Synergis Technologies
Move from Analog to Hosted Phone Solution Better Serves Customers
Synergis Technologies, Inc. Moves from Analog Phones to Hosted ShoreTel Sky Solution to Better Serve Its Customers
“I’ve been in the technology field more than 25 years and managed many large scale implementations. The implementation of ShoreTel Sky phones has been one of the best launches of a major system that I have experienced.”
Frank Lavin, Senior Technical Advisor, Information Systems, Synergis Technologies, Inc.
Challenge: Upgrade an Antiquated Phone System
When Frank Lavin began working at Synergis Technologies as the Senior Technical Advisor, he was asked to evaluate their phone and computer systems. One area he saw as high risk was the phone system. It was a premise-based system with 25-year old technology. Although it worked, it lacked the functionality the company desired. Further, because there was no maintenance contract, it was challenging and expensive to find replacement parts when the system failed.Headquartered in Pennsylvania, Synergis Technologies, Inc. strives to provide the best-in-class computer-aided design and document management software and services to companies throughout North America. The company is comprised of two independent business units: Synergis Engineering Design Solutions and Synergis Software. Synergis Engineering Design Solutions is one of the premier Autodesk solution providers in the United States, specializing in manufacturing, infrastructure, building and educational solutions in the mid-Atlantic region. Companies in these industries turn to Synergis Engineering Design Solutions for Autodesk software, and the highest quality training, professional services and support available to help them stay ahead. Synergis Software develops document management solutions to enable organizations to leverage business and design content across the enterprise. Its flagship enterprise document management software, Adept, is used by more than 30,000 design professionals world-wide.
While Synergis Technologies prides itself on its dedication to its customers, its employees and its mastery of technology, its phone system didn’t align with its core values. “Part of our mission at Synergis Technologies is to provide real value to our customers with the highest level of service,” explains Lavin. “Our phones are often the first line of communication with them and updating the phones became one of our primary goals in 2011.”
Solution: ShoreTel Sky Integrates with Salesforce
After reviewing several vendors, Lavin and the IS team unanimously chose ShoreTel Sky because of the phones’ robust features, including its integration with Salesforce. Both company divisions use Salesforce for all of their business operations, sales functions and internal support. Lavin wanted a phone system that would integrate with this CRM to make the company’s processes more efficient and stable.
With ShoreTel Sky Connect for Salesforce, sales representatives are more prepared and productive as they can quickly see customer account details and call history prior to picking up the phone. Call notes are recorded in the activity history within Salesforce and specialized reports are easily generated.
Synergis Engineering Design Solutions also uses ShoreTel Sky Contact Center which establishes a queue system so calls are automatically routed to the appropriate technician. “Our help desk technicians support customers with Autodesk software products,” says Lavin. “ShoreTel Sky Contact Center is a huge improvement in our ability to provide outstanding customer service. In the past, when a customer called for support, they had to go through our receptionist who would transfer them to a technician. If the technician was helping another customer, they would have to leave a message. We wanted to improve that experience and Callfinity enables them to decide if they prefer to wait in a queue or leave a message. During peak times or when reception is short-staffed, we use internal resources to back each other up so all calls are answered by a live person.”
ShoreTel Sky Scribe transcribes voicemail to email and eFax delivers faxes directly to email. Employees read incoming voice messages and faxes from their phones or computers instead of having to listen to them or pick them up off of a fax machine. This is especially helpful when they are in meetings and can’t step out to listen to an important voicemail or locate a fax.
Remote and traveling employees have readily adopted Find Me, Follow Me. This feature gives every employee one phone number that they can program through the ShoreTel Sky Portal to ring whichever phone they want, including home or cell phones. Not only does this ease and speed communications between employees, but with customers calling as well. Whether in the office, remote or traveling, this feature ensures employees never miss a call and customers can reach a live person. “One of the greatest benefits to our employees who work remotely is having the ability to use a Cisco IP phone at their home office,” says Lavin. “Rather than having to remember home office numbers, employees at the main office can simply dial 4-digit extensions. It has truly virtualized our offices, improving inter-office communications. An added benefit is those remote employees can enjoy all of the same rich features when working remotely as they do when in the office, which has helped improve service to our customers.”
Lavin says the ShoreTel Sky Portal has made the administration at Synergis Technologies “effortless.” Administrators can create new accounts, new phone numbers and run reports daily, monthly or quarterly. These reports give call details such as number of outbound calls per sales representative, duration of calls, number of calls answered by a live person and call wait times. Synergis Technologies management uses this information to better train representatives and refine procedures to provide customers with the best call experience possible.
Results: Improved Customer and Employee Experience
Going from a 25-year old analog phone system to the ShoreTel Sky hosted solution was a tangible way for Synergis Technologies to demonstrate its commitment to its customers and employees. The phones have given them 100 percent uptime and customers rarely hear a voicemail. Because the phones are managed by ShoreTel, Synergis Technologies didn’t need to add headcount to maintain them. Phones are simply plugged into anywhere that has an internet connection, making them much more cost effective and scalable. “We give our customers more personal and attentive service just by utilizing functions from our state-of-the-art phone system,” says Lavin. “I’ve been in the technology field more than 25 years and managed many large scale implementations. The implementation of ShoreTel Sky phones has been one of the best launches of a major system that I have experienced.”
ShoreTel partnered with Twin Light Group for onsite consultative and installation services, with the actual cutover taking only 15 minutes. For ongoing support, the phones have a unique “?” button that when pushed, directly connects the user to ShoreTel Customer Support. “The ShoreTel support has been outstanding,” concludes Lavin. “They have a large call center but in order to make it a more personal experience, they have a system in place where calls from Synergis Technologies go only to a select group so we get the same people each time. They know us, our business and our values. This was significant as we’re a customer-focused company.”