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 How Commsworld integrated and supported Horsecross in the development of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall as one brand through a seamless communications network infrastructure.
When Perth & Kinross Council came up with a Millennium project to build a brand new concert hall, they determined that it should become the sister venue of Perth Theatre – the long-established, much-loved Edwardian theatre just 100 yards away.
Horsecross Arts Limited evolved as the organisation to run both venues and Perth Concert Hall opened to huge critical acclaim in September 2005.
The Challenge
Perth Theatre’s Edwardian auditorium offers 460 seats in a decorative, decadent, nocturnal environment. Nearby Perth Concert Hall seats up to 1,200 and is highly modern, highly flexible, glassy, sassy, fresh and family friendly. Across the two venues, Horsecross operates a multi-million pound business spanning culture (drama, music and new media), conferences and community.
The challenge was to run two separate but complementary facilities that were fully integrated and fit for purpose in the 21st century. Staff sited in both buildings had to connect up, teams working behind the scenes had to be able to communicate with the front of house teams, and box office in both venues had to operate as a single contact centre. The approach had to be seamless.
(The name Horsecross was chosen because it is the local name for the site of the new concert hall – once a bustling horse market and a critical part of life in the town. It suits the organisation’s mission to continue to create a buzz in the area.)
Detail of Solution Requirements
Horsecross put the work out to tender. Commsworld won this through a long and thorough application and presentation process and beat off competition from ten other companies.
This project required all the skills and expertise of each area of Commsworld’s portfolio. It wasn’t just about installing a telephone system. It also included cabling and mechanical works, a sophisticated, networked infrastructure linking each building, and WiFi as an integral part of the offer to visitors to the new concert hall.
An Avaya IP Office phone system and applications were installed, linking both venues seamlessly via broadband and IP. This enabled the communication infrastructure, in effect making both venues act as one.
Horsecross had just one contact throughout – Commsworld. The project was delivered as a complete fit-out from start to finish. A one-stop-shop approach.
“Commsworld really delivered for us,” said Peter Hood, Venues Manager. “We needed to be able to trust in their expertise, knowledge and experience to deliver a workable solution in a short timescale. And we needed to be able to depend on them for support post-installation. We’ve been delighted with our choice.”
Applications such as Operator Consoles, Voicemail Pro, Phone Manager and Contact Centre have enabled Perth Theatre and Concert Hall to run a virtual contact centre between both venues. This enables Horsecross to run a fully functional ticketing office, currently supporting eight users with scope to expand as and when needed.
To compliment the phone system and add extra flexibility between sites, Spectralink wireless handsets were selected as the handset of choice for the Front of House staff. Spectralink handsets provide the richest functionality while integrating with the network, significantly improving employee mobility, responsiveness and productivity.
The communications infrastructure installed now supports voice, data, internal staff on a secure network, and facilitates other on-site users on an open network with no access to Horsecross files or systems and POS devices. Visitors just nipping in for a spot of lunch can fire up the laptop and connect to the Internet seamlessly and at no cost.
Business Benefits
The deployment of an integrated converged voice and data network has delivered invaluable business benefits for Horsecross. Rather than having separate networks for voice and data in each of the buildings, now only a single network is needed and one phone system. Not only is this more cost effective, but also dramatically reduces the IT and Management burdens.
Ease of use improves productivity and contact ability through a more simple communication process. The ticketing office has access to events going on in both venues, therefore can respond quickly and accurately to customer calls as well as adding a personal touch with access to past purchases including the name of the caller, thereby enhancing the customer experience.
The use of the Spectralink handsets improves employee mobility and responsiveness, especially if they are between sites or in a place where they have no access to a landline phone.
One of the biggest benefits to Horsecross is the fact that they can have a single management structure controlling both venues; this allows them to deliver programmes and events involving external organisations, performers, visitors and conferences, which generates increase activity and revenue for both Horsecross and the local community.
The success of Perth Theatre and Concert Hall has attracted world-renowned artists from all over Europe and local MSP’s are delighted about the benefit and re-generation of Perth for the local community and to the Scottish Arts Industry.
The BBC is just one of the many organisations actively utilising the new facilities as they can send high quality broadcasts back to the studio.
Overall benefits include:
- Increased efficiency and reduced costs of internal communications
- Enhanced customer service offering
- Simplified system management
- Increased productivity
- A scalable communications solution that will evolve with the business
Industry Sector:
Solution at a Glance:
- IP Office
- WiFi Network
- Fibre and copper between buildings
- Call Billing and Reports
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