When was the last time you reviewed your communications system?

1. efficiency flexibility productivity
 
the guide_01
Smartesr
why no
busines
w is the time to upgrade your com
munications system

2. Boost
boost productivity / Why
Why change? productivity
ultiply the number now is the time to move In this guide, we take you n order to build a Yorkshire’s largest taxi firm, manage their own bookings
m of people in your
company by the
amount of time
to a communications
system based on Internet
Protocol (IP).
through some of the ways
that an IP-based system can
contribute to the success of
i business case for
capital expenditure,
you need to be able
Sheffield City Taxis, which
switched to an IP-based
system from BT. The
via the internet, tracking the
progress of any job in real
time as it’s happening.
they spend on the phone IP systems don’t just your business, from to show clear productivity company’s productivity Managing director Bob
every day, and you’ll deliver more flexibility. They productivity gains through to gains which deliver a good improved massively Turnbull explains,
quickly see how important offer increased productivity, flexible mobile working that return on your initial through the use of “The infrastructure they
an efficient and flexible and a reduction in the cost will allow you to respond investment. So what can you intelligent integrated built made it easy to
phone system is to of your communications, more quickly to customer expect to achieve from using software. This allows the amalgamate operations from
your business. Your while giving you a strong needs. By the end, we hope IP communications? company to consolidate text, other car fleets. This really
communications system (also platform for future growth, you’ll be ready to find out Steve Blood, research vice email, internet and helped us win over new
known as your telephone which will allow you to how we can help you make president and analyst at automated booking and customers quickly and grow
system or PBX ) allows your expand in a cost-effective the transition. Gartner puts forward the dispatch onto one platform. the business.”
staff to take calls, route calls, way. Plus, through call case for IP. “The objective [of The results are impressive.
1 hour
find the best person to handle centre applications, it can IP] is to make people more The firm now completes an
a query, and reach new and help you deliver the kind of productive. This is not about average of 55,000 jobs a week,
existing customers. If they service which will exceed working 25 hours a day. It’s a quarter of which are For more information
can’t do all this with customer expectations and about eliminating inefficient automated end-to-end with on how IP could help
minimal time and effort, put you ahead of the With mobile communications,” he says. no operator intervention. In
boost productivity call
,
your BT contact.
then the inefficiency of your
system is costing you money.
competition – contributing
to your bottom line for
messaging you Take the example of addition, customers can now
If this sounds familiar, years to come. can save up to
an hour of work ‘‘ The infrastructure built
time a day –
“ The inefficiency of equivalent to an made it easy to amalgamate hoW it helpS
IP boosts productivity by…
your systems could be extra customer operations from other car fleets. 1 Streamlining
message-handling.
visit per day
This really helped us win over
2 Creating a smooth
costing you money” Source: ipsos-reid BlackBerry study, 2005
communications
management service.
new customers quickly and 3 Speeding up the
handling of voicemail
grow the business’’ and messages.
4 allowing staff to work
Bob Turnbull, Managing Director, Sheffield Taxis Ltd anywhere in a building.
Next steps... Next steps...
How many systems do you have? How much do they cost to maintain per year? If your system supports it, work out how many calls in your office go unanswered per day.
Your BT account manager can help you find these details. How much potential revenue are you missing out on?
0 2 / Why upgrade? / the guide the guide / Why upgrade? / 03

3. Improve
Why / reduce costs improve customer service / Why
Reduce costs customer service
£8733 86%
P systems don’t just law firm Kitsons LLP he typical business will be routed to the right
i boost productivity:
they can also help
you to make
to “transform the way we
work,” according to ICT and
projects partner Peter
t card has five lots of
contact information; a
physical address, a
phone. Not only does this
make your customers’ lives
easier, but it also cuts out the
significant cost reductions, Creber. “We have hot desks
The Royal phone, mobile and fax hassle if you change numbers
the most obvious being the in every office. Staff no Institution number and an email address. or email addresses. of companies
move to a single network.
Instead of maintaining,
longer have to go back to
their own office to pick up
of Chartered All are routed, via different
networks, to one place.
And, it’s not just about
helping your customers. using unified
powering and cooling two voicemails and can tap into Surveyors Today with 24/7/365
, IP makes looking after communications
hoW it helpS networks, you only have one, the network from any
estimate that business, flexible working, them much easier too.
IP reduces costs by… reducing ownership and location resulting in and tighter deadlines, many Integrating your computer
reported that
1 reducing call administration costs. significant efficiency gains. the average cost items on that list have become and telephone networks productivity
charges, particularly And that’s not all. The It’s been a massive leap of occupying a redundant. Your business allows you to be more
benefits have
between sites. Royal Institution of forward for us.” For more on now needs to be connected sophisticated in the way hoW it helpS
2 Cutting support Chartered Surveyors Kitsons LLP see www. desk is £8733 per constantly and seamlessly , you make and take calls. grown. More ip can help improve
and running costs, by estimate that the average kitsons-solicitors.co.uk person, per year wherever you are – and you Connecting your
than 60 per cent customer service by…
consolidating phone cost of occupying an office need to respond fast. communications system to 1 Connecting your most
and data into a desk is £8733 per person, in the uk With IP-based systems, the your customer database reported savings profitable customers to
For more information
single network. per year in the UK. With an on how IP could help Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors; business communications means they are speaking to of three or the right staff straight
3 aking more efficient
M IP-based communications reduce costs call Property in the Economy, A digest and hub is no longer chained to the right person at the right away, helping increase
use of office space, by system working out of the your BT contact. review of key data and statistics; 2008 the desktop, and your email time, so you can spend more more hours per your revenue.
enabling hot-desking office is easier. The remote and phone number are no time helping customers, and week for each 2 Making it easier for staff
and home working. worker can make and take longer tied to a single fixed less time diverting calls. to handle customer
mobile worker
4 avoiding engineer
call-out charges by “ Upgrading our comms
calls as if they were in the
office, but without the cost
location. They become fluid
and they move with you. Building Virtual relationships survey,
Bt Business, March 2009
contacts appropriately,
and in good time.
has transformed
making changes such as to your business. Now, with IP, your business For tips and advice on 3 Cutting down on the
desk moves something For example upgrading its card only needs to feature an improving customer number of missed
service with IP call
,
the way we work”
that can be easily communications system has email address, a single phone calls and missed
handled in-house. enabled the Devon-based number and possibly your BT contact. contact opportunities.
an Instant Messaging
(IM) address.
The customer knows that,
whichever option they choose,
“ With IP your
,
they’ll always reach you. The
IM will tell them if you’re
email and phone
online and may even give
your location; your number are fluid
email will redirect to
wherever you are, and the call and move with you”
Next steps... Next steps...
Audit your company calls. Consider how easy it is for customers to contact individuals.
How many of them are inter-site calls which could be costing you nothing with an IP-based system? How often do calls from customers get misdirected to the wrong number?
0 4 / Why upgrade? / the guide the guide / Why upgrade? / 05

