Bullitt County Adult and Community Education
Community Education Program Turns Vision into Reality with New Telephony Solution
Partner: Bullitt County Adult and Community Education
Web Site: www.bcadulted.org/alc
Customer Size: 85 employees
Country or Region: United States
Industry: Continuing Education
Partner: Allen Miller Computer Consulting
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Customer Profile
Bullitt County Adult and Community Education dedicates itself to serving the community by offering educational programs, after-school tutoring, and preemployment and on-the-job training.
Software and Services
- Microsoft® Response Point™
"Microsoft Response Point helps us provide a better connection between people in need and the resources and support structures that can help them achieve their goals."
Marc Tolbert, Volunteer Technology Coordinator, Bullitt County Adult and Community Education
Business Needs
The Bullitt County Adult and Community Education (BCACE) serves the citizens of Bullitt County, Kentucky, by offering educational programs that assist families and individuals at risk. BCACE fulfills its mission by enabling people to achieve their personal goals through GED courses, job training, and much more.
Originally, BCACE provided services from the Adult Learning Center in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. Over time, community members sought to add new services to the facility. But the Adult Learning Center was already struggling to make space for existing programs. By soliciting donations and volunteers, BCACE facilitated the remodeling of the Bullitt County Temporary Courthouse into the Bullitt County Education and Career Center (BCECC), less than two miles away from the main Adult Learning Center.
Marc Tolbert, Volunteer Technology Coordinator for BCACE, offered to help choose a primary phone system for the new facility—one of the center’s top concerns. He wanted a solution that would resolve some of the prominent limitations of the existing Nortel phone system used at the main facility. “There were some fundamental issues with the Nortel-based phone system. For one thing, nobody knew anything about it. People actually used their cell phones so that they could avoid using the main phone system,” recalls Tolbert.
The BCECC had the option to hook into a phone system recently implemented by the Bullitt County Board of Education. But doing so would have cost the center approximately U.S.$30,000—not including handsets. This was not a cost-effective option for the BCECC. “We wanted to stretch the money that people donated to remodel and equip the facility. We worked hard to get those funds, and we plan to use as much of it as we can for student scholarships,” explains Tolbert.
To avoid headaches and high costs, Tolbert looked for a phone system that would be easy to set up, easy to use, and affordable to manage.
Solution
Tolbert evaluated Microsoft® Response Point™, advanced phone system software designed especially for small businesses. He liked its user-friendly management center that enables easy setup and system changes, along with its unique voice-enabled user interface that simplifies calls and call transfers.
To obtain Microsoft Response Point, Tolbert had to find distributors who were shipping the product. He contacted Allen Miller Computer Consulting, a Microsoft Small Business Specialist and authorized Microsoft Response Point reseller, to place an order. “Allen went out of his way to help us. When that first shipment was being unboxed at the distributor, we got the phones at the top of the box,” says Tolbert.
Upon receiving the phones, Tolbert set up Microsoft Response Point and tested the system for 10 minutes. Afterwards, he distributed the phones, which were quickly ready for use. “I set up the phone system, gave instructions to the staff, and designed the infrastructure to support it, but I haven’t had to do anything with the phone itself. I plug it in, and it works,” raves Tolbert.
Benefits
With Microsoft Response Point phone system software, the BCECC can now focus its attention on answering the calls of community members, rather than struggling to keep the lines of communication open. Whether it’s routing calls that come in after hours or knowing how to transfer a call to somebody who can provide better assistance, Microsoft Response Point helps BCACE bring effective communication and messaging to both centers.
“The immediate impact of the Microsoft Response Point phone system was to greatly enhance our organization’s communication and structure,” says Tolbert. “It was the only option that would help us achieve this.”
Benefits the Community
Microsoft Response Point phone system software has enabled the BCECC to maximize its connectivity to the community. Now that calls from people seeking help can be transferred to the right people—even after business hours—the BCECC provides better communication among staff members, associated organizations, and the community.
“When people ask for help, we want to take advantage of that opportunity. In the past, we might have to refer them elsewhere. Now, with Microsoft Response Point, the resources are at our fingertips,” says Tolbert. “Microsoft Response Point helps us provide a better connection between people in need and the resources and support structures that can help them achieve their goals.”
Provides Easy Setup and Configuration
Microsoft Response Point phone system software offers a quick and simple implementation process for BCECC. “In the past, phone systems were not inherently intuitive to set up or configure. But the Microsoft Response Point system is intuitive. I still have not read the manual. I just plug it in, and it works,” says Tolbert.
Enables Quick User Adoption
In light of his experience with complicated phone systems, Tolbert’s first hurdle after setting up the system was to reassure people that they would have no trouble using Microsoft Response Point phones.
“From the setup to the usage, everything about Microsoft Response Point makes people self-sufficient,” says Tolbert. “For example, visually impaired individuals can use the voice prompts in Response Point to operate the phone system.”
It wasn’t long before everyone at the center could use the phones. “With Microsoft Response Point, you don’t even have to pick up the handset to call someone. You just press the Response Point button, say the person’s name, and it calls them,” exclaims Tolbert. “Microsoft Response Point makes it easy to access your voicemail, and the ability to arrange calling structures has been absolutely wonderful.”
Saves Financial Resources
The BCECC did not have the funds to support a complex enterprise-level system. Tolbert explains, “By having the Microsoft Response Point phone system running off of my network backbone, I don’t have to pay any additional expenses like I do with other phone systems.”
Cost avoidance was a huge upside for the BCECC because money saved on facility and infrastructure costs goes directly toward student scholarships. “As far as I’m concerned, there is no comparison,” continues Tolbert. “The money we saved by going with Microsoft Response Point enabled dozens of individuals to obtain college scholarships.”
For more information about other Microsoft customer successes, please visit: www.microsoft.com/casestudies