How Ocean Network Express keeps global shipping moving with Dialpad

When you’re shipping cargo across 120 countries and 200 offices worldwide, communication is what keeps everything running smoothly. That’s the reality for Ocean Network Express (ONE), one of the top 10 container shipping companies in the world. 

Formed in 2018 from the merger of three major shipping companies, ONE has quickly grown into a global leader, moving goods across international waters and ensuring supply chains stay on track. Today, ONE is made up of ONE Globally, headquartered in Singapore, and ONE EUA (Europe & Africa).

For Martijn Schejron, who’s been with ONE EUA since day one, keeping teams, customers, and operations connected is a top priority. But with a company this large, managing communication across different regions and time zones wasn’t always easy.

Each of the three legacy companies that formed ONE had its own telephony system, contracts, and call routing setup. Some offices were using PBX, others relied on Skype for Business, and every region had a different telecom provider. 

Managing contracts across 49+ offices in the EUA region was a logistical headache—renewals were a hassle, support was inconsistent, and IT was stuck maintaining outdated systems instead of focusing on scaling operations.

Beyond simplifying operations, compliance and security were also critical. As a global company handling sensitive logistics data, ONE needed a GDPR-compliant solution that could provide secure, seamless communication across all locations.

The solution: A global telephony network powered by Dialpad

Switching from a patchwork of legacy phone systems to one unified platform was a major step forward for ONE. With Dialpad and the Google SSO integration, the transition was smooth, scalable, and efficient.

Instead of juggling multiple contracts and outdated PBX systems, ONE Globally now operates on a single, cloud-based solution that seamlessly connects its 200+ offices across 47 countries. This meant:

• No more fragmented systems: Every office, from Rotterdam to Singapore, now runs on the same global platform.

• Simplified onboarding: New employees get access to Dialpad automatically as soon as they’re set up in Google Workspace.

• Automated provisioning: Instead of IT manually setting up accounts, department admins manage their own teams, while Martijn oversees everything in the EUA region centrally.

• Regulatory compliance: Dialpad’s GDPR certification ensures security and compliance across global operations.

Martijn shared, “Dialpad’s Google integration made our transition seamless. Now, every office is on the same system, and everything is managed centrally. It saves us time and makes IT’s job much easier.”

Powering a human-first, reliable customer experience

When a customer calls about their shipment, they need fast, reliable answers. At ONE EUA’s Rotterdam office alone, the team handles 100+ inbound calls daily, ensuring real-time updates on cargo, vessel schedules, and logistics.

With Dialpad, every call can get a human touch instead of an automated system. Rather than routing customers through a complex IVR, live receptionists in the larger offices answer first, ensuring callers speak to a real person right away. From there, Dialpad’s directory and status indicators help receptionists instantly transfer calls to the right department or specialist, avoiding unnecessary handoffs. In smaller offices where dedicated receptionists aren’t available, IVR menus streamline call handling, making sure calls still reach the right teams efficiently.

Martijn shares, “When a customer calls, they need answers fast. Our receptionists in Rotterdam use Dialpad to route calls to the right person immediately—no endless transfers.” 

Beyond call routing, Dialpad’s cloud-based infrastructure ensures reliable connections across all locations, even in areas with poor internet connectivity. With load balancing and improved network stability, call quality has significantly improved, and IT no longer receives complaints about dropped or lagging calls.

Saving almost 25% of IT time

Managing telephony across 47+ offices used to be a major drain on ONE’s IT team. Between handling contracts, troubleshooting call issues, and keeping outdated systems running, 75% of their time was spent just maintaining phone systems.

With Dialpad, that number has dropped to 7.5%, freeing IT to focus on bigger projects instead of routine maintenance. Martijn was excited to share, ““Before Dialpad, telephony took up a lot of our time. Now, it practically runs itself.”

Dialpad’s automated analytics and reporting have also made a huge difference. Before, IT had to manually pull call volume, missed call rates, and agent performance data for department heads. Now, leaders can access real-time insights themselves, making it easier to track trends and improve customer service.

“Every department now manages its own users, and reporting is automated. IT isn’t stuck handling these requests anymore,” said Martijn.

Onboarding and offboarding have become much smoother as well. License management, once a slow manual process, is now centralized and efficient. When ONE EUA needed to onboard 30 new employees in Turkey, telecom regulations could have slowed things down. But with Dialpad’s support, compliance wasn’t an issue, and everything was set up seamlessly.

Martijn said, “Expanding into new markets is much easier with Dialpad. Setting up new employees used to be a headache—now, it’s fast and seamless due to the integration with Google Workspace.”

Looking ahead: Scaling Ai and expanding global capabilities

As ONE continues to grow, scaling its communication infrastructure efficiently is a top priority. They’re looking to expand into new markets soon, which is why Martijn and his team are eager to discover ways to leverage AI and automation to enhance customer interactions while streamlining operations.

By making use of Dialpad’s powerful analytics tools Martijn sees an opportunity to make calls even more efficient and insightful, allowing agents to better understand customer needs and reduce resolution times. 

Beyond Ai, ONE’s growth into regions like Turkey and Africa comes with complex telecom regulations, but Dialpad’s scalability and local integrations ensure a smooth transition. 

“With Dialpad, we have a reliable global solution,” Martijn explains. “As we expand into new markets, we know our communication will scale with us.”