4. Flexible
Why / flexible working
working
t
here is already a
growing number of
employees working
remotely in the UK,
with around 3.1 million
makes IP-based flexible
working important: it
can also help you retain
your best people. Marketing
agency, Caseworks,
55% WHY BT?
Internet Protocol will bring your business into the 21st century and, with BT
people regularly working implemented a of senior as a partner, our experience could help your business cut costs and increase productivity
from home. IP systems can BT-managed Cisco Unified
help your business achieve Communications system
managers and
better results from flexible partly because of the directors believe or more than 150 years,
“ BT can take on any
working, bringing real
benefits to your bottom line.
Staff can work from home
potential for improved
staff retention.
As managing director Phil
that people
who work on a
f bt has been at the forefront
of communications
technology. It operates in project, no matter how big
with exactly the same phone
features as they have in the
Lumb put it, “The business
has grown by building
flexible basis are
more productive
more than 170 countries around the
world and has links with all or small, giving you one vendor
the leading players in technolo gy.
and one point of contact”
office, with full remote long-term relationships with
access to their main site PC clients who value our and 41 per cent of this means bt can take on any
applications and documents. consistently high quality. project, no matter how big or small,
Customers and colleagues Those standards can only employees think giving you one vendor and one point HOW MuCH COuLd YOu SAvE?
can reach home workers as be maintained by attracting flexible workers of contact. Plus, if you choose BT for vision that includes adopting more look at the cost of your current system and
if they were in the office, and retaining high-calibre a major project, you will also have a information and communication work out how much uprading could save you.
using the same phone people, so helping them to are more loyal to designated BT project manager who technology (ICT) capacity, a strategy 1 What is the cost of maintaining your
number, and calls between improve their work/life their employers will coordinate every aspect of the they articulate clearly and openly”. current communications system?
home and the office are balance is a crucial aspect.”
dynamic Markets
solution, from design and BT is one of the few companies skilled 2 estimate the revenue that you
how it helps carried over broadband with - Flexible Working 2009 survey configuration, to installation in all the relevant technologies for lose each month from missed calls
IP improves flexible no additional call costs. and training. moving any company to IP, including - and multiply by 12 for annual losses.
working by… With IP-based systems, For details on how BT But don’t just take our word for it. voice, data, messaging and integration. 3 An empty desk costs £8733* per annum in
1 giving staff productivity levels are easily can help you implement Independent analysts, Gartner, And with our 21st Century Network, overheads. How many of yours are empty?
flexible working, call
access to office managed and improved. positioned BT’s Global Services division which lies at the core of many of our *Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors; Property in the
communications, Plus, features such as your BT contact. in the “Leaders” quadrant in three of IP-based services, we can deliver fast Economy, A digest and review of key data and statistics; 2008
its key Magic Quadrants: the Global network speeds and the best business
anytime, anywhere.
2 giving customers
presence and instant
messaging allow managers a Network Service Providers, the services to suit your every need. for more
INFORMATION…
access to your staff,
even when they are out
visual indication of where
employees are at any given
“ Helping staff pan-european network service
Providers and the Magic Quadrant for
But we’re more than just a
technology leader. We also have the Now’s the time to start
of the office.
3 aking working flexibly
M
time, no matter whether in
or out of the office. improve work/life Communications Outsourcing and
Professional Services, Worldwide.
people, skills and experience to put
technology to work in a way which
looking at how IP could help
your business. Whether you’re
balance is crucial”
as cost-effective as But it’s not only the effect in its global network service perfectly suits your business needs. looking to control costs, or to
working in the office. on your bottom line which Providers (NSP) report, Gartner defines so, whether your business is just increase the agility of your
leaders as companies that have “a full beginning its story, or is long- company going forward, your
portfolio of voice and data products established and looking to rationalise BT account manager can help
coupled with above-average service existing infrastructure, we can use you. For more information on
Next steps... and support, wide global coverage and our expertise to deliver the best IP individual products and
Look at the number of empty desks in your office. competitive pricing. They have a strong solutions for you. services, call 0800 032 5699
Could you use less space and save money by moving to hot-desking?
0 6 / Why upgrade? / the guide the guide / Why upgrade? / 07