Gympie Regional Realty, Panasonic KX-NS700 case study

Challenge

Limitations with existing legacy communications systems that were proving both inadequate and costly at the main office sales and rental offices, complicated even further with future expansion plans to other areas and remote locations.

Solution

A reliable KX-NS700 Hybrid Communications backbone that allowed easy and reliable communication between existing offices, with an affordable upgrade path as the organisation grew and opened additional sites.

Our operations productivity and staff efficiency went through the roof. We had instant communication between our Sales and Rental office with the touch of a button.
Margaret Cochrane,
Principal, Gympie Regional Realty

Gympie Regional Realty

Gympie Regional Realty is Queensland’s premier realty agency. Located in the cultural and heritage centre of Queensland’s Gympie region, Gympie Regional Realty is a locally owned and run realty business that boasts experienced and helpful staff, prides itself on providing first-class real estate for sale or rent, and has as its motto and corporate vision, “We’re here to help.”

Gympie Regional Realty was faced with two challenges: existing legacy communications systems that were both inadequate and costly at the main office and the rentals office across the road, and expansion plans that included opening another office at Noosa and the acquisition of another complete business at Kenilworth with its own legacy system.

At the main and rental offices, the legacy IP office systems including digital handsets were made by a third-party brand and used a combination of PTSN and ISDN technology. The newly acquired Kenilworth Cheese Factory facility used a legacy phone system by yet another third party brand. Old numbers were being redirected, and caller ID for outbound calls were not identified as the main number due to the outdated systems. The rental office was connected to the main office by a makeshift Wi-Fi system that was unreliable, with no real integration between the two sites.

Phone Systems Brisbane, Gympie Regional Realty’s certified Panasonic unified communications reseller, took a look at their existing needs and challenges and then factored in their ambitious business expansion plans. Their proposed solution was built around feature rich and responsive Panasonic equipment to meet both sets of needs, thus enabling Gympie Regional Realty to better serve customers and to rationalise telecommunications costs.

Greater efficiency and lower costs through smart system integration

In just 3 short weeks Gympie Regional Realty deployed a Panasonic system that positively impacted their business and resulted in immediately cutting operational costs.

With the introduction of the Panasonic solution, several problem areas were addressed and rectified:

All ISDN and PSTN technology was replaced with SIP, and their advertised telephone number is displayed on all calls.
IP handsets replaced digital handsets for ease of support, maintenance and expansion.
Instead of relying on costly dedicated tails, the sales and rental offices now have reliable 24/7 communication thanks to the combination of KX-NS700 and KX-NT553 handsets supported by VPN and a faster VLAN.

Ideal for small and medium sized businesses and perfectly suited to Gympie Regional Realty’s present and future needs, the KX-NS700 was installed in head office and paired with robust Panasonic KX-NT553 IP handsets.

When the Noosa office was opened shortly after, Panasonic technology facilitated the swift and seamless installation of additional KX-NT553 handsets as well as a dedicated ADSL tail for voice and data with a powerful 4G backup. Staff at both sites could now support each other, thus improving customer service and more closely coordinating on the execution of marketing strategies.

When the Kenilworth Cheese Factory was brought on board, the legacy system was replaced with dedicated NBN circuits for voice and data. Panasonic KX-NT533 handsets and KX-TGP600 SIP cordless phones were integrated under the Gympie-based KX-NS700.

Real cost savings and a boost in sales

The solution has proven to be cost effective across the board due to all offices, despite their distance from each other, being able to access a rich menu of functions such as voicemail to email and on-demand recording (for increased access to customer messaging and call back) at no additional cost.

Further support for staff mobility has been possible due to the system’s ability to allow users to plug Ethernet, PC or EFTOPS devices off the phone, and to migrate data and systems between offices. Gympie Regional Realty has reported an increase of system reliability and has enjoyed real system integration across all sites and IT systems.