When a multi-academy trust (MAT) considers upgrading its telephony services to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) solution, it’s crucial to approach the procurement process with a comprehensive understanding of the specific needs and challenges involved. Based on RM's extensive experience in writing and responding to tenders for educational institutions, we want to emphasise several fundamental considerations that MATs often overlook, leading to unnecessary complications and expenses. With budgets already stretched, ensuring that every aspect of the transition is well planned will save both time and money. Here's how your trust can be better prepared when going out to tender.
The importance of thorough site surveys
Why site surveys are crucial
One of the most critical steps in the tendering process is conducting a thorough site survey. Failing to do so can result in significant issues later, particularly if your initial requirements turn out to be inaccurate. This can easily happen if internal communication about the actual needs of each school is lacking. Suppliers often base their pricing models and discounts on the quantities specified in the tender. If these figures change, you may find that the cost per handset or extension increases, disrupting your budget plans. To avoid this, consider the following:
1. Budget for infrastructure upgrades:
Assess whether your current infrastructure can support the new VoIP system, including checking if you have enough data points and whether additional cabling will be required. This can be a significant factor for older school buildings, as the cost of upgrading infrastructure might be higher than anticipated.
Plan for these potential expenses in your budget to avoid surprises. Remember that your VoIP system needs adequate cabling and data points to function optimally and avoid potential disruptions in communication.
2. Current vs. future handset requirements:
Conduct an audit of your current telephony setup. How many handsets are in use? How many are actually needed? Schools often find that they either overestimate or underestimate their handset needs. For instance, some staff might be sharing handsets, or certain handsets might be in locations that no longer require them.
Consider future needs as well. Will staff numbers rise? Will there be changes in the way communication needs to be managed? This foresight will help you avoid the cost of adding handsets later or, conversely, paying for unnecessary ones.
3. Softphone capabilities for leadership:
In today’s environment, senior leadership teams and head office staff must be accessible at all times. Softphone capabilities allow these key personnel to make and receive calls on their mobile devices or laptops, ensuring they remain connected even when offsite.
Determine if this is a requirement for your trust and ensure it is included in your tender specifications. Softphones can also be a cost-effective alternative to providing additional handsets.
4. Integration with emergency plans:
Consider how the VoIP system can integrate with your school’s emergency protocols. For example, in the event of a lockdown or invacuation, can the system be activated from remote locations such as the playground or sports hall? This feature is crucial for ensuring the safety of students and staff during emergencies.
Also, evaluate whether the system can support children on EHCPs (Education, Health, and Care Plans) during medical emergencies. The ability to quickly and effectively communicate in these situations can be a critical factor in your procurement decision.
Understanding and managing contract expiry dates
Contract management is another area where many schools inadvertently incur additional costs. Overlooking the details of existing contracts can lead to hefty termination fees or even double payments when transitioning to a new supplier. To avoid these pitfalls, take the following steps:
1. Communication with current suppliers:
Inform your current supplier that you are planning to go out to tender. This can sometimes prompt them to offer more competitive pricing or services to try and retain your business.
Additionally, this opens up a dialogue that can clarify any potential complications with your contract termination and transition process.
2. Check and align termination dates:
Carefully review your current contracts, paying close attention to the termination dates. It’s not uncommon for contracts to be extended without your knowledge, especially if additional lines or services have been added over time.
Ensure that all termination dates align so you can switch providers seamlessly without incurring extra costs or service interruptions. This alignment is especially important in a multi-site setup where different locations might have different contract end dates.
3. Portal access for multi-site solutions:
For trusts with multiple sites, it's crucial to have access to your supplier's portal. This allows you to monitor all lines and services across your different locations, ensuring you only pay for active services.
You might discover that some services, such as alarm or lift lines, have been migrated to the new system but are still being billed by the old provider. Identifying and rectifying these discrepancies can save your trust significant amounts of money.
Defining communication priorities and feature requirements
Tailoring the solution to your trust’s needs
Once you clearly understand your current setup and contract obligations, the next step is to determine your trust's communication priorities. This involves determining the key features you need and ensuring that the solution aligns with your policies and objectives.
1. Establishing communication priorities:
Risk reduction: Ensure that the new system helps mitigate potential risks, such as communication failures during emergencies.
