Shoe retailer puts its faith in IP communications

Faith reduces in-store communication costs

UK shoe retailer implements IP communications

High-street footwear retailer Faith has reduced the annual cost of in-store calls by £10,000 using an IP-based communication system.

The technolgy has been designed to improve communications for the firm’s 2,500 employees and 220 stores, while reducing internal call costs and standardising operating procedures.

The Mitel 3300IP Communications Platform provided by Telinet, has been installed as a gateway to the company’s existing system (Index) which was no longer able to meet expectations.

An ADSL connection was used to deploy remote IP phones to each store and cost reductions resulted from a flat rate broadband connection.

In-store IP phones for employees allow greater flexibility to move about the premises.

Faith IT director Luke Phillips says managing the firm’s stores using an analogue system was challenging.

‘Deploying IP communications has enabled inter-site communications and control at our HQ which previously had just not been possible,’ said Philips.

‘Return on investment is incredibly important to us. By rationalising the number of lines we have, we are confident that the IP communications solution will have paid for itself in two years,’ he said.

The company’s long term plan is to completely replace its old system and to fully migrate over to IP communications.

Following the success of the roll-out the company is also planning to bring its call centre in-house using Mitel’s Contact Centre Solution.