Company Recognizes USAA, Thrivent Financial and Johnson Financial Group for Taking Control of Employee Mobility Practices to Boost Morale and Save Millions
of Dollars
October 8, 2009
The 2009 Total Employee Mobility® Benchmarking Report, released today by Runzheimer International, cites that businesses continue to invest in remote workforce programs, however do not have control over the associated risks, costs or benefits. The annual report was developed through interviews with executives from 90 small, mid-sized and large organizations across the U.S.
Report Findings
- Fifty-one percent (51%) of the workforce is mobile on any given day, whether traveling, working from a virtual office or driving for business. This number has increased by 31 percent since 2006.
- Total investment in workforce mobility per-employee, per-year has increased significantly in the last four years, and currently stands at $7,426. This number increased by three percent year-over-year and is significant when compared to budget cuts companies have enforced in areas like IT Security, HR Training, Marketing and Legal Counsel this year.
- Businesses lack insight into management of employee mobility programs. In the case of virtual office programs, 73 percent of respondents have no policies in place and 57 percent were unable to provide support cost information. Sixty-four percent (64%) of organizations reported that corporate travel costs were loosely managed.
- Mobile workforce program ownership often involves multiple departments. More than 80 percent of employees fall into multiple categories of drivers, travelers and virtual office and often need to interact with three-to-four different departments regarding policy and systems.
- In many cases, companies are not aware if the money they are spending on employee mobility is benefitting the organization. In the case of virtual office programs, 56 percent are unaware if the programs they have instituted are productive.
“This year’s benchmark report emphasizes where organizational gaps exist for these high value, high cost programs,” said Greg Harper, president of Runzheimer International. “Insight into the effectiveness of employee mobility is essential. Without it, companies risk operational efficiency, liability exposure and employee satisfaction. Given the economic pressure companies are under today, now is the time to focus a strategy around mobile workforce programs. This means centralized management that is measured, tightly structured and optimized to fully support employees. Organizations that adopt this approach experience stronger cost management, increased corporate agility and high employee satisfaction. We are proud to recognize those organizations with our best practices awards for 2009.”
Savvy Organizations Take Control of Employee Mobility
Runzheimer International has recognized forward-thinking organizations this year with its annual Mobility Best Practices Awards. Three of these companies include:
USAA (United Services Automobile Association) – Best Practices in Vehicle Management, Corporate Aircraft Management and Total Employee Mobility
USAA, a company of 22,000 employees, provides financial products and services primarily to the armed forces and their families. The company’s mobile employees rely on diverse transportation options, including commercial air transportation, private aircraft, and/or business vehicles, depending on business requirements. Employee mobility programs support USAA in its mission to facilitate financial security for its members. Thus, placing the right person in the right place at the right time to support clients is critical to USAA’s success. Runzheimer International recognized USAA for best practice excellence and measurable results in several areas.
USAA has established a truly best-in-class vehicle management program based on significant use of metrics and dashboards. The program consists of more than 1,000 fleet vehicles in 48 states, as well as three overseas locations. The organization’s unwavering commitment to safety and efficiency has benefited USAA with crash rates well below the industry average, high customer satisfaction, and low costs. The company’s unique pool vehicle reservation system saves an estimated 233 man-hours annually. And, to address fuel costs and green initiatives, USAA transitioned from the Ford Taurus fleet vehicle to the Ford Fusion in 2008, which saved more than $1.5M in operating costs, when compared to benchmarks.
By taking a proactive and more holistic approach to managing its mobile employee programs, including vehicle and corporate aircraft, the company has enhanced employee safety and security, generated cost savings of close to $4 million and created a more satisfied and productive workforce.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans – Best Practices in Travel Management
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit, Fortune 500 financial services organization that helps approximately 2.6 million members achieve financial security and give back to their communities. Because the organization serves members across the United States and sponsors home-building trips with Habitat for Humanity around the globe, travel is a significant part of the job for some employees. Thrivent Financial recognized inefficiencies in its travel program and focused on developing a robust system to promote cost savings, business efficiencies and security.
Runzheimer International found Thrivent Financial’s program compliance figures to be impressive, with 100% of travelers using the company’s preferred travel agency and compliance with preferred hotels. Air travel is meeting contract goals and 78% of travelers use a new online booking tool that drives efficiency and cost savings. Ninety percent (90%) of frequent travelers rated the travel program as good or excellent, and a recent move to a more sophisticated expense reporting tool has resulted in a 50% reduction in activity associated with creating and submitting expense reports. To mitigate risk for traveling employees, Thrivent Financial also implemented an international policy that provides travelers with a travel risk rating based on the country they are visiting. Travelers are encouraged to postpone or cancel plans if travel risks are too great. All plans are reviewed by the Director of Corporate Safety and Security, and every traveler has the means to contact someone at Thrivent Financial 24/7.
Thrivent Financial’s focus on compliance and safety has led to a safer, more comfortable environment for employees that maximizes savings.
Johnson Financial Group - Best Practices in Virtual Office Management
Johnson Financial Group (JFG) is a full-service financial services company with 60 offices in Wisconsin and Arizona. The company employs over 1,311 employees. JFG’s is committed to attracting, retaining and developing top talent. To that end, it offers a Flexible Work Options (FWO) program that consists of job sharing, telework, offsite work and flexible work hours.
One of JFG’s biggest challenges was understanding and effectively administering mobile devices. Only a year ago, the company had multiple vendors, no guidelines for mobile device eligibility, little control over carrier and device selection, no control over billing and payment processes and limited understanding of the impact on JFG’s bottom line. Through relentless focus over the last ten months, Runzheimer International recognizes JFG’s accomplishment in reducing the number of primary wireless providers, maximizing discounts and service levels with the primary carriers and standardizing its mobile device and laptop fleet. It also achieved a 15% reduction in its average monthly wireless spend through automating expense and invoicing processes.
JFG’s FWO program provides virtual office employees extensive access to technology, including Outlook Web Access, cell phones, convergence devices, data cards, laptops and more. Each participant must apply. His/her manager, and representatives from Human Resources and Information Systems work together to ensure goals are clear. Because data security is fundamental to its business, JFG also deploys security measures to protect proprietary information. FWO participants are trained in how to keep company information secure while working offsite. Through this focus, JFG has realized cost savings and efficiencies that help position the organization well for the future.
To learn more about the 2009 Total Employee Mobility Benchmarking Report, please visit http://runzheimer.com. Details from the report will also be highlighted in the Mobility Management Forum webinar series hosted by Runzheimer International throughout the month of October.
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Report Methodology
The Runzheimer International Total Employee Mobility® Benchmarking Report for 2009 was developed through interviews with more than 90 executives from small, medium-sized and large businesses representing all industries in the U.S. Results were compiled from March through September 2009. Extensive validation processes were conducted following receipt of participant data. In any case where the accuracy of information was in question and could not be validated, data was not included as part of the report analysis.
About Runzheimer International
Founded in 1933, Runzheimer International serves 60 percent of the Fortune 500 and numerous government agencies. Recognized for providing innovative solutions relating to Total Employee Mobility®, Runzheimer is the global leader in workforce mobility programs including business vehicle, business travel, corporate aircraft, employee relocation and compensation, and virtual office.
