COSTS AND CARBON SAVED BY VIDEOCONFERENCING
Introducing RD Leverage
RD Leverage is one of the world’s leading suppliers of tooling for consumer industries. Their investment in video conferencing is proof that it is not just multisite large corporations that can benefit from Video conferencing. RD Leverage have just two sites; one in Sutton-in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire and another in Lee’s Summit, Missouri.
The money they have saved travelling between these two sites
Has equalled
A complete recoupment of the investment they put in to video conferencing in only one year
Why video Conferencing?
The main driver for videoconferencing was the design and implementation of a new, large corporate management information system (MIS) that necessitated frequent meetings and, potentially, considerable travel between the two sites.
Doing the Maths
To measure the value and impact of videoconferencing they calculated that each of the meetings were timetabled for approximately 35 hours, but the total time involved, including travelling, amounted to 144 hours of which only about a third was really productive. Although some of this excess time could possibly have been used for work, with the best will in the world, it would not have been as productive as the same amount of time spent in the office. The point was also made that the sole reason for the meetings was the MIS system; without this there would have been no need to travel.
35 hours of meetings
= 109 hours travelling to and from meetings
= 144 hours dedicated to meetings
= 1/3 of productive time being used
= A strong case for investing in video conferencing
And the Final Result
RDLeverage have estimated they have saved 3456 hours through avoiding travel to the meetings.
Instead their meetings have been conducted by videoconferencing using LifeSize Room systems, one in Nottinghamshire and one in Missouri, and connected over IP via a fixed link. They have also maximised the possibilities by sending presentations and proposals from their laptops over the video conferencing system.
Video Usage for big projects
For the year of the MIS project the company have conservatively estimated that £25,600 in travel and hotel accommodation costs has been saved, in the process avoiding 24 separate person trips between the two sites. At the same time they have eliminated the emission of 36500kg of CO2– a double saving that is good for RDLeverage’s finances and for the environment.
Investing in Video with overseas Offices
As the chosen supplier, Questmark liaised, via videoconferencing of course, with a LifeSize partner local to Lee’s Summit, for the supply and installation there “We were looking for a local supplier,” says Mike Peat IT Manager of RDLeverage. “A web search came up with Questmark Ltd”
“It has proved a wise choice. Apart from knowing their stuff, they have been tremendously helpful, spending time with us to ensure we enjoy the full potential of the systems though training and on-going support.”
With the help of Questmark and with their own drive to make full use of their video systems, during the MIS project usage was intensive – up to 120 hours per month. Now it has settled down to an average of 15 hours per month. User reaction has been positive; both the UK and US Managing Directors are enthusiastic and even those who doubted the benefits have been converted by their experiences of the service.
Discovering the additional benefits of video.
Although usage is primarily for internal meetings, RDLeverage see videoconferencing playing an important role in their supply chain. “As we deal with many global organisations,” explains Mike Peat,
“being able to offer videoconferencing as a means of communications can strengthen our customer relations.”
A perfect video conference project for a company continuing to reap the benefits.
Sam McMaster, the managing director of Questmark said “The use of this application within R&D tools shows how well a videoconferencing project can be undertaken and the rapid return on investment that this technology can deliver. Considering the prevailing macroeconomic conditions in the UK and US, these savings are even more vital for the end user. This success is down to the way R&D have deployed the systems and the excellent implementation, training and ongoing support provided by Questmark.”