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Benefit Management Inc. Deploys Toshiba's Strata CIX Phone Systems to Improve Customer Experience

By Rajani Baburajan
TMCnet Contributor

Toshiba (News - Alert) America Information Systems Inc., Telecommunication Systems Division (Toshiba) announced that Benefit Management Inc. has implemented its Strata CIX IP business phone systems to meet regulatory compliance requirements and improve customer service.

The Great Bend, Kan.-based Benefit Management Inc. (BMI) provides customized, high-quality health benefits administration programs to self-insured companies, association plans, and state high-risk pools nationwide.

BMI required a business telephone system that provides BMI's client companies with highly effective and quality relationship management services. Additionally, they wanted the system to meet strict government regulatory compliance requirements.

Through a business phone system, BMI hoped to increase call center efficiency by improving call handling, routing and reporting and gain the ability to add remote call center agents for a low cost. Additionally they wanted the solution to handle 13,000+ monthly incoming calls and provide 24/7 reliability with zero downtime.

BMI picked Toshiba’s Strata CIX670 business telephone system through Nex-Tech, an Authorized Toshiba Dealer located in Hays, Kan. The system consists of a Strata CIX670 business telephone system implemented at the BMI headquarters in Great Bend, Kan., and 20 IP phones connected via Strata Net over fiber at BMI's second location.

Toshiba’s business phone system also includes additional IP phones to support remote workers. It features a total of 96 digital station ports and 16 IP trunks. Other features of the phone system include Strata ACD Call Center solution with TASKE reporting and OAISYS (News - Alert) Tracer recording solutions; Strata MAS with Auto Attendant and Centralized Voice Mail; and Network eManager for remote management of all systems.

Michelle Kaiser, vice president of Information Systems for BMI, said, “Our Toshiba telephone system works for us and accommodates our needs -- we don't have to accommodate it. It's a work horse and does what we need it to do, reliably and efficiently.”

“Thanks to Toshiba and Nex-Tech, we were able to significantly improve our call center capabilities, meet government regulatory compliance requirements, and give our customers the best possible customer service experience,” Kaiser added.

Recently Toshiba also announced Barnes Motor & Parts Co. deployed Strata CIX IP business phone systems to improve customer service at its stores and call center. Founded in 1921, Barnes Motor & Parts Co. Inc. owns a retail chain of 16 NAPA Auto Parts automotive parts stores throughout Eastern North Carolina.