COMPANY
In business for more than a century, Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad, www.ihbrr.com, is the largest switch carrier in the U.S. with 54 miles of mainline track and 266 miles of additional yard and siding track. IHB provides a wide variety of services, including industrial switching for 160 customers, generating 170,000 carloads of business annually.

CHALLENGE
IHB employees go the extra mile … literally. Every day, more than 750 employees report for work at locations across 320 miles of railroad track. Managing a widespread workforce proved resource- and time-intensive, according to IHB director of systems development Jim Wilson.

For payroll time recording, crew members signed time sheets that were faxed to administrative employees. “Originally, approximately 60 to 70 faxes were received every day that had to be input into a payroll system,” Wilson said. Substantial time and effort went in to the recording process on both ends—often leading to high payroll costs and delays. “At times, it could take several days before the faxes were input,” Wilson explained.

To streamline the process, Wilson and his team considered various options including placing scanner PCs at each location for entering payroll. “But, we wanted to stay away from PCs,” Wilson said. “Our IT team is too small to maintain PCs in the field. There is an extremely high cost with that. With people tinkering, machines tend to break down more out there.”

Even if PCs were manageable, a requirement for mobility made them undesirable. It’s the nature of the transportation business: “If managers and employees aren’t mobile, they should be,” Wilson explained. To effectively supervise crew members, IHB managers must be on the road—or track—with them. However, Wilson and his team ruled out handheld PCs for the same cost and maintenance reasons that eliminated desktop machines. “There had to be a simpler way,” Wilson continued. Then, like a light at the end of the tunnel, the answer started to emerge. Wilson recalled: “We have telephones everywhere.”

IHB decided to search for an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, technology that allows users to interact with databases via telephone. It investigated a large system by its switch vendor that included telephone interaction. “Unfortunately, the investment was an enormous amount we didn’t think we would gain return on for six to eight years,” Wilson said. Also, the system was missing ease-of-development and essential links to IHB information housed in an IBM mainframe and custom databases. Wilson and his team developed requirements for an effective IVR solution:

Easy integration: “We needed an IVR solution that could be integrated with all of our unique and custom mainframe applications.”

Easy development: “It needed to allow our support staff the ability to develop applications.”

Low cost: “We weren’t positive what types of returns we would get, so we didn’t want to outlay a lot of money.”

THE SOLUTION
“Within 10 minutes of an online demonstration for CallXpress, we knew where we were probably going to go,” Wilson said. CallXpress is a leading unified communications solution from Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST). It is extended by Automated Agent, its premier IVR system that provides callers access to automatic, accurate information.

Working with Michigan-based Parallax Technologies, a long-time AVST partner, IHB implemented Automated Agent IVR capabilities for efficient payroll reporting. “Employees call the IVR application and report their payroll information directly into the IHB mainframe system, thus eliminating the need for clerical input,” Wilson said. There are no papers to sign, fax and store. Instead, the average call takes crew members 15 to 20 seconds, and time sheets are automatically recorded. When the system is rolled out completely, it will handle close to 200 calls per day.

“Increased productivity leads to time- and cost-savings,” Wilson stated. “CallXpress can pay for itself just with those areas.” For instance, reductions in clerical input are estimated at almost $5,000 per year. However, other gains result as managers have access to payroll information on a real-time basis. “Using the telephone system and integrating with payroll, IHB managers have the ability to regulate payroll costs and more effectively manage people,” Wilson said. He continued, “Since payroll expenses comprise 55 to 60 percent of total expenses, even small percentage savings are tremendous.”

Easy Integration – When IHB investigated, it found the company had information available in its core systems. “Why not look for something that will integrate with the core?” Wilson commented. “A corporate-wide solution would be more cost effective than being restricted to one application.” Designed on open standards, CallXpress integrates with all IHB unique and custom mainframe applications. Like other companies using CallXpress, IHB is able to leverage its existing investments for cost-effective growth.

“We’re also impressed with the CallXpress ability to access e-mails over the telephone or voice mails directed to e-mail,” Wilson said. As a leading unified communications solution, CallXpress combines voice, fax and e-mail messages in one inbox and makes them accessible via telephone, wireless device, computer or the Internet. “People in the field receive faxes or messages regarding safety every day,” Wilson said. “We may set CallXpress so they can use a telephone to receive all their messages.”

Easy Development – Wilson reported installation to be extremely easy. “With other systems you often spend a lot of time developing it and you don’t have time to test,” he lamented. “There were super high marks for everyone involved … with CallXpress and Parallax, we were up and running in less than two days.” Further, CallXpress allows IHB’s current systems support staff the ability to develop applications. CallXpress affords IHB the opportunity to implement what is needed today while setting a foundation for future use.

Low cost – “The IVR application contains the framework for IHB to enhance our in-house crew calling system at a more reasonable price,” Wilson said. IHB expects to complete implementation of Automated Agent and investigate and implement other CallXpress capabilities. For now, based only on the IVR application, the team predicts an impressive payback. “The return on investment we receive is expected to easily pay for the system in less than a year,” Wilson said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (“AVST”) is a leader in the unified communications (“UC”) marketplace uniquely combining the strengths of its world-class messaging platform, CallXpress®, with its speech-enabled call management module, Seneca™, to create a powerful, next-generation unified communications solution. The Company’s products are designed to scale and support organizations of all sizes. For more information please contact: www.avst.com or +1.949.699.2300.

ABOUT PARALLAX TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Parallax is focused on assisting companies in optimizing customer interactions through applications evolving the world of communications. Since 1986 Parallax has provided customers with consulting services, systems integration and professional services. The combination of Parallax’s methodologies and technical expertise enables it to deliver tangible economic benefits that are built on years of real-world experience helping customers implement value-based programs. For more information visit www.parallaxtechnologies.com and contact +1.810.695-5652.