Automating the MAC Process at JM Family Enterprises

JM Family Enterprises, Inc. (JMFE) is a $7.7 billion diversified automotive company, with expertise in automotive processing and distribution, financial products and services, warranty and insurance services, and retail dealerships. It is currently ranked 19th on Fortune's "100 Best Companies To Work For" list and is ranked by Forbes as the 15th largest privately owned company in the country. With an annual churn rate of at least 100%, the company was burdened by a labor intensive, time-consuming paper process to handle employee moves, adds, and changes (MAC). By adding FAST -MAC from CFI, a Web-based MAC interface to its ARCHIBUS/FM solution, JMFE is saving more than $40,000 annually and is adding more robust tracking capabilities that will boost these savings even higher.

Struggling with a "Flintstones" Process
"Handling moves, adds, and changes was a manual paper chase that consumed far too many resources," says Tom Jordan, Director of Corporate & Real Estate Services for JM Family. In fact, it took eight people at least an hour and a half in planning, three weeks to schedule and approve a move request, and an additional two weeks for the move to happen. "We had to make sure that key items didn't fall through the cracks," says Jordan. "And since we had no tracking mechanism in place, we weren't able to charge departments for all the effort we put into these moves, adds, and changes."

Jordan and his team sought a Web-based, automated MAC solution that would let them track costs and report on space, occupancy, and churn. At a minimum, the system would offer a user-friendly interface and include e-mail notifications. The team was also interested in calendar scheduling with built-in rules and the ability to automatically generate work orders. Essentially, JM was looking for a complete solution from request to move close out and database/drawing updates.

Automating the Process
JMFE chose to add CFI's FAST/MAC solution to its existing ARCHIBUS/FM implementation. After developing, implementing, and testing the Web interface, the new process was put into action. With the new MAC process, department move coordinators initiate and submit move requests on-line. These requests are routed to the IT desktop for scheduling and the Space Management department for review and approval. Work orders are automatically generated once the MAC is approved e-mail notifications are automatically sent to all participants. After the move takes place, the Space Management department closes the move orders. The data and drawings in ARCHIBUS/FM are automatically updated with the new occupancy information.

Easier, More Cost-Effective Moves
The new process has saved the company significant resources. Intense weekly planning sessions are a relic of the past. "The scheduling and approval process has dropped from three weeks to just an hour," says Jordan. "Meanwhile, the time it takes to physically complete a move has been slashed by 50%. Service levels and feedback from our clients has been very positive, overall our departments productivity has increased by about 100%."

Due to the streamlined MAC process, JMFE's Space Management department will save $40,000 annually. The IT department is beginning to track move costs and will be externally benchmarked to ensure our internal rate is competitive to the outside market. There are tangible personal benefits, too. "Better orchestrated moves boost service reviews, which contribute to our year-end bonuses," says Jordan. "We also have more confidence in the data." The main reason our confidence levels have increased is due to the publishing routine which occurs nightly upon completion of the move, we now have as close to real time data as can be expected - end users can view the data and drawings via the web and give us feedback if they find incorrect data.

JMFE will extend this successful project to its other locations in the near future with the Jacksonville, Florida location using this application next. JM just rolled out a new FAST module for space validation and forecasting. The next initiative will be to roll out the customer survey tool within the FAST/MAC system to ensure that JMFE continues to deliver hassle-free service to their clients while improving the company's bottom line.

Vital Statistics

Organization:
JM Family Enterprises, Inc.
Location:
Deerfield Beach, Florida
Facilities Facts:
Currently in use at our Corporate Headquarters in Deerfield Beach, FL 10 buildings encompassing 400,000 sq ft.
ARCHIBUS Applications:
Space Management, Overlay for AutoCAD with Design Management; Building Operations Management
3rd Party Applications:
FAST Web reporting , FAST MAC (from Computerized Facility Integration, Inc.); AutoDesk AutoCAD
Impetus for Implementation:
Needed to streamline and automate the moves/adds/changes process, improve service levels and decrease costs.
Benefits Gained:
Saving $40,000 annually in MAC costs; decreased manual administrative efforts by 50%; developed accurate database of information for benchmarking. JMFE expects to see a full return on investment within the first 18 months.
Future Plans:
Expand MAC process to other sites; and customer service survey; track turnaround time, cost, and accuracy of moves
Business Partner:
Computerized Facility Integration (CFI)
Web Site:
www.jmfamily.com