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Leveraging The Work Force using Information Technology:

A Financial Service Case Study

Tyler Ferguson

Northwest Farm Credit Services

Headquarters

Spokane, WA 99258

509-340-5574

Tyler.Ferguson@Farm-

Binshan Lin *

College of Business Administration

Louisiana State University in Shreveport

Shreveport, LA 71115

318-797-5025

BLIN@PILOT.LSUS.EDU

Jason C.H. Chen

School of Business Administration

Gonzaga University

Spokane, WA 99258

509-323-3421

chen@jepson.gonzaga.edu

*corresponding author

Leveraging The Work Force using Information Technology:

A Financial Service Case Study

Abstract

How can a company maximize its employees’ workload, become more efficient, and maximize profits without having to drastically increase the number of employees? This is a problem that many companies face everyday. Companies trying to compete in markets with intense rivalry and small profit margins must fully utilize every employee by maximizing efficiency, effectiveness, and work output.

Information Technology (IT) is not only changing the way companies operate internally, but also altering the relationships between companies and their suppliers, customers, and other business partners. Thanks to various advances in IT the problem of leveraging the work force has been mitigated. Implementing a successful solution requires more than simply purchasing new computers or software. To effectively use an IT strategy a company must undergo a Business Process Reengineering (BPR) that requires vision and dedication.

Using the right IT and Information Systems strategies will help a company leverage its workforce. Fewer employees will be able to manage a greater workload while increasing company profits. This paper focuses on IT and models and examines how they can be used to leverage the work force within Northwest Farm Credit Services, a company that provides quality financial service, thereby enhancing its competitive strategic advantage within the marketplace.

Keywords: Information Technology, Information Systems Strategy, Business Process Reengineering (BPR), Customer Service Center (CSC), Customer Relationship Management (CRM/e-CRM).

Leveraging The Work Force using Information Technology:

A Financial Service Case Study

Introduction

Information Technology (IT) is not only changing the way companies operate internally but also altering the relationships between companies and their suppliers, customers, and other business partners (Porter and Millar, 1985). Employing today’s modern IT and appropriate Information Systems (IS) strategies (e.g., management, technology, and organizational strategies) can help companies accomplish many goals including the leveraging current work force to become more productive. Utilizing current assets in an effective or innovative manner is a core component of how today’s technology can help businesses gain a strategic advantage. “In today’s competitive world, leaders are faced with a very difficult challenge: How to do more with less in an environment where the velocity of change is increasing” (Daley et al., 2002).

The problem of how to leverage employees to receive a strategic advantage is what Northwest Farm Credit Services (NWFCS) faced in the early 1980’s. On the brink of bankruptcy, NWFCS realized that it must turn to innovative technology and procedures in order to compete in this agricultural lending industry. Implementing a new IT and IS strategies requires total commitment to see the whole process through. NWFCS went through the process of reengineering. This reengineering process dramatically changes a company that requires vision and dedication. “Job designs, organizational structures, management systems - anything associated with the process - must be refashioned in an integrated way” (Hammer, 1990).

In this article, both Porter’s model and Framework for Assessing Organization Effectiveness were employed for analyzing the business situations. It then focuses on IT and other strategies identified by the models and examines how they can be used to leverage the work force within Northwest Farm Credit Services, a company provides quality financial service through the Business Process Reengineering (BPR), thereby enhancing its competitive advantage within the marketplace. The article concludes with a discussion of its solutions for improving or creating sustainable advantages.

Literature Review

Ever since computers were invented technology has been viewed as a source of business efficiency. Companies envisioned that information technology would allow it to conduct business better. If a company provided a product or service IT would allow it to deliver that product or service more effectively, quicker and cheaper. This notion has sent many companies on the quest of using IT to do more with less or leveraging its current workforce to gain efficiencies. There have been many case studies, research, articles, management theories and new business fads that have evolved from this notion of using IT to leverage the workforce.

This notion that IT has challenged companies/management to do more with less in an ever-changing environment is a central theme through the IT strategies (Daley et al., 2002). Companies must learn to harness the IT power through creating an environment that encourages continuous improvement. Andriole (2002) has stated an effective IT watch continues forever with continuous revisions.

A key idea that surfaces frequently with the utilization of IT is the need for aligning IS strategy with corporate strategy, which results in better efficiency and a higher quality of information (Suwardy et al., 2003). Companies should align IT and IS strategies with business strategy by putting its best resources towards supporting the newly identified strategy. One of the best resources for aligning IT strategy is to find and retain IT professionals who love what they are doing. Many successful companies has found and retained these IT professionals (Brockway and Hurley, 1998).

