Situation
Managing the telecommunications setup of multiple remote sites can be a major challenge, especially when local staff are not telecoms experts themselves. A leading managed pub company commissioned Panama Communications to attend all of their outlets to complete a full telecoms inventory and report back their findings.

Client Requirements

• 220 outlets visited in 9 weeks

• Accurate inventory of telecoms equipment

• Visits Tuesday–Friday to avoid peak trading and staff days off

• Locations from Plymouth to Glasgow

Panama Communications’ Approach

• Every site was pre-contacted and scheduled to minimise failed visits, even in the nightclub estate

• A standardised feedback process was used, with project management checking every site report

• Visits included inspection of PSTN/ISDN lines, handsets, switches, PDQ machines, and alarms

• Fly lead cabling on PDQ base stations was replaced to improve long-term reliability

Results

• Ceased 612 PSTN/ISDN lines, saving ~£92,000 annually

• Average saving: 2.8 lines per site (up to 10 in some cases)

• Compiled invaluable site inventory for billing and remote maintenance

• Identified irregularities for head office review

• Fixed on-site support issues during visits

• Return on investment within six months

• Client feedback: “Very, very pleased.”

Situation
A large hospitality company was renting over 11,000 telephone lines at £180 per line per year, amounting to nearly £2 million in annual expenditure.

Panama Communications’ Approach

• Having supported this account before, Panama knew a rationalisation project could yield large savings

• Engineers visited each site to assess equipment and line usage

• A site-specific report with recommendations was provided to the client

Results

• Over 3,600 PSTN/ISDN lines cancelled (30%+ reduction)

• Estimated annual savings: £650,000

• Created accurate inventory of PBX types and line usage

• Mapped IT/telecoms locations

• Resolved various on-site issues during visits

• Client reception: extremely positive

Scalability
This approach was demonstrated to work for estates ranging from 1 to 1,500 outlets

Situation
A restaurant was unable to take payments on its PDQ terminal, causing severe disruption. The manager contacted Panama Communications for assistance.

Panama Communications’ Approach

• An engineer was dispatched to site—remote resolution was deemed unlikely

• Engineers followed a thorough fault-finding process

• Issues addressed included: hardware faults, cabling, configuration, exchange faults, and even staff training

• Engineers coordinated with third parties (e.g. PDQ providers, alarm companies, etc.) where necessary

Results

• Most problems were resolved within 24 hours, restoring business continuity

• Clients were relieved of technical burdens and able to focus on customer service