Policy compliance: The solution should support compliance with relevant safety regulations, safeguarding policies, and other statutory requirements.
Emergency planning and lockdown procedures: Consider how the system will enhance your ability to manage emergencies, including lockdowns and other critical incidents.
Time management and efficiency: The system should streamline communication processes, reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and improving overall efficiency.
Accessibility and productivity: Ensure that the system improves accessibility for all staff and enhances productivity by providing the necessary tools for effective communication.
Support for welfare: Consider features that support the welfare of both students and staff, such as dedicated support lines or automated welfare checks.
Alarms and safety measures: The system should integrate seamlessly with existing safety measures, such as fire alarms and security systems, to provide a comprehensive safety solution.
Safeguarding: Ensure the solution supports your trust's safeguarding policies, particularly in maintaining secure and confidential communication channels.
2. Identifying essential features:
Security lockdown: The ability to initiate a security lockdown for intruder alerts directly through the VoIP system can be a vital feature for schools.
Paging alerts: This feature is crucial for broadcasting emergency announcements or general public messages across the school.
Dedicated support lines: Ensure the system can provide dedicated lines for student support, including welfare support lines for families.
Detailed call reporting: Automated and detailed call reporting helps ensure that all communication is tracked and any missed calls are followed up.
Night mode: For schools that need after-hours functionality, a night mode feature allows for optimised operations during non-working hours with the simple press of a button.
Secure conference calls: For communication involving sensitive information, especially useful for children on EHCPs, secure conference calls with PIN codes can ensure confidentiality.
Call recording and MIS integration: Consider whether call recordings need to be automatically linked with a student’s records in your Management Information System (MIS) for easy access and compliance with record-keeping requirements.
3. Policy alignment and compliance:
Ensure that the telephony solution aligns with key policies and regulatory frameworks, such as:
- The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
- The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
- DfE (2018) 'Health and safety: responsibilities and duties for schools'.
- DfE (2015) 'Emergency planning and response'.
- DfE (2019) 'School and college security'.
- National Counter Terrorism Security Office (2015) 'Developing Dynamic Lockdown Procedures'.
- Martyn's Law: Soon to be introduced, this law will emphasize the need for robust security measures, particularly in public-facing institutions like schools.
The final step: training and implementation
Training is the final but critical step in ensuring the successful implementation of your new VoIP system. It’s not enough to simply install the technology; your staff must be trained to use it effectively. Here’s how to approach training:
1. Basic to advanced training:
Start with the basics: Ensure that all staff know how to make and receive calls, transfer calls, and use essential features.
Expand training to include more advanced functionalities, such as live broadcasting for announcements, managing lockdown procedures, and using the VoIP system for emergency communications.
2. Customised training programmes:
Tailor the training to the specific needs of different staff members. For example, administrative staff may need more in-depth training on managing the system’s backend, while teaching staff may focus on using the system during daily operations and emergencies.
Engage with your staff to gather feedback on what they enjoy about the current system and where they see room for improvement. This input will help you customise the training program to address actual needs.
3. Ongoing support and updates:
Ensure that staff have ongoing support as they become accustomed to the new system. This can include quick reference guides, video tutorials, and access to a helpdesk for immediate assistance.
Plan for periodic updates and refresher training sessions to keep everyone up to date with the latest features and best practices.
Preparing for the shift to internet telephony
The transition to digital communication
The telecommunications landscape is rapidly changing, with traditional analogue services being phased out by the end of 2025. This shift to digital solutions, particularly internet telephony, requires schools and trusts to plan proactively.
1. Understanding internet telephony:
Internet telephony encompasses a range of services, including voice and video calls, delivered over the internet using Internet Protocol (IP). This technology is more flexible and scalable than traditional analogue systems, making it an ideal choice for educational institutions.
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the most common form of internet telephony. It converts audio signals into digital data packets, transmits them over the internet, and reassembles them on the receiving end. This process allows for clearer voice communication and enables the integration of various digital communication tools.
2. Necessary hardware and infrastructure:
To transition to internet telephony, schools need a reliable internet connection, a modem or router, and compatible devices such as laptops, tablets, or VoIP-enabled desktop phones. Evaluate your current IT infrastructure to ensure it can support the new system without requiring significant upgrades.
