RingCentral > Case Studies > RingCentral's Unified Communications Solution Boosts PGA's Operational Efficiency

RingCentral's Unified Communications Solution Boosts PGA's Operational Efficiency

Technology Category

Networks & Connectivity - 5G
Sensors - Acoustic Sensors

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Personnel Tracking & Monitoring

Services

Training

About The Customer

The PGA of America is the world's largest working sports organization, with over 28,000 dedicated men and women promoting the game of golf to everyone, everywhere. The organization conducts more than 30 tournaments each year and operates a headquarters, 41 section offices across the U.S., an educational center, a golf learning center for the public, a golf museum, a philanthropic arm (PGA Foundation), and four of its own golf courses. The PGA is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, and was founded in 1916.

The Challenge

The PGA of America, the world's largest working sports organization, was facing a significant challenge with its communication infrastructure. The organization, which promotes the game of golf across the U.S., was relying on an aging, on-premises PBX system for phone services at its headquarters and educational center. Smaller facilities and temporary events, such as tournaments, had to acquire their own phone services from local providers. This fragmented approach was not only inefficient but also lacked redundancy. In the event of a power outage due to a windstorm, the organization would virtually disappear, with callers hearing nothing but dead air. Furthermore, the PGA wanted to bring newer communication functionalities such as video and audio conferencing to more people within the organization. The existing audio conferencing service was too expensive, and there was a need for better communication tools for employees who traveled extensively, which made up approximately 60% of the staff.

The Solution

In 2014, Laurie French, PGA’s director of technology operations, decided to upgrade and consolidate phone service across the organization. After evaluating and testing four unified communications as a service (UCaaS) solutions for about a year, PGA chose RingCentral. RingCentral met all the requirements of the PGA, worked better in their environment, and was priced right. The organization was able to reduce its communication costs by 25% after deploying RingCentral. Immediate savings came from eliminating the headquarters’ 25 fax machines and dedicated communication lines, replacing the expensive audio conferencing service with RingCentral Meetings, and retiring the two PBXs. Further savings were anticipated as French planned to convert more of the section offices, golf courses, and temporary sites over to RingCentral. RingCentral also allowed French to deliver more communication functionality to the PGA staff, improving their ability to stay connected and on top of what’s happening in the office.

Operational Impact

The implementation of RingCentral's UCaaS solution significantly improved the operational efficiency of the PGA. The mobile employees, including the executive team, the people who put on the championships, the marketing and communications groups, and the business development team, now work more efficiently on the road. They no longer have to go to separate places to check email, voicemail on their cell phones, voicemail on their desk phones, or find a physical fax machine. All of these functionalities are now available on their mobile phones with RingCentral. The timesaving capability of seeing their voice messages in email was particularly appreciated by the users. Furthermore, RingCentral's commitment to integrating its communications functionality with other technology PGA uses now, or will use in the future, was highly valued by the director of technology operations.

Quantitative Benefit

Reduced communication costs by 25% after deploying RingCentral.
Eliminated the need for 25 fax machines and dedicated communication lines at the headquarters.
Retired two PBX systems, leading to significant cost savings.