For many companies, aligning IT strategy with corporate strategy is not as easy as simply adjusting the company motto. Rather, it is a complete company overhaul, or a total Business Reengineering Process. The definition of BPR ranges from a broad rethink to total company/structure redesign with the focus on business processes (Nwabueze, 2000). The key to being successful is aligning products and services to meet the customers needs (Tanner et al., 1998). The reengineering process includes everything from jobs to processes which are refashioned in BPR (Hammer, 1990). Nwabueze (2000) explained the BPR to include upper level management’s challenge of how to run the company if it was their decision. Hammer (1990) identified the key to successful BPR as executive leadership with real vision.

Both BPR and IT focus on improving and changing all aspects of business to gain greater efficiencies. Several components and systems are identified as being an integral part of any company. These components include Database Managements Systems (DBMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM/e-CRM) and Call Centers.

DBMS identifies the strategies of managing a central location for a company’s data storage. Anjard (1994) identified in his article that economies of scale can be achieved through effective use of DBMS. A large part of achieving greater workforce leverage is achieving these economies of scale through shared information and knowledge. CRM/e-CRM is a comprehensive business and marketing strategy that focuses all activities and resources around the customer (Anton and Hoeck, 2002). Companies use CRM/e-CRM to greater enhance their value to the customer by utilizing information which better serves and identifies the needs of the customer. Providing continued customer service excellence is a central goal of CRM/e-CRM. This idea of providing continued customer service is discussed by Amuso when he states that the bar for customer service is constantly being raised (Amuso et al., 1998). Companies must continue to strive for ways to better provide service.

Call centers have emerged as a leading strategic weapon on the customer service battlefront in the banking/finance industry (Anton, 1997, 2000; Feinberg, 2000). If leveraged correctly, companies can monopolize call centers to become leaders in customer service. For most financial companies the call center is the primary source of contact for its customers (Miciak and Desmarais, 2001). Feinberg (2002) identified that for most banks, customer service/contact need not end at the bank doors. Rather follow-up customer access/contact after the transaction adds value to the service and company. In order to compete in the highly competitive banking industry companies must provide customers with high quality services (Mefford, 1993). This competitive environment is exactly where Northwest Farm Credit Service has been from the 1980’s to the present.

The Company’s History

Northwest Farm Credit Services is an agricultural cooperative that provides financing and related services to agricultural producers, farm-related businesses, fishermen, part-time farmers and country homeowners. It is part of the 80-year-old Farm Credit Systems (FCS), a $60 billion nationwide network of lending institutions that are a specialized service organizations owned by their customers - the largest single provider of credit to American agriculture. “Initially created by an Executive order of the President in 1933, the agency now derives its powers and authorities from the Farm Credit Act of 1971” (FCA, 2003). Congress created the System to provide American agriculture with a dependable source of credit and closely related services. “The fundamental purpose of this network of sponsored enterprises created by Congress ... to provide American Agriculture with a source of sound, dependable, competitive rates of interest” (Farm Credit Services, 2003).

Today, through its banks and associations, the FCS provides about one-third of the total credit used by America's farmers, ranchers and cooperatives. “Farm Credit provides credit and related services to farmers, ranchers, producers and harvested products, rural homeowners, certain farm-related businesses, agricultural and aquatic cooperatives, rural utilities, and to certain domestic entities in connection with international agricultural credit transactions” (Farm Credit Services, 2003).

Providing excellent customer service is the driving force of all NWFCS activities. Identifying customers' needs and then meeting or exceeding their expectations in serving those needs is NWFCS’s primary responsibility. Cooperative principles of customer ownership and involvement are strategic advantages and NWFCS will look to leverage these for the benefit of its customers. In order for NWFCS to be considered a Cooperative, all customers who extend credit must purchase stock in the company. Stock is usually $1,000 per loan and comes with varying voting rights depending on whether the customer is a full or part-time farmer.

NWFCS territories encompass the states of Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Direct customer lending is limited to only these states. Farm Credit may lend to customers who live outside of its boundaries by using agricultural suppliers or the Internet. Examples of agricultural suppliers would be equipment or chemical dealerships that sell products to the customer. The dealership would sell that credit to NWFCS who would then purchase the loans or may participate in some of the loans that already exist. The cooperative has 42 branches located in mostly rural areas to better service its customers. NWFCS headquarters is located in Spokane, Washington.

