Having the right tool can make all the difference between a challenging experience and an easy one. Imagine trying to build a table using an orange for a hammer. Or peeling an orange with a pencil. Tools have a purpose, and you need to choose wisely.

Selecting the correct communication tool for your team members is no different. It’s important to consider their roles and the circumstances under which they work. Are they in a quiet environment or a loud one? Is the device likely to encounter heavy use? Are they walking around your facility or driving a vehicle? Will your worker be client-facing? Do they have access to Wi-Fi or LTE? Will they be wearing gloves?

Most organizations will have users in a variety of roles. One of the advantages of Orion over traditional communication tools is its ability to bring your entire organization onto a single platform. Orion is device agnostic and can be accessed through smartphones, tablets, wearable devices, web browsers, and even traditional radios.

In this article, you’ll learn about all the device options your team has when they connect to Orion, so you can choose the most useful device for each team member. You can use any or all of them, in whatever combination best suits your team.

Mobile devices worn by workers and frontline employees to keep them heads-up

Orion Push to Talk app

The most popular option for accessing the Orion platform is the Orion Push to Talk app, available for both iOS and Android devices. Its easy-to-use native application experience allows for both direct messaging and group communication with a virtual push-to-talk button. It’s also compatible with tablets. Orion Push to Talk is perfect for team members that already use a smart device in their daily work and can safely engage with a device.

Orion Device as a Service

Orion Device as a Service (or Orion DaaS) isn’t just a device. It’s an all-inclusive program from Orion that provides everything needed to start using voice services, without shopping for devices or data plans. DaaS enables your team to use Orion right away.

Orion DaaS is perfect for roles that need a simple walkie-talkie-like experience with a tough device. It’s great for maintenance engineers, construction teams, and crews operating in rough environments. Even some of Orion’s biggest hospitality customers use DaaS; learn how Marriott Buckhead Atlanta uses DaaS to deliver premium guest service.

Orion Onyx

Orion Onyx is a wearable voice badge that connects with compatible smart devices. Onyx is perfect for mobile and frontline workers because it enables them to remain eyes-up and hands-free in a busy workplace.

While wearing Onyx, staff can remain in communication without having to pull out devices or take their attention away from the job at hand. And for teams who aren’t allowed to use texting and other messaging apps, Onyx is a perfect solution. Learn how transportation organizations and large medical centers make the most of Onyx.

Integrations with your existing tools for continuity of service

Orion Radio Bridge: Ease your transition from the traditional

Lots of businesses feel stuck with the use of traditional two-way radios. Enter the Orion Radio Bridge. As your radios break, don’t replace them with another radio. Start to transition to powerful, cloud-based communications from Orion, while allowing both worlds to stay in touch. Users on a radio channel can seamlessly communicate with an Orion talk group while both systems are operational. Then, when the time is right, make the full transition to Orion.

Orion Radio Bridge gives your radio users unlimited range by allowing channels on your radio system to interoperate with Orion talk groups. If you wanted to, you can press-and-talk on your radio and you would be heard halfway around the world in your Orion talk group. Reach radio-equipped staff from anywhere, expand radio reach without needing to add hardware. Learn how a global energy and mining firm extended their reach and range in this case study.

Which Orion devices are right for your teams?

Want to know more about Orion-enabled devices and solutions that can help your organization? Curious what would work for you but don’t know how to choose devices? Contact our Solutions Team at hello@orionlabs.io to understand your options.

Related articles:

• Read the Voice in the Workplace Report to understand common problems that leaders face when they choose communications tools for their teams.
• What Is Orion Device as a Service (Daas)? – Go in depth with the details.
• A Day in the Life of a Hotel Using the Orion Voice Platform – Discover examples of how drivers, cleaners, and groundskeepers use different Orion devices.

If you’ve ever tried to introduce a new tool to your organization, you’re probably familiar with how difficult it can be. Here are some of the common roadblocks that can prevent adoption of a new communication tool within your team.

Sometimes, team members feel bogged down by their primary responsibilities along with other tools and software they’re already using. This makes them less likely to fully adopt new technologies. Or perhaps management hasn’t taken the time to learn the new system. When that happens, teams feel like they don’t have to learn it either.

However, there are certain techniques you can use to encourage the adoption and usage of a new communication tool. In this post, we’ll share why these challenges arise when implementing a new communications platform like Orion — and more importantly, how to overcome it.

Why Might Your Team Have Trouble with a New Tool?

Whether your team is accustomed to less sophisticated tools like land mobile radios (LMRs), consumer-grade walkie-talkies, or even text messaging, it can be difficult to get them to implement a new and more efficient way of communicating.

This tends to happen when teams have to continue using previous communication methods during the trial. Employees may not want to put in time to learn a new system if they have to rely on old ways to get work done. Just to keep the business running, they’ll revert back to the existing technologies because everyone else is using them.

Too Few People in the Trial Group

One of the biggest reasons that this challenge arises is that too few team members are assigned to the trial group. That means only a few people can actually try out the new communication tool for themselves. When that happens, it’s difficult to effectively judge how that tool would work when rolled out across the entire team.

For example, if you have a 20-person team but only 10 workers are testing out the new technology, only half of your team can assess the value of it. Even worse, those people are typically managers and higher-level employees as opposed to the workers who would be using it on a daily basis.

However, with Orion, there’s no limit to how many people can participate in a trial. You also have the flexibility to increase or decrease the number of users at any time. Having the ability to get everyone on board is key in order to get full buy-in from your team.

Not Enough Managers in the Trial Group

At the same time, adoption relies on more than just individual contributors. You also need to make sure your managers are leading by example and using the tool themselves. If not, workers will feel less compelled to adopt it themselves.

Combat this challenge early on in the rollout process by asking team leads to conduct training that emphasizes why you’re making this change and how it will benefit teams (and the entire business).

Offer Internal Support

Provide employees with an internal contact who can offer them additional help or support if they need it. This person should have contact information for the Orion support team should any larger issues or concerns arise.

Communication Is Important: Offer Incentives

You can even gamify adoption by offering small incentives. The incentive could be as small as a $10 Starbucks or Amazon gift card. Award it to the first person who replies to an Orion message during the initial few weeks of the rollout.

We Can Help

As with any new communication tool you introduce into your business, you might run into some of these challenges. The good news is: we’re always here to help! For more resources to get your team up and running or to schedule a training with Orion, visit our support page or contact us at support@orionlabs.io.