Baycom Installs Access4’s Telephony System at Kawerau District Council to Boost Connectivity, Improve Service Levels and Reduce Operational Costs

Kawerau District Council, the smallest local government in New Zealand by land area, is nestled in the Bay of Plenty region on the North Island. It serves approximately 2,700 residential, 250 commercial and industrial ratepayers and a number of rural and lifestyle properties.

With some 90 full-time-employees employees spread across various locations — head office, operation’s depot, an information centre, an aquatic centre, a library, a wastewater treatment plant, a solid waste transfer station, and an accommodation lodge — the Council had long been contemplating a telephony system upgrade. In addition, the pandemic has seen a change in working processes, with some staff opting to work from home or remotely.

The pandemic has also had a considerable impact on the habits and preferences of Kawerau District Council’s customers. On a national level, there have also been other changes such as banks’ changing payment methods, which have forced change for the Council’s customers. These changes all impact on the way the organisation needs to respond and deliver some of its services, now and into the future.

Facing the Challenge of Modernisation

Telephony system modernisation had been a goal since the pandemic began. However, Kawerau’s ageing copper-based telecommunications infrastructure and inconsistent mobile coverage created doubts about the feasibility of such an upgrade. The urgency of improving telephony and communications infrastructure became even clearer following a series of high-rainfall events in 2022 and 2023, which underscored the critical need for reliable communication in civil defence emergency management.

A significant breakthrough came with the upgrade of terrestrial services from copper to fibre and the introduction of Starlink for remote locations, finally enabling the Council to proceed with its modernisation plans.

BayCom’s Trusted Partnership

BayCom, with its longstanding relationship with the Council, was engaged in 2023 to help evaluate and trial various upgrade options. Andrew Bluett, the Council’s Information Services Manager, highlighted the importance of working with a trusted supplier: “We wanted someone who, if everything stopped, would be close enough to assist us.”

BayCom’s expertise led to the consideration of several options. While a popular video-conferencing tool was considered, Bluett was concerned about its performance at rural locations with last-mile copper connections. He also noted that transitioning to a PC or app-based softphone had historically faced user acceptance challenges.

“I’ve seen many councils struggle with moving from desktop phones to PC-based apps. Many users found it difficult to adjust,” Bluett explained.

Introducing Access4’s SASBOSS Platform

BayCom recommended Access4’s SASBOSS cloud-based voice platform, which proved highly effective during trials, addressing Bluett’s concerns about call quality and connectivity. The flexibility of routing calls over the open Internet met the Council’s business continuity needs perfectly.

“Staff can simply unplug their desk phone, take it home or to another location, plug it into an Internet router, and continue their calls,” Bluett said.

The transition to Access4 was seamless, thanks to BayCom’s pre-configuration of the system and onsite support during the switch-over day. Desk phones were seamlessly replaced in a single day, with critical ones powered by IVRs for customer service switched after-hours. “We switched over at 8am with no complaints because everyone could just work as usual. That’s huge. I’ve never had a telephony rollout like that. It’s normally a nightmare,” Bluett remarked.

Streamlining Operations with Cloud-Based Solutions

Switching to a cloud-based platform allowed the Council to remove previously essential rack-mounted equipment, significantly reducing power consumption and complexity.

In highlighting the ease of the transition, Bluett said, “It resulted in a significant reduction of equipment required in the server room – we just pulled it out and will never need it again.”

The Council also anticipates cost savings from this transition, which is still in its early stages.

Plug-and-Play Flexibility

BayCom’s Access4 platform demonstrated its simplicity and versatility, even at the remote solid waste transfer station, served by a 2km-long copper connection. The Council installed a Starlink dish at the site, connecting a desk phone running Access4, enabling staff to make and receive calls seamlessly.

“With Starlink on the roof and this telephony product, we’re in action, simple as that,” Bluett said. “It just works perfectly and means our staff are fully supported even at this more remote area – an essential requirement to meet our Council’s health and safety standards.”

A Game-Changer for Staff Management

A major benefit of the Access4 platform is its integration with iCall Suite Call Reporting and live analytics. Previously, the Council relied on expensive add-on software for PABX to report on call volumes or missed calls. Now, having access to analytics and reporting has been a “complete game-changer” for understanding their business, according to Bluett.

“Once you understand your business, you can ensure that resourcing is effective in the right areas and meets our customers’ needs,” says Bluett.

Bluett noted that previous staffing levels often relied on guesswork.

“Knowing the actual numbers means we can allocate customer support staff more effectively,” he said. The Council discovered, for instance, that the aquatic centre received close to one-third of the calls that the main office did, revealing the need for better resource allocation.”

With metrics such as time on call available, the Council can now benchmark its performance against industry best practices, identifying areas for improvement in customer service based on calling metrics.

“It’s proving a great investment as we had planned, where we can measure our current performance and plan for the future needs of our organisation to effectively serve our community,” said Bluett.