Farm Credit is managed by a 12 member elected board. All board members are or were farmers voted in by the members of the Cooperative. Management consists of a CEO and eight vice presidents over specific areas (Figure 1).

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The Problem

In the early 1980’s NWFCS was faced with the worst financial performance in its history nearing the brink of bankruptcy. Interest rates had sky rocketed and the market was in a sharp down turn. Many lending institutions had over extended themselves by selling more credit, mainly mortgages, then what was available in reserve accounts. “This is the situation which arose in the 1980’s when the ‘boom’ in the economy turned into ‘bust’: house prices fell dramatically, interest rates rose and many mortgagors found themselves in the position of having ‘negative equity’ in their homes, whilst at the same time large numbers of borrowers were unable to keep up the payments on their mortgages. As a result, the number of mortgage repossessions increased. For the first time this century, home-owners in huge numbers felt the ravages of adverse economic circumstances for which they could not be held responsible” (Clements, 1999).

NWFCS was no exception to this. With interest rates high and poor market conditions many consumers where filing bankruptcy and lending institutions were foreclosing on properties. Within NWFCS territory many local banks who serviced the farmers and the Agricultural supported communities had extended credit. The banks where unfamiliar with farming accounting practices and had lent money on higher Loan to Value (LTV) of an appraised property than they should have lent. The banks had assumed that because the land was worth so much at the time of the loan, property could always be sold to recover its losses. The problem was the real-estate market had plummeted due to the higher interest rates and poor market conditions. Many small and local banks were faced with disaster because of the volume of bad loans. NWFCS was asked to absorb and buy a large amount of the mortgage loans that the local banks had made to the farmers, which it did. This decision almost caused NWFCS to go out of business.

The company survived this ordeal by right sizing its staff almost in half and bringing in new management. The new CEO was brought over from another Farm Credit located in Louisville, Kentucky. Along with the new CEO came new management and a new lending attitude thus creating a new company culture. The CEO was no longer willing to lend to all farmers within NWFCS territory but only the top 40 percent producers who were perceived as moving up on the scale. This new way of lending brought with it many challenges which this paper will focus on.

One major challenge Farm Credit faced was how to offer excellent customer service and products without increasing the number of employees. Another challenge was how to leverage the employees without deteriorating customer service. NWFCS needed to find a way to accomplish this through the use of Information Systems while aligning the new structure to the needs of its customers as described in the following. “On its way to this position, a company (Farm Credit Services) needs to align the products and services package to fulfill customer requirements, since customers honor only products and service characteristics which are aligned to their current needs” (Tanner et al., 1998).

Industry Analysis

Northwest Farm Credit Services needed to rethink its current use of technology. Applying different models will help identify appropriate strategies and where to improve or create strategic advantages. Porter’s model was employed for NWFCS situation and it was used as basis for analyzing strategy decisions because it “provides coherence within the strategy field by critically importing economics, thereby providing a point of reference among strategy scholars” (Foss, 1996).

Porter’s Five Forces Model

According to Porter, there are five competitive forces in any industry, and the attractiveness of the industry depends on the strength of each force (Porter, 1985). Under the perspective of market structure, Porter’s competitive forces model (Porter, 1985; Applegate et al., 1999) has been broadly adopted as the underpinning for investigating the effect of information technology on the relationships between suppliers, customers, and other potential threats. Five forces are: the rivalry among existing competitors, the threat of new entrants, the threat of substitute products, the bargaining power of buyers, and the bargaining power of suppliers. They are illustrated next (Figure 2).

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Industry competitors and Potential entrants

As discussed already, Farm Credit System (FCS) was established by the Federal Government, therefore, its industry competitors were minimal. The threat of new entrants from another FCS was low due to high entry barriers. Government policy was the major barrier to entry along with access to capital and funds. However, intense rivalry existed between the local lending institutions and NWFCS.

Supplier’s bargaining power

The bargaining power of the supplier of funds was relatively low. Since Farm Credit was established by the Federal Government all funds came from the Federal Reserve. NWFCS created its own bank, called Ag America, to transfer funds from the Federal reserve to NWFCS. The bank manages the amount of reserves that are needed for funding. There are only two other banks used to service the various Farm Credit Associations that NWFCS could receive its funds from. This limited the amount of power that the supplier had due to high switching costs and government regulation.

