The Problem
Times have changed and the need for a dynamic workspace is greater than ever. The Diocese wanted to facilitate hotdesking, and changing work patterns meant the existing ‘phone system – primarily comprising desk phones – no longer met the mobility requirements of the Diocese.
The brief was to identify a system aligned with the business strategy. The IT strategy needed to represent value for money and help modernise and improve the user experience.
As the Diocese is a charity, it is also paramount for it to invest in technology that represents value for money.
Background
The Diocese had been making-do with a phone system that was causing an increasing number of problems – staff would forward calls from desk phones to mobiles with no ability to configure settings when away from the office.
This presented challenges, both in creating a workspace that was dynamic and flexible, and in facilitating a truly mobile workforce. It also placed a burden on staff to administrate the system.
The Options
A number of options were identified by the Diocese including updating the existing system, moving to a system that offered softphones, considering a system that integrated with MS Teams, or using ITIQ Group’s services to move the telephone system into the Teams platform itself.
The Solution
Working with ITIQ, it was agreed the solution would be to migrate to an entirely Teams-based platform providing these benefits:
- Users can configure out of office and call forwarding on a self-service basis – saving the admin team considerable time and allowing greater flexibility, with improved user experience.
- The solution is fully mobile meaning calls can be made and received from any location with an internet connection, aiding accessibility and freeing-up desk space in the office.
- Integration with calendars helps route calls appropriately, according to availability, and helps to improve user the experience.
- The system is highly cost effective and ITIQ assisted the Diocese to take full advantage of Microsoft’s not-for-profit benefits, ensuring the desired value for money.
- Handsets are eliminated, further reducing the total cost, and supporting the Dioceses’ commitment to environmental awareness through waste reduction.
- The challenges of change management are minimal since staff had been using Teams for some time for internal calls and this solution simply extended the process.
ITIQ offered a more responsive service than the existing provider, enabling the Diocese to be more flexible and agile. - The Teams system is under constant development and the Diocese will be able to take advantage of new features as they are released.
- The costs are OPEX and do not involve any lengthy commitments, aiding cashflow and benefitting the balance sheet as well as providing greater flexibility.
There was a total saving of c.£18,500 when compared with replacing the system on a like-for-like basis.
“The transition to the new Team was particularly smooth due to the care ITIQ gave to understanding our staff and communicating with them in a clear and concise manner. ITIQ produced a short, very clear and simple video to guide staff through the practicalities of the change. The lack of any ‘fuss’ during and after the change was a testament to the high levels of acceptance and satisfaction across our workforce. In short, this was a very satisfactory and well-managed change process on all fronts.”
Steve Collins – Deputy Diocesan Secretary
