New requirements for communication and reachability

With nine car dealerships, the HW Group is one of the largest automobile dealer groups in southern Germany. When the company’s IT managers started looking for a new communications solution they wanted to digitize and improve processes across all locations. Then the pandemic hit, bringing along unexpected challenges in the areas of communication and collaboration.

"Due to the spread of Covid-19, the management of large call volumes and remote working – two topics that were already on our agenda – suddenly took on completely new dimensions. The importance of telephone contact with customers has increased considerably since personal meetings and on-site appointments were reduced to a minimum. When we first started to look at flexible working concepts, we would never have imagined that a large part of our workforce would be working from home from one day to the next", says Markus Füßl, Head of IT at the HWGroup.

With the Swyx Unified Communications solution, which the HWGroup opted for with its BMW dealerships as well as the central IT and administration, the company is ideally equipped to meet these requirements. The software-based IP communication solution not only offers reliable telephony – in the office and working from home, internally and externally, but also makes it possible to optimise processes. Users can control all telephony functions via their computer and start calls simply by clicking. Presence information shows which colleagues are currently available, in a call or absent. This simplifies communication with contacts at other locations. The messenger enables a quick exchange. If a colleague is on the phone for a longer period of time, urgent questions can easily be clarified via text message.

The Swyx UC solution supports a wide range of devices so that employees can always use all important functions and just one central phone number, regardless of where they work and which device they use.

"With Swyx, we can access the company phonebook and presence information even when working remotely and can be reached under the familiar extension. It makes no difference whether someone is using a smartphone, laptop or PC with a headset or desk phone. Existing and prospective customers get in touch with a sales contact much faster and more convenient – leaving them satisfied and saving us time", says Mario Flacke, Branch Manager at Autohaus Hofmann in Ingolstadt, the car dealership that was the first of the group to use the Swyx solution.

Intelligent call forwarding options and an efficient queue management also enable the company to save time and improve reachability. This means that callers do not have to wait before they can speak to someone who can help them, even at peak times.

Thanks to the integration options of the Swyx solution with the CRM systems of HWGroup, employees will in the future not only be able to greet calling customers directly by name, but at the same time also view all relevant data, from contact history to sales contracts or workshop invoices.

As implementation partner, SysTec Computer GmbH supports the HWGroup.

The Swyx partner has many years of experience in the planning and implementation of customised IT solutions and was able to impress during the selection process. “SysTec showed us the advantages of the Swyx solution with a test installation. The test users working from home were perfectly integrated into our communications environment, so that they were just as productive as in the office and had no problems getting their work done”, said IT manager Markus Füßl.

The implementation of the Swyx solution at the first locations in Ingolstadt and Abensberg went smoothly without a hitch. Erdenreich Datentechnik GmbH, another regional Swyx partner involved in the project, ensured high-quality internet connections at the individual BMW locations of the HWGroup. "The cooperation with the IT service providers works extremely well. We are highly satisfied with both our local partners and the Swyx solution and are now benefiting from a communications solution that is optimally tailored to our requirements", said Mario Flacke, drawing a positive conclusion.

The Swyx UC solution is now gradually being rolled out to all BMW locations of the HWGroup and thus to a total of 300 users. With Swyx, the individual locations can be networked with each other so that all employees can access the central telephone book. It is also very easy to implement cross-location forwarding in order to further increase availability by phone. For example, if someone calls outside one location’s business hours, the call can simply be answered at another location.

"At the moment, we can only guess when we will be able to return to normality and what exactly this new normality will look like. However, we are sure that with Swyx and SysTec we are well-equipped for any future challenges that might arise in the area of communication, because Swyx enables us to adapt quickly to changing requirements", said IT manager Markus Füßl.

About the HWGroup

Founded in 1950, the HWGroup is a family business rich in tradition - with two corporate groups and nine car dealerships at four locations - and is today one of the largest and most successful automobile dealer groups in southern Germany. Through its subsidiaries, the group sells the automobile brands Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, BMW, MINI and Porsche. From small cars to mid-size vehicles, from SUVs to vans, premium and sports cars as well as a large selection of electric and hybrid vehicles round off the product range.

Further information on the HWGroup: www.hwgruppe.de

About SysTec

IT service as a full service - SysTec Computer GmbH, based in Ingolstadt, Munich and Rosenheim, specialises in the holistic support of IT systems as well as IT infrastructure for companies. With professional IT consulting, fast delivery times of software and hardware products as well as speedy implementation, SysTec offers complete 360° IT support for companies with a wide range of requirements, from setting up servers, networks and TC systems to IT process optimisation. As a cloud and managed service provider, SysTec also offers customers cloud solutions that impress with high flexibility, cost efficiency and security in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

Further information about SysTec: www.systec-computer.de