Buyer’s bargaining power

Customer bargaining power was also limited due to market rates and their own financial situation. Lending rates are set by the Federal Reserve. NWFCS looks at the risk associated with each customer to determine the rate to charge. A customer’s financial position plays a key role in the rate that is charged – customers in stronger financial positions naturally received better rates.

Threat of substitute

Lending to farmers and other Agricultural related services was another way in which competitors could diversify their portfolio. The threat of substitution was the strongest and most competitive force for Farm Credit. Residential real-estate lending companies, commercial banks, investment companies and insurance companies had all been attracted to the Agricultural Industry because of the large dollar value that large Agricultural corporations borrow. An example is Wilcox Dairy, a dominant dairy player in the Northwest that supplies dairy products to grocery stores and shopping centers. Wilcox Dairy has a large contract with Costco and needs to borrow a significant amount of operating funds. All lending institutions try to diversify its risk by loaning to new and different markets. This lending strategy spreads risk across many markets and industries.

Solutions

Effective use of IT can help mitigate the potential threat of substitution and inter-industry competition that faces NWFCS. “Porter describes three generic strategies for achieving proprietary advantage with an industry: cost leadership, differentiation, and focus. Focus - has two variants: costs and differentiation” (Applegate et al., 1999). NWFCS realized that the livelihood of business depended on becoming the market leader by applying the strategies identified by the Porter’s model, and refocusing on core values. Farm Credit needed to create a competitive advantage over its competitors. This competitive advantage was accomplished through leveraging its current workforce by aligning IT strategy with corporate strategy. “An important point in obtaining competitive advantage in the market place was to align IT strategy and investments with corporate strategy.” This resulted in an “increase in efficiency, responsiveness, flexibility and quality of information” (Suwardy et al., 2003). Aligning NWFCS corporate strategy with these IT strategies would help to create greater economies of scale, different market access and differentiation of products and services while focusing on its core business.

Steps to success

Framework for Assessing Organization Effectiveness (Applegate et. al., 1999) was applied to the NWFCS situation for deriving its solution (Figure 3). The first step was to define direction and building infrastructure. Farm Credit did this by concentrating on its core: providing excellent customer service. Farm Credit realized “like other industries, banking and financial services companies have reached the conclusion that the relationship with the customers should not (metaphorically and literally) end at the bank door. Customer access after the transaction adds value to the transaction” (Feinberg et al., 2002).

NWFCS now had defined the direction of it core competencies. The next step was to develop a strategy to implement this defined direction. “The ... key to IT success is to align systems with business strategy. This means having the best systems be those that support the most strategically important business process and functions” (Brockway and Hurley, 1998). The CEO and board elected to apply this strategy by creating a Customer Service Center/call center (CSC) and investing heavily in IT. In June of 1985 Farm Credit created the Customer Service Center/call center.

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The CSC/call center was created to serve the needs of the branches and its customers. Within the infrastructure of the CSC/call center was the Customer Contact Center. The Customer Contact Center played a critical role in implementing the various information systems to better serve its customers. Various IT solutions were created to provide the customer service needs. Now all external and internal questions, problems and requests would be funneled through the CSC. NWFCS purchased software and hardware that allowed it to control the internal network, Internet, and phones.

Farm Credit decided to create its own internal network so that loans could be approved at the headquarters instead of branch offices. In order to accomplish this many pieces of hardware were purchased such as large mainframes, desktop and laptop computers and a phone system that could be tracked by the network. NWFCS developed its own internal financial system used for tracking customers’ financial statements and loans. This system was linked directly to the headquarters’ network. Now the branches would send the majority of its loans to the CSC at headquarters in order to focus on better customer service.

The board of directors and top management realized that in order to achieve the results previously identified corporate structure had to be adjusted to match the newly defined corporate strategy scope. “The scope for process redesign can range from restructuring the entire organization, to the most local rethink of how you do your work” (Nwabueze, 2000). With this in mind Farm Credit decided to go through a total Business Process Reengineering Process (BPR). “BPR is the redesign and improvement of business processes both in depth (roles and responsibilities, measurements and incentives, organizational structure, information technology, shared values and skills as shown in Figure 3) and breadth activities to be included which can lead to long-term profits. Yet again, the focus of the definition is on renewal of business processes” (Nwabueze, 2000).

