compliance. Many consumer-grade platforms are designed simply for personal communication between a few parties. Others, such as SayHey Messenger®, are designed specifically for businesses, especially in highly regulated industries, to remain secure and in compliance with various regulatory bodies. SayHey Messenger® and some other business-specific IM apps also have data reporting options that can save time during audits. It also allows you to split workers into separate groups to ensure the right information, and only that, is sent to specified individuals.

Managing Data Security

Data security isn’t limited to outside parties trying to weasel their way inside. Keeping internal information in the right hands is essential as well. When a company consists of only a handful of individuals, locking down information access is fairly easy to manage. Once that company grows into numerous departments and dozens of personnel, however, it becomes trickier and more important.

So on your internal messaging systems, make sure that the necessary admins can control viewing and editing access for all participants. Employees who are leaving, voluntarily or otherwise, should be able to be removed from messaging systems and email accounts instantly.

Sometimes, you may need to limit editing access, even for high-level employees and owners. For example, owners should have viewing privileges for certain employee information, but dedicated HR personnel might be the only ones with editing access. That way, all changes are verified and implemented in a standardized way within approved processes.

If certain team members communicate regarding sensitive internal data such as employee information or benefits, it needs to occur in a secure manner. Options can include direct messaging through email or in a secure chat in your instant messaging system. Just be careful. Some instant messaging apps allow you to create groups, but non-group members can still find the chats through a search. So before you subscribe and implement messaging apps, take them on a test run and try various internal data breach scenarios.

2. Undefined procedures and lost data

Internal messaging can take many forms. Typically all employees have at least one company email account. There’s also instant messaging, project management systems, and other task-specific programs. All of these likely allow users to directly– or through a group– send messages that contain potential data and file attachments.

So when you have information floating around everywhere, finding what you need at a later time can be time-consuming. There isn’t one universal search bar that covers all your programs, so you will need to open each one individually. Was the missing file sent to you via instant messaging, email, or within a workflow tracking program? Looking for what you need, if you’re eventually able to find it, can take far too long.

That’s why it’s so important to have communication procedures in place. These procedures should outline what type of communication or platform is appropriate for different situations.

Implementing Communication Procedures

For example, let’s say an architecture firm uses a variety of communication software platforms and also uses ClickUp for project management. The firm could put a rule into place…