Customer Story
Wesley Mission cuts SMS costs by 52% and gains organization-wide visibility
Overview
Challenge: WMQ’s decentralised SMS setup made it difficult to coordinate messaging, maintain visibility across services and communicate quickly across the organization when needed.
Solution: Sinch Engage helped WMQ consolidate more than 20 messaging accounts into one flexible system with sub-accounts, single sign-on and stronger permission controls.
Results: A 52% reduction in SMS costs, stronger security and a more efficient way to manage internal and external communications across the organization.
“Because we can segment and personalize the messages, we’re helping clients trust our messages and service overall.“
At Wesley Mission Queensland, SMS was already deeply embedded in day-to-day operations. Teams used it for everything from rostering and shift updates to client and family communications. But as the organization grew, the way those messages were being managed — separately by service area, across different accounts and systems — became harder to sustain.
For a not-for-profit with 3,000 staff delivering more than 80 services across Queensland, that decentralised setup created real operational strain. Leadership needed a clearer view of who was sending what, stronger governance around messaging and a faster way to reach teams across the organization when urgent updates were needed.
Sinch Engage (formerly MessageMedia) gave WMQ a way to bring those communications under one roof. Working with Sinch, the team reviewed its existing setup, transitioned active accounts from directSMS, removed obsolete accounts, introduced single sign-on and set clearer permission levels in line with updated security standards. More than 20 messaging accounts were consolidated into one more structured system with sub-accounts that could be organised by service area or user.
One system instead of many
That shift was about more than tidiness. With messaging managed through a shared system, staff could step in more easily when covering for one another, review previous interactions and maintain continuity of service. For a large organisation operating across locations and service lines, that visibility made communication easier to coordinate and easier to trust.
The transition itself was also smoother than WMQ expected. According to Justin Toon, the similarity of the interfaces helped users feel comfortable moving across, while support from the Sinch team made onboarding easier for busy care teams. Demand has since continued to grow, with additional services wanting to be added to the new structure.
Lower costs, faster communication
The benefits were immediate. By consolidating its messaging setup, WMQ reduced SMS costs by 52% and strengthened information security through single sign-on. But the bigger day-to-day impact came from speed and coordination. When urgent information needs to be shared — whether that is a last-minute roster change, a cancelled home visit or a critical update to frontline teams — SMS gives the organisation a fast and dependable communication channel.
That speed also supports better service for clients and families. WMQ works with people in vulnerable situations, including those experiencing poverty, homelessness, ageing-related challenges and chronic illness. In those contexts, timely updates matter. SMS helps teams communicate appointment changes, care updates and urgent notices in a more direct and personal way, reducing stress and helping clients feel informed and supported.
For WMQ, the value of Sinch Engage goes beyond lower costs alone. It has created a more efficient, more secure and more coordinated way for teams to communicate — helping the organization work together more effectively in service of the people and communities it supports.