“BPR starts by looking to the future and working backwards ignoring the constraints of existing methods; in effect upper level managers are challenged to question at every opportunity ‘if we were a new company, how would we run this place?” (Nwabueze, 2000). The proper management of knowledge and experience can create a company-wide learning environment that creates a strategic advantage for a business organization as it responds to today’s business demands in a much more dynamic setting (chen et al., 2004). Farm Credit used its past experiences and practices as a learning tool to modify its corporate structure in order to improve or create its value.

This new change went from management down to the employees and was spearheaded by the CEO and the board of directors. NWFCS under went a total BPR that changed internal structure, job descriptions and management systems. The reengineering process was successful due to “executive leadership with real vision” (Hammer, 1990). NWFCS changed its motto to align itself with the new outlook that the BPR process provided. The motto was changed to “We understand Agricultural like no other lender in the business” (NWFCS, FLCA, 2000).

After creating the Customer Service Center/call center all service and loans calls were now channeled through the CSC. Farm Credit realized that “call centers play a critical role in today’s business world, and for may organizations they are the primary source of contact for the customers” (Miciak and Desmarais, 2001). “Moreover, in the banking and financial services area access over the phone and the internet is emerging as the access of choice for both customers and institutions. In this way banking/financial service companies are very similar to other industries in that customer call centers (1-800 number centers for customer contact) have emerged as a leading weapon on this customer satisfaction battlefront” (Anton et al., 1997, 2000; Feinberg et al., 2000). Branch employees were very skeptical of the new process because they did not feel that employees at headquarters would give their customers enough attention. To ease concerns NWFCS created a Customer Service Contact Center within CSC to administer the new IT technologies and handle all incoming inquiries from branch customers. The contact center had two employees and the whole CSC unit consisted of eight employees. By reengineering its current structure and implementing various IT strategies, NWFCS was able to leverage its current workforce to effectively handle the newly assigned duties and responsibilities.

Technologies that will carry out the solution

Internal Networks

The reengineering process gave NWFCS a chance to create its own internal network by using IT as its backbone. The company did this through hiring several IT professionals to create and build internal network and software system. “IT professionals love to build, manage and live systems. Successful companies find and retain IT professionals who also love the business they work in – no mean fat” (Brockway and Hurley, 1998). The name of the company’s internal network system is Integrated Loan Origination System (ILO). This network system allowed the whole company to connect and share information involving the customers. Now all branches and headquarters had access to customer information regardless of the customer’s initial point of contact. The new network created information synergies by allowing information to flow freely from one employee to another. Loan packets no longer had to be sent by mail or fax which saved time and money.

Online Banking

Farm Credit also took this opportunity to create an Online Banking System. Previously, if a customer wanted information about a loan payoff or to transfer money, a call would have to be placed to the local branch to request this transaction. The Online Banking System allowed customers to view accounts, transfer money or apply for new loans all at their convenience. Not only did the online banking help NWFCS focus on its core value - providing excellent customer service - but it also helped differentiate itself from other lenders. This differential in services added switching costs and product value to the customers that competitors would find difficult to replicate.

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM/e-CRM) software was used to help manage new and existing customer relationships with Farm Credit Services. Farm Credit realized as Anton (2002) describes “Customer Relation Management (CRM) is a comprehensive business and marketing strategy that integrates technology, process, and all business activities around the customer.” The software acted as a bridge between the headquarters, the branches, and its customers to satisfy the customer service demands.

This Information System was named Remedy CS1, which stands for Customer Service is number one. The program allowed the CSC to identify the customers’ account and profile when a phone call came in or the customer sent in a request through the Internet. Now instead of calling the local branch all calls are funneled through the CSC. A service representative promptly assists the customer because Remedy CS1 pulls up all the customers’ relevant information.

If problems exist, Remedy CS1 would allow CSC to create a ticket that would open up an investigation to solve the problem. Each ticket is a small case or problem that needs to be solved. The goal was to have the problem solved as fast as possible by the appropriate division. Tickets were electronically pushed to the right person or department and solved. An example of this was if a branch was having problems with its phones, a ticket would be sent to the employees in charge of the phone systems.

All tickets were tracked in reports to help insure quick responses and to identify why the ticket was sent. Remedy CS1 allowed management to track the number of tickets and to decide if there were bigger problems that needed to be solved in order to create better customer service. The software also helped the company to monitor all the calls, recording which customers were calling and the reasons for customer calls. Reports were monitored so management could see what questions received the most attention, such as an account balance or new product inquiries. This allowed management to identify problems that needed correction. It also allowed new strategies to be formed and implemented which helped give NWFCS certain strategic advantages over the competition.

