This solution scenario is a fictitious example of a how the Norstar* phone system from Nortel can help small businesses get on their feet and be prepared for the future.

• Business Demand Encourages SuperPets to Move to a Bigger Store
• Challenges
• Solution
• Leveraging Existing Investments
• Gaining an Edge on the Competition
• Results

When the Jacksons opened their SuperPets franchise, the Nortel Norstar phone system met their needs and provided them with a communications solution that increased profits, employee efficiency, and customer service. Due to high customer demand, they're ready to double the size of their store to better meet the needs of their clients.

Customer satisfaction, competitive pricing, and always-available inventory soon drove more customers to this SuperPets franchise than the store was equipped to handle. The limited number of pet grooming stations required the Jacksons to extend shop hours to meet the growing demand. They quickly saw the need to move the store to a larger location, but they now faced a new set of challenges:

• How could technology help the business meet the increased demands of a larger store?
• How could the company build upon investments in existing communications technologies?
• Should the Jacksons investigate whether there were new solutions available that can accommodate the needs of a growing company?

To find answers to these questions, the Jacksons turned once again to their Nortel channel partner, who informed them that because they had wisely invested in a Norstar phone system they could leverage their original investment and expand their solution size and functionally to meet their new needs.

Because of the compact design of the Norstar solution, installing it in the new location was simple and quick. It retained all of the programming from the original location, minimizing set up time and eliminating the need to re-train employees on the phone system. This allowed the staff to focus on getting the new store established and spending time with customers --instead of in the backroom learning new systems.

Another benefit of the Norstar system is the modular design of its core products and applications which support additional growth with minimal incremental investment. The Jacksons were able to add new phones to support a larger sales staff, more groomers, and additional stocking employees without having to migrate to a larger system. The solution cost-effectively solved the communications needs of this growing business while protecting their original investments.

The investment in the Norstar applications also supported growth with little-to-no additional cost. The original automated attendant, voicemail, call center, and unified messaging applications were all able to support the increased demands of the new, larger store. Because the Norstar CallPilot Application Server houses all of the applications in one platform, it was simple and cost effective for SuperPets to expand capacity and functionality. Additional voicemail boxes, unified messaging seats, and call center agents were added with a simple key-code, which was entered remotely without the need for a potentially costly site visit from the channel partner.

The Jacksons face intense competition in their community and are always looking for ways to distinguish themselves by providing superior customer service and support They realized that employees were missing customer calls because they were performing their jobs throughout the store. To solve this problem, the Jacksons wanted to improve customer and supplier accessibility to the business by providing the staff with ready access to the telephone system from anywhere within the store. However, the physical size and structure of the new store posed some mobility challenges. With over 10,000 square feet of floor space and hard brick walls, any mobility solution they installed would have to deliver excellent range and quality.

Once again, the Jacksons turned to their Nortel partner who recommended the Digital Mobility Solution for Norstar. This solution allows SuperPets employees to stay accessible by providing full in-store phone coverage, including the back-office, the stock rooms, the grooming area, and even the loading docks. This full coverage ensures that employees are always available to answer a customer's call--no matter where in the store the employee happens to be at the moment. The company avoids leaving customers on hold during inventory checks, and provides better and more immediate customer service.

Using portable phones, the Digital Mobility Solution for Norstar lets the SuperPets team gain access, from anywhere in the facility, to the same time-saving and convenient Norstar business features they already enjoyed, such as call forwarding, call transfer, conferencing, and voice mail. The business has virtually eliminated the lost or delayed calls that previously often resulted in losing business to the competition. Mobility has added both to the customer experience and to the company's bottom line.

The Jacksons' original selection of a Norstar solution proved to be a wise choice. Not only did it provide worldclass features and quality, but it also evolved and expanded with their business needs while still protecting the initial investment. Because the Jacksons invested in a Nortel solution, they have the confidence to grow their business and know that Nortel will be there with them to meet their ongoing communications needs--no matter how big or complex their business becomes.

In fact, the business became so successful that the story continues. Please read further about how the business prospered, and how the Jacksons expanded this communication solutions a few years later as they built a converged voice and data network and added another retail location.