KC Integrated Solutions installs 8X8's cloud communications solution
A leading provider of cloud-based unified communications, contact centre and collaboration solutions, 8X8 Inc, has supplied KC Integrated Services with its cloud communications solution.
KC Integrated Services is a full-service transportation and supply chain solutions provider for North America and beyond.
It has implemented 8x8 cloud communications across its geographically distributed organisation, which spans 14 locations in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Ontario and Canada.
Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Carleton, Michigan, KC Integrated Services provides truckload services, finished vehicle transport, and fleet leasing and maintenance through its KC Transportation, KACE, Tran Tech, and Markare Services divisions.
The company has also established itself as one of the largest Certified Minority Owned logistics providers in North America.
Bob Bergstrom, Director of Information Services at KC Integrated Services, said: “Environmental factors definitely played a role in our decision to deploy an 8x8 cloud solution.
“Michigan has brutal winters and severe thunderstorms that made our previous system vulnerable to outages. With 8x8, we can protect the business but still communicate easily across all locations.”
KC Integrated Services currently uses 8x8 cloud communications services in 14 sites across seven geographic locations.
A centralised corporate directory included on every desktop lets employees quickly look up co-workers, see their status and call their extensions. Auto attendants with both day and night greetings efficiently route outside calls to the right departments.
8x8's internal chat feature and mobile app have also enhanced worker productivity. Employees who need a quick answer to a question can now use chat rather than wait for an email response.
The 8x8 mobile app gives them the flexibility to make and take business calls anywhere without revealing their personal cell phone numbers.
Bergstrom and other employees are also taking advantage of advanced 8x8 phone features, such as "find me, follow me," which allows users to set up their own personal call-routing rules.
For example, when a user does not answer a call at the office, the caller can be given the option to try the user's cell phone, home phone, or any other configured phone number.
Meeting features are included in the company's 8x8 service, eliminating the added cost of a separate conferencing application.
Bergstrom noted that 8x8's Outlook plug-in makes scheduling and managing meetings much easier for users. The intuitive, web-based system administration portal gets very high marks from Bergstrom's technical staff.
“Making changes to our previous system was very complicated, and there was only one guy who really knew how to do it,” said Bergstrom.
“8x8's web interface is straightforward, user-friendly, and highly configurable. We've trained our entire IT team on the new system so we all know how to make changes and can share knowledge instead of losing it."
As a company that deals with transportation logistics, KC Integrated Services has unique requirements for routing calls to its dispatchers. When Bergstrom contacted customer support for help in configuring the phone system, 8x8 created a customized routing solution.
“8x8 has opened up new avenues of communication for us and been a true partner in the process," said Bergstrom. "We believe that partnership will help us grow our business over the long term."
Vik Verma, Chief Executive Officer for 8X8, said: "The flexibility of 8x8 cloud communications allows us to deliver affordable solutions that meet specific business requirements and provide disaster recovery.
“By moving their communications to the cloud, geographically dispersed organisations like KC Integrated Services can eliminate single points of failure in their networks and achieve a triple win: better business continuity, richer communication tools, and significant cost savings."