One of these strategic advantages was utilizing the capabilities that Remedy CS1 allowed Farm Credit Services to outsource to other associations and lending institutions. CSC was used to service other company’s customers the same way it serviced its own. NWFCS outsourced its CSC services to other Farms Credit Associations. Now the CSC would take on a whole new role of serving another company’s customer. Remedy CS1 would allow the Service Representative to act on behalf of the other association. NWFCS was selling its own outsourcing technologies which generated fee income that the company needed and also leveraged its current workforce to be more productive.

Data Base Management

Data Base Management System (DBMS) software was used to manage and transfer data from the other Associations to NWFCS. Sequel program was the software used to manage the transfer of information. This program allowed the database to be updated every business day by transferring information in a straight (ASCII) text file. This database integration was critical for the CSC to fulfill its responsibilities to the other associations. This information was uploaded into the Remedy CS1 database. DBMS allowed NWFCS to fully leverage its IT and employee capacity by reducing and eliminating duplication of efforts. “With a database management system, data can be stored in one location and accessed by many different systems and departments; there is no unplanned redundancy. Economies of scale can be achieved by installing a database management system at a central site where it can be supported by a group of highly trained personal” (Anjard, 1994). NWFCS received these economies of scale by storing all data at the headquarters, providing access to employees and management through Remedy CS1, ILO and other software programs. This meant that those who needed the information to make a decision always had access to the information as a direct result of the DBMS.

Automatic Call Distribution

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) was another key component to NWFCS’ reengineering process and is illustrated in Figure 4. Farm Credit needed a package phone system that could handle and track all of the calls that would be coming in from its own customers and other associations. BCMS View, a Lucent product, is a complete phone operating system which includes programmable phones and the software to monitor and track the phone calls coming in. BCMS can program the phones so that management can decide three very important things: who gets what calls, when they get the call, and what kind of call it is.

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When a call comes in, BCMS helps to transfer that call to the appropriate department. Each department will be separated into what is called a split. A split will have authorized employees who are trained to handle a call in that area. If a phone call comes in from the branch with a legal question, the call is automatically transferred to the legal split. The phone calls in that split can be distributed to the employees by either the first available or by a set order. The set order would be designated by management as to who should be taking the majority of the calls in that split. For example, if every one in legal is busy, BCMS View will check the next split to see if anyone is available. If an employee in that split is available, the phone call will be transferred to them. BCMS will check all the splits for availability and if no one is available at that time the phone call will automatically transfer down to the contact center to a service representative. Thus all calls are handled in an effective and efficient manner. The goal is not to allow any call to go unanswered.

Management can also use BCMS View as a great reporting tool. It will track what happens to all calls, assess the phone availability of each employee, and determine what areas are receiving the most phone calls. Management can use this data in developing strategic decisions.

Other Information Systems

Along with the other implemented IT and IS strategies, Farm Credit decided to move towards going automated. Management could see the value of integrating modern communication tools such as e-mail and instant messaging. Microsoft Outlook was used for all e-mail services and MSN Instant Messaging was used for real time communication. Now NWFCS employees and customers could communicate in a variety of different ways. E-mails could be tracked and responded to and branches could communicate with headquarters in real time chats using instant messaging. Both of these steps were results of the Business Reengineering Process.

Costs and Other Issues

Costs associated with implementing the IT and IS solutions

There were also costs associated with the BPR and the implemented IT solutions and IS strategies. These costs included employee turnover, large financial investments, opportunity costs and an initial deterioration in the level of customer service. Employee turnover was a major cost to the company with many employees leaving because they were unwilling or unable to learn and adjust to the company’s new motto, structure, processes and computer applications. Farm Credit’s largest expense was in implementing the various IT solutions. These costs included the various hardware and software, project managers, consultants and time. Estimated costs over the last ten years are $50 million. Another cost associated with the spent monies towards the IT and IS project was lost opportunity that could have arisen by investing in another project. Lastly, after solutions were implemented there was a time frame when customer service levels dropped before adjusting. This could have cost the company current and future customer businesses.

