Friday, November 15, 2024

Manufacturing, Healthcare and Retail Voice with Teams Phone

In today's business environment, seamless communication is more important than ever, especially in sectors like manufacturing and retail, where quick, clear coordination can significantly impact operations. While DECT technology continues to evolve as a valuable communications platform, many organizations are looking for modern solutions that offer more flexibility and integration. Microsoft Teams Voice has become a comprehensive platform that provides everything you need, including dial-by-name functionality for simplified communication.

However, extension-based dialing remains crucial for certain use cases, especially in fast-paced environments where speed and simplicity are key. Whether it's contacting a production manager in manufacturing or reaching a sales team member on the retail floor, or a trauma nurse in the ICU, the ability to quickly dial an extension can save time and reduce confusion.


Enter Teams Shared Calling—a game-changing integration that not only simplifies IT management but also reduces costs by streamlining how organizations connect to PSTN services. By combining these three elements—DECT (through Teams SIP Gateway), Teams extension dialing, and a recent Microsoft product update enabling extension dialing through Shared Calling —businesses can build a communication system that meets both traditional and modern needs.

In this post,  my peers Pratik, Matt and I will help explore how to leverage all three technologies to create a streamlined communication platform, with a focus on practical use cases in manufacturing, healthcare and retail.

I need to thank our partner ecosystem for making this example implementation possible.

Extension dialing is not a new concept in Teams calling, yet is still controversial. In Teams, and other UCaaS solutions, users and numbers are tied to identities for security and license capabilities and the concept of dial-by-name is widely encouraged. Where there is ongoing development and extension dialing may still be useful is shared device scenarios, specifically where SIP endpoints are used, and directory search isn't always available. 

Here we will review setup and options.

          
PBX to Shared Calling SIP device       Teams SIP to SIP Device

Components used in our recipe

  • Teams users - enabled with Phone System and Operator Connect
  • Teams features - dial plan normalization rules, shared calling policies (and PLAR/Ringdown when faster access is needed)
  • Spectralink DECT solutions - IP-DECT Server 400, IP DECT Base Station, S33 and S37 DECT handset
  • Shared Calling DID's from Operator Connect carrier partners
  • Teams Native Phones - Poly/HP CCX500 for PLAR/ringdown

Scenarios

  • Scenario - Nursing station needs to reach any nurse working in wing
  • Scenario - Plant production manager needs to reach any worker in production group 2 
  • Scenario - Retail manager needs to reach anyone working in cashier role


Connectivity Configuration

  • Enable shared calling following this guidance - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/shared-calling-setup
  • In this scenario we will use 2 groups of users - 2 shared calling policies
  • Configure 2 resource accounts with Operator Connect numbers, one for each shared calling group.
    • In a practical application each group may be defined by emergency location or floor of a building.

We will also want to create a caller ID policy for the users to leverage the DID from each shared calling group (policy) - note the setting below - Replace the caller ID with Resource account.

Users and Shared Devices

  • Assign licenses to users (Teams Phone System) and shared devices (Shared Device License)
  • Assign policies
  • Assign user phone numbers extensions using direct routing type - here is where recent feature and documentation updates come into play - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/shared-calling-setup#step-10-configure-extension-dialing-support-for-shared-calling-enabled-users-optional
  • Map extension ranges to shared calling policies (main resource account DID and emergency location)
    • In this example setup shared calling user group 1
      • Operator Connect DID - Assigned in shared calling policy to resource account 1
      • User assigned same phone number as shared calling resource account 1 (type is direct routing)
      • Extension Range - 4000 assigned to users with policy 1
    • Shared calling user group 2
      • Operator Connect DID - Assigned in shared calling policy
      • User assigned same phone number as shared calling resource account 2 (type is direct routing)
      • Extension Range - 5000 assigned to users with policy 2

Note - we use number type direct routing on the user assignment (allowing for the DID from the shared calling resource account and extension assignment).

At this point we have to set up some additional policies for dial plan and normalization rules and then we can assign all the needed policies for each user.



Extension Dialing

In this example setup - we are not using the last 4 digits of each DID since our users don't have a DID in shared calling. Increasingly sequential DID blocks are becoming harder to obtain and maintain - and often you may find yourself with overlapping (or duplicate) extension numbers based on last 4 digits of DID - so in this case we mapped extension range 4000 to shared calling group 1 and extension range 5000 to shared calling group 2.

  • Create a Dial Plan and Normalization Rules



  • Here we apply the shared calling resource account DID number to the translation (in the "Then do this" section), with the ext=$1
  • Assign dial plan policies to users

Scalability - optional on-prem integration - the same extension dial plans can be applied in the SBC or on-prem PBX as needed. 


Outcome

  • All users and shared devices can place outbound calls
  • Inbound calls from PSTN can be routed to users through auto attendant and dial by name or dial by extension
  • Users can quickly call each other - between devices with extension dialing or dial-by-name in the Teams client, web, mobile app or native phones.

Spectralink Tools

Spectralink provides unique features adding additional value to Teams Phone.

  • Ringtone choices, loud ringing and visual alerts
  • Messaging
  • Admin Profiles/Speed Dial phonebook management
  • Range Extension
  • Personal Safety Alerts and lighting assistance








Additional Value - Shared calling users receive inbound calls through the optional auto attendant configures and assigned to the Resource Account. PLAR/Ringdown phones can be configured to automatically dial the Auto Attendant for the shared calling users - allowing gloved worker to speak the name or the extension of the shared device users or speed dials can also be used for quick access to users and devices.

Keep your eye on M365 Roadmap and Message Center - admin managed speed dial contacts, and remote contact management.

Thanks for reading and hope this insight was helpful.
Cheers.

Manufacturing, Healthcare and Retail Voice with Teams Phone

In today's business environment, seamless communication is more important than ever, especially in sectors like manufacturing and retail...