"We make it a point to answer calls personally."
That’s what Markus Aebi from the Advisory Center for Accident Prevention in Agriculture (BUL) says in our latest success story. He is responsible for training and continuing education as well as IT at BUL.
The BUL is Switzerland’s center of expertise for occupational safety and health protection in agriculture and related fields. With a practice-oriented prevention program that includes courses, lectures, safety concepts, and individual consultations, it contributes to accident prevention throughout Switzerland in agriculture, forestry, alpine farming, and other sectors. The BUL currently employs around 40 staff members.
The Advisory Office for Accident Prevention in Agriculture (BUL) switched its telephony system to Microsoft Teams at the end of November 2024. What were the reasons for this?
We moved into our new location in Strengelbach, Aargau, in early 2025. A modern new building was constructed there last year. The move prompted us to review our telephony solution, among other things. We already had a VoIP solution, and many employees were familiar with Microsoft Teams from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, switching to this solution was a natural choice.
What specific telephony needs does the BUL have?
Basically, our requirements aren’t earth-shattering: they’re the same as those of a “normal” Swiss SME. This means, for example, that our employees work both in our on-site offices and while on the go or working from home. As a foundation that provides consulting services, we place a high value on answering calls personally. The person on the other end of the line is important to us. For this reason, we do not use automatic call routing that transfers the caller directly, for example, and currently rely primarily on the basic features of Microsoft Teams. However, we know that we can add additional features at any time as needed. We greatly value these opportunities for development and scalability.
What specific benefits does the new telephony solution offer you?
A major advantage is that we were already familiar with the Microsoft ecosystem and knew the software well. Thanks to the app, our employees can now also make calls using their business number from their smartphones while on the go. That wasn’t the case before: for such calls, they previously had to use their personal cell phone number.
What were the main reasons for switching to the IT service provider it-helppoint GmbH and peoplefone?
In 2022, we switched our ERP partner. They recommended it-helppoint to us as an IT service provider, and we hit it off right away. (laughs) When we subsequently brought up Microsoft Teams as our preferred solution, our contact immediately suggested peoplefone as the provider, since they work together successfully. Ultimately, however, what convinced us most was peoplefone’s fair price-to-performance ratio and internet service, as well as the fact that with this setup, we have a single point of contact for everything.
How did the transition go?
Thanks to thorough planning beforehand, the transition went extremely smoothly. On D-Day, we were even back online faster than planned. The reactions from our employees were also consistently positive. Aside from the usual “minor hiccups”—like brief audio or camera glitches during video calls—everyone is getting along just fine with the new solution.
How would you rate your collaboration with it-helppoint GmbH and peoplefone?
To be honest, we have little direct contact with peoplefone. But that’s not a disadvantage. On the contrary: to me, it means that the two companies work together very well and are focused on finding solutions. Our contact person, Andreas Walther, takes care of everything and handles the triage behind the scenes. Since we’re too small to have our own IT department, we appreciate being able to work primarily with just one provider. In that spirit, I’d like to thank them for the excellent collaboration.
Interview with Markus Aebi, Head of Training and Continuing Education, IT Manager, and Member of the Executive Board at the Advisory Office for Accident Prevention in Agriculture (BUL)
May 27, 2025, by Alexia Zufferey