Supernova Award Category
The Problem
Facing rising operational costs and growing demand for newer communication technologies, the City of Scottsdale launched a plan to cut overhead, improve scalability, improve mobility and add unified communications capabilities to its voice network.
The initiative came just in time, as municipal employees at this highly desirable Arizona community were beginning to feel the downside effects of an out-moded PBX-based phone system that lacked capabilities like one-number call routing and advanced mobility features. Controlling telephony costs and improving staff productivity were among the goals of the city’s strategy.
The Solution
To reach its goal, Scottsdale implemented an open, SIP-based, unified communications solution from Unify, a separate middleware solution for secure network access, and tablets to allow users access to their desktop anywhere.
The new system —incorporating OpenScape Voice, OpenScape UC Application, OpenScape Xpressions and Openscape Contact Center — allows Scottsdale to consolidate all municipal agencies on a single IP system and better serve approximately 2300 users across a range of municipal offices, including the police and fire departments, financial service department, Municipal Services, court system and administrative services.
The results
Scottsdale is now on track to reap significant benefits from better communication efficiencies, as well as lower telephony costs.
Streamlined communications: City staff find it easier to coordinate across departments and city officials launch Web collaboration sessions and public hearings on the unified platform, saving on travel costsGreater mobility capabilities for city personnel, giving employees a single number to communicate anywhere they roam. The ability to securely use their City desktop (tablet) anywhere, through LTE, Wi-Fi, or a public open Internet connection.Better workforce productivity: Employees now have better work-at-home and BYOD options, as well as self-service tools that lighten the load for support staff
Metrics
Share the metrics that provide evidence for your "Results" section. Judges prefer solid metrics that demonstrate ROI, business model transformation, etc.
During the next year more than 100 City Desk Top computers will be replaced with tablets, with no increase in the total number of City computers while providing transparent secure access to all City applications including the unified communications tools. More than 500 employees have access to web collaboration and video conferencing tools.
The Technology
OpenScape Voice, OpenScape UC Application, OpenScape Xpressions and OpenScape Contact Center, Dell Venue Tablets, and Netmotion Software for secure Wi-Fi and LTE access, which provide Web Collaboration tools and video conferencing anywhere.
Disruptive Factor
"Digital transformation is a crucial step in fighting bureaucratic red tape and inefficiency," said Bill Hurley, chief marketing officer, Unify. "Engaged Cities, like Scottsdale, Arizona, realize that with today's distributed workforce there's a real need for enhanced productivity tools across multiple platforms to support the New Way to Work. The public sector can successfully combat rising operational costs and restrictive budgets with people-first solutions that empower people to communicate in the most efficient ways possible."
The City's transition to a "City Desk Top Anywhere" strategy and going mobile initiative grants government officials the freedom to be anywhere workers; professionals who can work where ever and from which ever device they choose, giving them more flexibility and optimizing their work-life integration. With One Number Service and mobility at the forefront of our government-wide communications strategy, OpenScape's self-service tools have lightened the workload for centralized support teams. Before, employees had to call IT to arrange for a bridge or portal. Now employees are launching virtual meetings on their own. This is part of what makes the OpenScape platform scalable to a large user base and helps our employees do their work with ease.
Shining Moment
Using OpenScape, the City of Scottsdale and its IT services have seen a direct increase in operational efficiency by making it easy for users to coordinate with coworkers, other departments and the greater public as part of the City's daily operations. To note, OpenScape Web Collaboration was instrumental as Scottsdale facilitated Public Safety and Municipal resources during their annual "event season."