Strategic partnership with Vodafone delivers a 22% reduction of total telecommunications cost to Onesource
Taking on an entirely new mobile telecommunications platform is a big logistical step for a company with 700 staff and
17 offices nationwide. Thanks to Vodafone's Wireless Office, the big move has paid off for Onesource Group Ltd, giving a
competitive advantage and enhanced customer service together with significant telecommunications cost savings.
Brendon Avery, General Manager of Information Technology for Onesource Group says that the cost savings were a primary
motive for the move to Wireless Office, but Onesource was also keen to see the benefits to its customers.
"From the feedback from customers it seems that they too are happy, as it has provided even greater communication with
our staff and added another competitor advantage over other suppliers. We're very happy."
Following implementation, Onesource carried out a detailed cost benefit analysis on its mobile solution, which predicts
a return on investment in six months. The initial results are impressive:
- Mobile calls have increased by 26.7% but with a cost saving of 30.8%
- Calls originating from desk phones have reduced by 20.1% with a cost saving of 27.3%
- Importantly, the total telecommunications bill has been reduced by 22%.
Embracing the mobile future
Onesource is a leading office technology company, providing document management, telecommunications and finance
solutions to more than 50,000 New Zealand companies through subsidiaries Konica Minolta, Cogent and Leasing Solutions.
With large specialist sales teams comprising 180 staff, as well as more than 240 field service engineers in a nationwide
service and support network, timely and cost-efficient mobile communications are vital for the Onesource Group.
In 2005, Onesource introduced Vodafone's Wireless Office with an Integrated TalkZone Link to its nationwide offices. The
iTZLink means calls between Onesource's staff are free, regardless of where in the country they are. For a company with
such a large distributed workforce, the potential savings in landline toll calls is huge. Implementing wireless office
involved moving 522 mobile connections (all of which are voice enabled, with more than 200 data enabled) from another
provider to Vodafone. Onesource selected a standardised fleet of mobiles, including the Nokia 6120s and i-mate JAM
smartphones.
Next came Vodafone BlackBerrys, with 80 devices being used by executive and managerial staff. CorporateConnect was also
introduced to provide secure mobile links between the office network and more than 200 PDAs which were introduced for
the world acclaimed mobile field force management with Vodafone's partner organisation, Blackbay.
Avery says that deciding on an innovative range of Vodafone mobile solutions has proven to be a smart move.
"Initially the choice to go with Vodafone was largely cost-driven," he says. "But as we've worked through the
implementation we've found that Vodafone is able to be more innovative with technology and that we've been able to
leverage them as a strategic technology partner, allowing our customers to receive the true benefits."
Mobile solutions with competitive edge
"Our new platform is more innovative than complicated," says Avery, who admits its introduction was a big undertaking
for an organisation the size of Onesource, requiring new phone numbers, business cards and corporate stationery. "Staff
handled the change really well.
"While our initial motivation for change was cost-driven, we recognised that ensuring cutting edge service delivery to
our customers meant partnering with world class technology providers such as Vodafone. They've provided us with a
platform that allows us to do more and gives us a competitive difference."
Productivity has increased significantly and Onesource staff are more mobile, accessible and less deskbound. Brendon
says the introduction of the BlackBerry solution allowed Onesource's customers greater access to Account Managers
building on the customer management strategy already in place.
"With BlackBerrys, our people can be on the road and be available 24/7. They can receive and respond to emails anywhere,
anytime. In this business, urgent decisions are critical to excellent service. We have to be able to move fast and
responsively. BlackBerrys let us do this."
The Service Connect Platform using the Windows Mobile platform was provided by Blackbay and has resulted in big
improvements in functionality and flexibility. "Calls can be dispatched quickly and efficiently, allowing the field
technicians to get to sites faster, resulting in less downtime for our customers," says Avery. "Precise detail can be
collected from the customer call enabling our technicians to be more accurate and to be more equipped and ready to
resolve the problem immediately. And our technicians are able to more clearly show which parts have been used against
which jobs."
Wireless Office combined with great devices and services from both Vodafone and Blackbay puts Onesource in a great place
to continue offering fantastic service to its customers, as well as improving the bottom line.
ENDS