Outcome

Today Northwest Farm Credit Systems is recognized as an industry leader within the Farm Credit system. Other associations are trying to duplicate its CSC and especially the Customer Contact Center. According to Northwest Perspective (2003), it indicated that the customer contact center continues to exceed in every level of service when compared to industry standards – a true sign of commitment to excellent customer service. For examples:

▪ 97 percent of calls are resolved within service level agreements

▪ Abandonment rate is 3.4 percent

▪ 92 percent of calls are answered within 30 seconds

▪ First call resolution is 85 percent.”

Northwest Farm Credit Services differentiated itself from its competitors by rethinking and reengineering its business strategies using IT and IS strategies. The IT and IS strategies have allowed NWFCS to leverage its current workforce and position itself as market leader in products, services and technology capabilities. Northwest Farm Credit Services is an example of a company that implemented the total Business Reengineering Process and took a chance on IT and IS strategies.

Update on the Customer Contact Center/Call Center

Recently Farm Credit Services CSC Call center was named as a 2003 nomination for Call Center Magazine Customer Care Leadership Award for ‘Best Call Center Team’ (Northwest Prespectives, 2003). The CSC/call center was also highlighted in Certiport newsletter May 2003 as Customer Support Services – Raising the Standard for Employee and Operational Productivity. In 2002 the CSC/call center was the winner of Support Team of the Year – Best Proactive by STI (Northwest Perspectives, 2003).

Conclusion

By implementing the IT and IS strategies identified by the Porter’s model and Framework for Assessing Organization Effectiveness, Farm Credit was able to leverage its current workforce without adding additional employees. Employees’ time and efforts were now more effective and efficient through the use of IT. The technology provided the tools necessary to accomplish more work with less manpower. Farm Credit could not only successfully handle its own customer base and service issues, but could also handle other associations through outsourcing its CSC/call center services to other organizations. NWFCS recognized that in order to survive in the highly competitive banking industry that it had to provide customers with high quality services (Mefford, 1993). It achieved it by fully utilizing its IT and IS strategies and creating competitive advantages over other associations and competitors.

As explained above, the new IT and IS strategies had worked. Not only did the company gain a competitive advantage in the market, but also it became an industry technology leader priding itself on being on the cutting edge. Farm Credit was able to build successful entry barriers by implementing the various IT and IS strategies. Economies of scale were recognized due to its own internal networking systems and shifting the majority of the service issues to the CSC/call center. Product differentiation was reached due to expanded product lines and service abilities. NWFCS recognized that even though the IT, IS strategies and the BPR had been successful, there was still work to be done. “It is increasingly difficult to provide differentiation through customer service. Service excellence is a moving bar that constantly is being raised by customers and by the best service providers in any industry” (Amuso et al., 1998). In order to sustain a competitive strategic advantage, a company must constantly be changing. “All of this needs to keep happening: An effective technology watch strategy continues forever. You need to model your business models and processes continuously as well as the technologies likely to enable them” (Andriole, 2002).

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[pic]

Figure 2: Porter’s Five-Forces Model

Figure 3. A Framework for Assessing Organization Effectiveness

Figure 4. Automatic Call Distribution Flow

Recommended Line Flow Chart

For Automatic Call Distributions

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Help Desk

Partner

loyalty

3

2

1

800-767-0494

US Federal Bank and Reserve

Ag America

•

Federal Government

Creation of Associations

Farmers Full or Part Time

Rural Home owners

Ag Related Business

Fisherman

Timber Companies

•

Residential Real-Estate Lenders

Internet Vendors

Large Commercial Banks

Investments Companies

•

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Bargaining Power of Buyers

Potential New Entrants

The Firm

Traditional competitors

Local Banks and Credit Unions

Other Farm Credit Services

•

Threat of Substitutes

1

Hold

2

Funds Mgt.

Contact Center

Legal

1

Doc Prep

2

Technical Accounting

5

Fund Mgt

4

3

Express Team

Express Lease

Express

Hold

1

2

4

Figure 1: Farm Credit Services Organization Chart

Purpose Core Values, & Core Competencies

Customer

loyalty

Value

Creation

Strategy

People

Operating

process

Organizational capabilities, resources, and leadership

Formal and

informal power

Values and

Behavior

Coordinating

mechanisms

Defining Direction

and Building

Infrastructure

Work

Technology

Incentives

Control

Information and communication

infrastructure

Authority

Boundary

system

Decisions

& Action

Units,

grouping

Management

process

Environmental Context

and Resources

Society and government loyalty

Executing and Adapting

Shareholder

loyalty

Creating

and

Sustaining Value

Employee

loyalty

................
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