FM:Systems Case Study: Navy Federal Credit Union
With permission of FM:Systems we republish the FM:Systems Case Study: Navy Federal Credit Union.
Background
The world’s largest credit union in assets, size, and membership, Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) draws its strength from a combination of resources and its “people helping people” philosophy. Founded in 1933 and headquartered in Vienna, Virginia, NFCU is now 3.7 million members strong.
NFCU provides a variety of banking services to all Department of Defense uniformed personnel, reservists, members of the National Guard, civilian employees and contractors, as well as their families.
Facilities and Property Overview
With over 208 branch locations in the U.S. and overseas, NFCU employs more than 8000 workers. Outside of the branch offices, NFCU’s major operational buildings encompass approximately 2.6 million square feet of space.
The facility management group is responsible for the construction, operation and maintenance of all of NFCU’s operational buildings. The NFCU facility management group is separated into two branches that operate out of headquarters; the facility management branch and the facility planning branch.
The facility management branch’s goal is to provide a safe and high quality work environment for Navy Federal employees and its visitors worldwide. They are responsible for all facility services such as: lighting, electrical, elevator, furniture/workstation repair, housekeeping, pest control, plumbing, maintenance, renovations, etc.
The planning branch’s goal is to establish a world-class business interior while meeting safety and functionality in workplace design. Planning also develops the master plan for facility development, forecasts future facility needs, and analyzes space requirements and space utilization.
Challenges
In the past, NFCU’s operational buildings were close enough in proximity to audit space physically; members of the facilities team would walk the halls to update AutoCAD drawings. But as the organization and real estate portfolio expanded, the facilities group was faced with the need to remotely manage more out-of-state buildings.
The challenges of managing a growing portfolio also brought to light the fact that the group’s technology strategy needed review.
Even though the various facilities teams operated as one group, NFCU was using multiple software systems to manage space and facility operations – there were different systems for maintenance, service requests, project management and other tasks.
The systems didn’t share information. “Getting the full picture of our facilities was next to impossible,” said Mike Cox, manager of facility planning for NFCU.
NFCU realized that there was a need for a unified solution for both facility and space management. They wanted a software solution that could be rapidly implemented yet powerful enough to handle the department’s current and future needs as the credit union expanded.
NFCU also desired a Web-based system to allow facilities employees and operations from various locations around the globe to follow the departmental procedures and policies consistently. A Web-based system would also allow the department to share information with their internal customers to improve customer service and communication.
The Solution
The team tasked with researching facility management systems added the FM:Interact Workplace Management Suite from FM:Systems to its list of products to evaluate. With the ultimate goal of supporting its operational units in membership, savings, lending, and information systems, FM:Interact’s capabilities and FM:Systems consulting experience were decisive factors in NFCU’s selection of FM:Systems. NFCU began implementing FM:Interact in all major operational buildings.
NFCU had an immediate need to track employees, occupancy data, property and building information. In the first phase of implementation, NFCU deployed the FM:Interact Space Management Module, Strategic Planning Module, the Asset Management Module, the Real Estate Portfolio Management Module, and the Move Management Module.
With the smooth deployment of Phase 1, Phase 2 quickly followed in which they implemented the FM:Interact Facility Maintenance Management Module to handle both on demand and scheduled preventive work orders.
NFCU is currently in Phase 3, implementing the FM:Interact Project Management Module. Their goal for this module is to enhance the tracking and reporting of projects, and ultimately justifying budget expenses.
Throughout the implementation process, an FM:Systems consultant guided the NFCU facility team, enabling them to make good decisions based on accurate information and helping them ask the right questions. Using the configuration features in FM:Interact, the project team was able to quickly align the system with the credit union’s requirements – keeping the project on time and on budget.
Results
Improved Communication and Processes Across the Entire Organization
Once rolled out, NFCU found that many of the other departments were also enjoying the benefits of FM:Interact. “Implementing FM:Interact makes all the business units more cooperative and interactive. Because our facilities data is now centralized, processes have become more unified across the entire organization, and groups are able to communicate better and work closer together,” says Cox. “FM:Interact saves time – and time equals money.”
