Marel Improves Productivity with DECT Solution

Marel is a multinational company, with over 5000 employees dispersed over 30 countries, with 16 manufacturing facilities. However, Marel’s strongest presence in the Benelux region, with over 1,100 employees based in the Netherlands, with offices in Oss, Boxmeer, and Dongen. Marel is the leading global provider of advanced processing systems and services to the Poultry, Meat, and Fish industries. Marel’s state-of-the-art equipment and systems help food processors of all sizes, in all markets, to operate at peak productivity.

Searching for a New Telephony Solution

Marel was using an antiquated traditional telephony system that was no longer meeting their requirements, so they started a search for an alternative for its Boxmeer and Dongen locations. After a few months, their traditional PBX telephony environment was phased out and replaced by Microsoft Skype for Business. Microsoft’s Skype for Business Unified Communications platform is used by Marel worldwide for all its communications and allows Marel to communicate with external parties and internal employees via voice, chat messages, video conversations, and online meetings.

The Value of DECT Solutions from Spectralink

However, to maximize previous investment, Marek were keen to maintain their existing telephone switchboard, therefore, it was of vital importance to find a telephony solution that integrated. Due to the need for integration with both Microsoft Skype for Business and Marel’s existing switchboard, Marel sought to find a new, reliable DECT solution, after alternatives such as Wi-Fi telephony and mobile telephony were ruled out as not stable or reliable enough – plus the prohibitive cost and variations in plans for mobile phones made a DECT solution the best choice.

Marel was introduced to Spectralink, primarily due to Spectralink’s existing relationship with Microsoft and that Spectralink DECT mobility solutions could not only withstand the harsh manufacturing environments, for which they were needed, but Spectralink offers the only direct integration with Skype for Business. As such, it became clear very quickly that Spectralink was the best party to work with. The possibilities it offered to integrate the DECT solution with the existing Microsoft Skype for Business environment settled the matter to choose the Spectralink DECT solution as its new system.

Marel decided to purchase the new system with matching DECT handsets, that are compatible with the Microsoft Skype for Business solution. The 7622 handset, was specifically selected for the BHV team to allow them to send text messages as well. This team is staffed with special additional responsibilities in the case of a fire or accident, so they need to be able to respond quickly.

Spectralink’s DECT solution with Skype for Business is currently used at the offices in Boxmeer and Dongen, where about 1,000 employees in total are based – ensuring these employees can communicate more quickly and efficiently with each other without interference due to the high quality of the voice calls.

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