Case Studies

Advantage+

Challenge

Reducing Open Office Environment Distractions for a Commercial Lender

“Prior to installing the sound masking system, there were many complaints about employees being distracted by other people’s conversations. Now that we have QtPro we’re experiencing far fewer noise distractions and disruptions.” – Kristin Durik, Vice President of Operations

Advantage+, a Wisconsin based nationwide business lender, recently moved into expanded space that included cubicles in a large open area. The layout was efficient, but staff members were distracted by conversations in other cubicles. This threatened productivity and service quality.

Kristin Durik, Advantage+ vice president of operations, searched for a solution. Coincidentally, one of the company’s clients, Cambridge Sound Management (CSM), manufactured a product called QtPro™ that looked like it could help.

QtPro is a direct-field Sound Masking system that works by adding a low level, unobtrusive background sound to an environment. The introduced masking noise, specifically tuned to the frequency and amplitude of human speech, covers up, or “masks” excess speech noise, making the affected environment more comfortable, private, and free from excess
noise distractions. Durik spoke with her contacts at CSM, and arranged a live demo with a local CSM representative. She was impressed with the demo and agreed to have QtPro installed.

Solution

Qt® 300 Sound Masking System

Cambridge Sound Management’s cost effective Qt 300 sound masking system was installed to accommodate the acoustical requirements of the 5,000 square foot space. Small, barely visible emitters (speakers) were installed in the ceiling tiles throughout the entire space including open office staff work stations, corridors, and private offices. The emitters were connected by cables to a QtPro control module residing in the server room.

Result

A More Pleasant Work Environment

When employees returned to the office after the Sound Masking was installed they were pleasantly surprised to hear the masking noise and a noticeable decrease in distractions. After a few days, the masking sound itself wasn’t noticed by the employees, but the benefits of reduced distractions continue to pay dividends for employee concentration and
well-being. The system can also be used to also play music on special occasions such as office parties.

About Advantage+
Advantage+, established in 1992, lends businesses $3,000 to $200,000 to finance equipment and related costs. The company keeps all loans in-house, which permits subjective underwriting and continuous hands-on service. Advantage+ has lent nearly one-half billion dollars to over 15,000 businesses. The company is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and has an A+ rating.

About Cambridge Sound Management
Cambridge Sound Management, Inc., the world’s largest provider of sound masking solutions, manufactures QtPro and DynasoundPro sound masking systems to help organizations across multiple industries protect speech privacy, reduce noise distractions, and increase workplace productivity. Cambridge Sound Management’s proprietary sound masking technology works by emitting a uniform, barely perceptible background sound at the frequencies of human speech. Cost-effective and easy to install, their sound masking, office paging, and background music systems are deployed in hundreds of millions of square feet of space throughout the world including commercial organizations, healthcare facilities, financial services, government agencies, and educational institutions. Cambridge Sound Management is a Biamp Systems company.