Improved Customer Service, Quality and Productivity for Facility Technicians
Prior to implementing FM:Interact, facility technicians used paper drawings of the building. Besides taking an inordinate amount of time to locate people, assets and information, they often found that their data was out of date or incorrect. Now, floor plans are accessible to everyone online in real time, as building technicians constantly updated them after working on service requests.
The FM:Interact Facility Maintenance Module has enabled the facilities group to automate processes that ensure the same procedures are used nationwide. That makes procedures and training easier to implement and more importantly, common metrics can be better analyzed.
And because NFCU employees now enter their own facilities requests right from their desktop, the facilities team is much more productive. They can fulfill requests quickly as they don’t have to sift through e-mails or paper requests, and they are able to focus on core job functions.
Increased Efficiencies
The FM:Interact Move Management Module helps to ensure productivity is minimally affected during moves. NFCU moves more than 2,000 employees in a 12 month period. With the FM:Interact Move Management Module, NFCU can coordinate and monitor moves in any of its locations from its headquarters, whether building to building or floor to floor.
“Now we can coordinate phone and computer installs with building new or reconfiguring cubicles and space usage – communication has never been better!” says Cox. “Because the system can help track moves with concrete historical data, space planners can make more informed, timely decisions.
From a management perspective, this saves time, boosts productivity, and enables projects to be completed more efficiently.”
The comptroller’s document management branch was the first group outside of facilities to utilize the system – it’s now required learning for new employees joining the department. The group receives approximately 12,000 overnight packages a month, so being able to create step-saving routes to reach them quickly locate employees is essential, as well as create step-saving routes to reach them.
Other groups that have adopted the system for efficiency’s sake include the warehouse deliveries group and the IT group. For example, the Help Desk uses it to dispatch onsite computer assistance.
Business Continuity Planning Capabilities
With FM:Interact, NFCU has ensured that the company can stay fully operational despite unforeseen emergencies. If the need arises, the facilities team can view and utilize alternate floor plans depending on the situation, and rework employees, assets and space based on data transparency.
They’ve created data layers and graphic views with roles-based access in the system, so no matter the emergency, NFCU can continue to operate.
Other Business Units Are Making Use of the System
FM:Interact even plays a role in maintaining the health of NFCU workers. During the H1N1 scare the system administrator quickly configured FM:Interact to help the occupational health nurse locate people reporting flu like symptoms so a cleaning crew could be sent in to disinfect the immediate work area.
The privacy of individuals was protected as FM:Interact was configured to show location only and the efficiency with which the cleaning crew was dispatched lessened potential breakouts.
The security department uses FM:Interact when a lock needs to be fixed or replaced. Security can locate the current status of a lock in a cubicle or office right from their desktop. This eliminates searching through paper files, going through different software systems or making unnecessary trips to various locations with key samples.
FM:Interact also helps manage NFCU’s security cameras. It tracks the cameras, is used to store serial numbers and warranty information, and plan maintenance work.
Security and the occupational health nurse also use the system in employee emergencies. When a call is placed for urgent assistance, the employee is located in FM:Interact so caregivers can be dispatched quickly.
Looking Ahead
NFCU is completing the roll-out of the Project Management Module, and hopes to leverage the Real Estate Portfolio Management Module further by enabling lease tracking. In addition, NFCU continues to find new ways to utilize the system to better serve its needs/desired goals- they are looking at possibly incorporating branch operations into FM:Systems as a means of managing the over 208 branch facilities. Cox says, “Our use of the system continues to grow and change.
It was once just a database and move and space management tool, then we discovered its reporting benefits, and today its a resource used by multiple departments business units at NFCU. We continue to configure new functionality and want to eventually integrate with other systems to support NFCU far beyond our original intentions.”