In some cases, investing in power over ethernet (PoE) switches might be necessary to ensure that VoIP phones receive both data and power over a single ethernet cable, simplifying the installation process.
3. Reasons for the shift:
The phase-out of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) by 2025 is the primary reason for switching to internet telephony. However, the benefits extend beyond mere compliance with new regulations.
Internet telephony offers cost savings by reducing the need for multiple lines and expensive hardware. It also provides improved reliability, with fewer service disruptions and higher voice quality. Additionally, advanced features like video conferencing, voicemail-to-email, and call forwarding enhance productivity and collaboration within the school community.
Finally, internet telephony is scalable, allowing schools to easily add or remove lines and features as their needs change without incurring significant additional costs.
Advantages of internet telephony
Switching to internet telephony brings numerous advantages that align well with the needs of educational institutions:
1. Flexibility:
VoIP systems allow staff to make and receive calls from multiple devices, including desktops, laptops, and mobile phones. This is particularly useful for senior staff who need to be accessible even when offsite.
The flexibility of VoIP also extends to remote work capabilities, ensuring that staff can stay connected no matter where they are.
2. Scalability:
Unlike traditional phone systems, VoIP can easily scale up or down depending on the number of users and the services required. This scalability makes it an ideal solution for trusts with multiple sites, as it allows for seamless communication across all locations.
VoIP systems are also future-proof, meaning they can easily adapt to new technologies and requirements without significant additional investment.
3. Cost-efficiency:
With VoIP, schools can save on the costs associated with traditional phone lines, such as installation fees, line rental, and long-distance call charges. Most VoIP providers offer competitive pricing plans that include unlimited calling, further reducing communication costs.
Additionally, VoIP systems require less maintenance, reducing the need for costly service contracts and on-site visits from technicians.
4. Superior voice quality:
VoIP systems typically offer superior voice quality compared to traditional analogue lines, provided there is a solid and stable internet connection. This is particularly important in educational settings, where clear communication is essential for effective teaching and administration.
5. Enhanced business continuity:
In an emergency, such as a fire or natural disaster, VoIP systems can continue operating as long as there is internet access. The system can easily redirect calls to mobile phones or other locations, ensuring communication remains uninterrupted.
VoIP also supports disaster recovery planning by allowing schools to quickly re-establish communication lines in the event of a disruption, minimising downtime and ensuring that critical information can still be disseminated.
How RM can help
RM offers a comprehensive internet telephony solution through its Evonex platform, providing flexible, scalable, and secure communication options tailored to the unique needs of educational institutions. RM ensures that your trust's communication needs are met with industry-leading technology and support:
1. Tailored solutions:
RM understands that every trust has unique communication requirements. By working closely with your team, RM can design a solution that addresses your specific needs, whether improving emergency communication protocols, integrating with existing systems, or providing advanced features like secure conference calls and detailed call reporting.
2. Unparalleled support:
With over 30 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, RM is well-equipped to support your trust through every stage of the transition to internet telephony. From initial consultation and site surveys to installation, training, and ongoing support, RM is committed to ensuring a seamless and successful implementation.
3. Future-proof technology:
RM designs solutions to be future-proof, meaning they can easily adapt to new technologies and evolving communication needs. By choosing RM, your trust can be confident that it is investing in a solution that will continue to serve its needs well into the future.
Conclusion
As the deadline for the phase-out of traditional analogue telephony approaches, it's more important than ever for multi-academy trusts to begin planning for the transition to VoIP and internet telephony. By carefully considering the factors outlined above and working with a trusted provider like RM, your trust can ensure a smooth, cost-effective, and future-proof upgrade to its communication systems.
If you need assistance preparing your tender or want to learn more about how RM can help modernise your trust's communication systems, don't hesitate to contact us. Ensuring consistency, thoroughness, and foresight in your procurement process is essential, especially when outsourcing the writing of your tender.
Don't wait until the last minute - prepare your trust today for a seamless transition to the future of communication.
Futher reading
For more details on the six features that matter when choosing VoIP handsets, read our article that explains them in more depth.
Register for webinar about the PSTN switch off and all things VoIP on 7th November