Empowering flexibility and belonging with Microsoft Teams calling

Newydd Housing Association doesn’t only invest in housing developments, they invest in people – their tenants and their staff. And for this, they need the right partner and tools.

Newydd Housing Association is a charitable housing association that offers 3,000 affordable homes for rent and sale to people where need is at its greatest in mid and south Wales. Their vision is to provide affordable homes and support sustainable communities with excellent services to tenants and customers.

Investing in the sense of belonging

In our new world of hybrid working, Chief Executive Jason Wroe set himself a personal mission of making sure his team all felt included and connected with a strong sense of belonging, no matter where they work from. So when their legacy phone system could no longer be supported, they had to look to the future. Mobility, efficiency and cost were top of their wish list.

After comparing like-for-like solutions (including non-Microsoft cloud options), they chose to continue their successful Microsoft adoption journey with Kascade, implementing Microsoft Teams Calling.

Embracing modern communications for a hybrid world

Communication is vital at Newydd. With an initial Microsoft adoption project, our specialists had already proven the benefits, and the positive impact had already dramatically improved their internal communications.

But Newydd is a forward-thinking company. Foreseeing a shift to hybrid working on the horizon, they knew their on-prem legacy phone system was holding them back. Then Covid hit, and in a heartbeat, hybrid working wasn’t an ideal but a necessity.

Ensuring effortless communication for tenants is crucial – they need to pick up the phone and speak to the person they need quickly and easily. But Newydd also wanted to ensure all their staff feel included and connected – now more than ever.

Our Microsoft experts provided a thorough requirements analysis. It became clear that the ideal solution was Kascade Voice – our fully-managed Teams Calling service that includes training and ongoing support.

“Kascade Voice really is the solution we were looking for. It keeps our teams connected, it’s easy to use… and it just works.”

Louise Hamer – IT Manager, Newydd Housing Association

A smooth journey to hybrid happiness

Initially, Newydd was concerned that the features of Teams Calling weren’t as extensive as the alternatives. We set up a trial to demonstrate the system, and quickly they saw it was the right solution for them.

Transitioning to a new telephony system can be worrying; however, the switchover was seamless. Our team provided full support through implementation and roll-out, porting phone numbers into the new system and training their staff, including those working on the road.

Making the hybrid switch with Kascade Voice

Newydd has said goodbye to cumbersome physical handsets and welcomed a telephony system for a new age. Feedback has been nothing but positive. Their staff love it. It gives them the freedom and confidence to work where they want while remaining part of the team.

Kascade Voice doesn’t just improve connectivity; it has many additional benefits. Gone is the significant capital outlay of a physical system; onboarding new users is a breeze, and it’s freed up more time for their staff to do other things.

Blending remote and on-site meetings with Teams Rooms

The next step was to implement Teams Rooms alongside Teams Calling to support Jason’s desire to keep everyone included and connected.

Our team assessed their offices to determine the size of the rooms and the potential number of meeting attendees. We set up a proof of concept so Newydd could trial the system before committing. They loved it and can now seamlessly connect people in the office, remote workers and those on the road.

To ensure staff were totally comfortable using the rooms, we provided full training. It’s working brilliantly, bringing people together and creating a sense of belonging wherever employees choose to be.

Achieving the CEO’s mission

Through technology, we were able to meet a very human need – a sense of belonging. The adoption of Microsoft Teams, Teams Calling and Teams Meeting Rooms means that no matter how or where you work at Newydd, you are always included, connected and feel part of the team.

Working together for better

Newydd and Kascade’s partnership extends beyond technology. Sharing a passion for giving back to their communities, Kascade gathered and refurbished Newydd’s unused equipment so they could distribute it to their tenants in need. Read more about this in our article:
The Digital Inclusion Project – Kascade and Newydd Housing Donate IT Equipment to Support Those In Need.