SMURFIT KAPPA TURNHOUT, BELGIUM

Customer Profile

Smurfit Kappa Turnhout in Belgium is part of the Smurfit Kappa Group, a world leader in paper-based packaging that enjoys a leading position in Europe and a strong position in Latin America. With over 40,000 employees in over 30 countries (22 in Europe), the company is the European leader in containerboard, solid board, corrugated and solid board packaging and has a key position in several other packaging and paper market segments, including graphic board, sack paper and paper sacks.

The Smurfit Kappa Group aspires to be recognised as the most successful paper-based packaging company in its chosen market sectors. Achieving this means providing innovative packaging solutions, outstanding customer service, keeping costs low and remaining fast, flexible and always ahead of changing demands.

Situation

To help Smurfit Kappa Turnhout realise its future aspirations, its production plant needed to upgrade its tele-communications system. It had an eight-year-old system in place with 24 portable DECT sets and 26 transmitters, but which used a frequency no longer allowed by new government regulations. "We also wanted to increase the number of DECT sets. However, expansion within our old PBX would have been too costly, because it required investing in additional antennae," says Jan Versmissen, ICT manager at the packaging business. Regarded as the most innovative plant within the Smurfit Kappa Group, Turnhout also had a reputation to live up to when it came to adopting new technologies.

Requirements

A key requirement was to halve the yearly costs of running and main-taining the plant’s telecommunication system, which also had to be easily expandable without necessitating major investments.

The ICT department of the Turnhout plant also wanted to centralise all the different applications in one system, accessible via a single server.

Solution

NEC Philips Unified Solutions introduced the Turnhout plant to a SOPHO 2000 IPS, full IP solution with Business ConneCT and IP DECT. Currently, this includes 100 Voice over IP (VoIP) sets, 26 IP DECT transmitters, 26 industrial portable DECT handsets, 4 softphones, a number of analogue telephone sets and 80 Business ConneCT licenses.

IP DECT is regarded as the perfect marriage between proven DECT technology and VoIP. With this solution, NEC Philips could make the existing 3Com network VoIP-ready, while maintaining the qualities and benefits of a classic DECT system.

Business ConneCT is a Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) application offering functionalities that facilitate high levels of customer service and interaction between colleagues. “You can immediately see whether your colleagues are available or in a meeting or on the phone, for instance. The response on this application has been very good,” says Versmissen. The softphones provide a connection to the company’s server for people working from home.

Benefits

Since the completion of the installation, in 2006, the NEC Philips solution has brought many benefits. Costs have been reduced greatly, partly because Smurfit Kappa Turnhout’s ICT department can now do its own maintenance. The new PBX, which uses only one server and one cable, has made maintenance a lot easier. Replacing a defective DECT handset is now also easy; the SIM-card is simply removed from the old handset and placed in the new one, and it works immediately. A further benefit is that the new system is always expandable, thanks to the IP network.

Why NEC Philips

Smurfit Kappa Turnhout selected NEC Philips because it was the only telecom partner with a proven track record in providing VoIP technology that was able to deliver an all-in-one system. The fact that the Smurfit Kappa Group and NEC Philips share the same company values, such as flexibility and anticipation, also played a significant role.

Key Features

• SOPHO 2000 IPS, all-in-one, fully IP solution
• Business ConneCT
• IP DECT
• DECT handsets
• Softphones