TOPNORDIC / Atea

Customer Case Study: ATEA Improves Consultant Scheduling with Exchange Central

“Thanks to Exchange Central, our customers receive better service and we use fewer resources in serving them.”

Jens Erik Rasmussen, Head of IT, ATEA

ATEA, Denmark’s leading IT infrastructure supplier, manages a vast number of customer service requests daily. These requests often require quick responses, making scheduling and allocating resources challenging. To solve this, ATEA partnered with Add-On Products to develop a streamlined scheduling solution integrated into their existing Outlook and Exchange platform.

“Thanks to Exchange Central, ATEA can now offer its customers an even better service while streamlining its consulting activities.”

Jens Erik Rasmussen, Head of IT, ATEA

Customer Profile

Country: Denmark

Industry: IT

Overview: ATEA is Denmark and Scandinavia’s leading supplier of IT infrastructure, providing services ranging from hardware and software to project management, installation, operation, and training. With nearly 3,200 employees at 48 locations across the Nordic region, ATEA offers comprehensive IT solutions to businesses of all sizes.

Challenge

ATEA sought a way to streamline the scheduling of its consultants and service technicians, particularly in managing rapid response services for customers in need of urgent IT assistance.

Solution

To improve scheduling, ATEA implemented Exchange Central, a group calendar for Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. The solution was further customized to include drag-and-drop functionality, allowing the team to schedule and allocate consultant appointments directly within Outlook calendars. The benefits are, amongst others:

• Efficient and simple scheduling of meetings and consultant appointments
• Drag-and-drop functionality for scheduling consultant appointments
• Complete overview of consultant groups and availability
• Greater flexibility in resource management
• Real-time updating of appointments

Improved Service and Reduced Costs

Using Exchange Central, ATEA was able to improve its service delivery to customers while also reducing costs. The ability to quickly assign technicians based on availability and expertise allowed for faster response times, cutting down on both travel time and related expenses.

“We save more time. Not only that, but we use less travel time as well – and therefore have lower travel costs. Our technicians arrive at our customers in less time. So everyone wins from our use of Exchange Central.”

Jens Erik Rasmussen, Head of IT, ATEA

Streamlined Operations with Real-Time Updates

Exchange Central has allowed ATEA’s dispatchers to view the calendars of all technicians simultaneously, enabling them to quickly identify available staff with the required skills. Scheduling and rescheduling are done instantly with drag-and-drop functionality, and all technicians receive real-time updates via email, phone, or SMS.

Why Exchange Central Works for ATEA

According to Jens Erik Rasmussen, Exchange Central has proven to be an invaluable tool for the company’s IT service department. Its integration with Outlook allows staff to manage consultant schedules and appointments without leaving the familiar interface of Outlook.

“When we decided to purchase Exchange Central, it was mainly because we couldn’t handle this task using MS Outlook’s standard functions. It was simply too tricky. The program is fully integrated with Outlook – so well, in fact, that users don’t notice that there are two different programs. It’s extremely easy to learn to use.”

Jens Erik Rasmussen, Head of IT, ATEA

A Smart Investment

The decision to purchase Exchange Central was not based on a formal cost-benefit analysis but on the belief that it would be a superb investment. Rasmussen notes that the cost of the solution is minimal in comparison to ATEA’s overall IT expenses, and the system has more than paid for itself in terms of saved time and improved service delivery.

“The price of Exchange Central is so low that in relation to our other IT expenses it’s inconsequential. We’ve recouped the running cost of the license and support many times over.”

Jens Erik Rasmussen, Head of IT, ATEA

What’s Next for ATEA and Exchange Central

Exchange Central is used by ATEA’s technical service division. However, Rasmussen expects the tool to be rolled out across other departments for additional resource planning tasks, such as managing meeting rooms and technical equipment.

Facts on Exchange Central

Exchange Central is a group calendar and planning tool for Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, designed to give users a consolidated view of resources and schedules across the company. With over 400,000 licenses sold, Exchange Central is a widely used group calendar for Microsoft operating systems.

For more information on ATEA:
Website: www.atea.com