You might say 2015 brought turning points to Avail Move Management®. The company is orchestrating important shifts as it pursues its strategic vision for growth. Here we glimpse efforts on three fronts, all shaping exciting opportunities within the Atlas network.
A Big, Bold “Yes”
When Avail Move Management® and Cartus® hammered out an ambitious new commitment last December, Atlas saw an immediate and significant increase in volume. Cartus is one of the industry’s top re-sellers of corporate moves. For a system already feeling capacity constraints, a strategic and systematic plan for adding volume was critical.
“Committing to such an increase was a risk, but one we were willing to take,” says Mary Beth Johnson, Vice President, Avail Move Management. “We have no magic wand—just lots of confidence in our Agents and our people to make it happen.”
The amped-up volume makes data sharing more crucial than ever. So a Cartus-Atlas task force developed a bridge between the companies’ information systems, AtlasNet® and Cartus Hex®. At the same time, Atlas IT tackled a major refinement to its technology standard.
“The new standard supports swifter reporting of move data across the Atlas Agent network,” says Mary Beth. “Not only does this help Cartus, it enables better service for every Atlas customer.”
Avail and Cartus monitor Atlas Agents with stringent metrics for customer service, communication, and data entry. The transparent system allows Atlas Agents to see how they measure up. Good scores equate to more opportunities for Atlas.
Solving the Allocation Puzzle
The increased volume required a method to allocate capacity and ensure service. Atlas IT answered with an automated application to distribute moves among Agents, objectively and equitably. The application also collects and interprets data to identify regions that may need an additional Atlas Agent presence.
“We began with 18 Agents and grew to 30 to handle anticipated capacity needs,” says Mary Beth. “We are looking to still involve more Agents. Not only does the added volume increase booking and hauling opportunities, it brings more opportunities for origin and destination services. Any Atlas Agent may participate in this business.”
Avail and Cartus monitor Atlas Agents with stringent metrics for customer service, communication, and data entry. The transparent system allows Atlas Agents to see how they measure up. Good scores equate to more opportunities for Atlas.
A New Tool for Lump-Sum Management
As you read in the previous issue of the Amplifier®, mymovr.com debuted in the spring. The online move service helps private clients who have a lump-sum benefit for moving. Users can enter an anticipated move budget and build their own menu of services.
Now, Avail is adding another dimension to this service—reporting that allows employers to see how their lump-sum programs are working.
“Participating companies will be able to see where an employee is in the move process,” says Mary Beth. “They will also get an aggregate view of how their lump sums are used.”
The information can help employers make decisions about their policies that better satisfy employees and serve the organization.
At the same time, Avail is training a group of sales representatives to become experts in movr™ and its benefits. The Agent sales team is tasked with helping private and corporate users better realize the benefits of movr for themselves.
“mymovr.com is a groundbreaking service,” says Mary Beth. “It’s designed to benefit both employees and their employers. We’re committed to making it better as we learn more about people’s preferences and how they use their benefits.”
The latest addition to movrTM is a reporting dashboard that allows employers to view the move process and how lump sums are used.
Setting SCACs on Blazing Tracks
You’ve heard the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Here’s one instance where it may be even better.
This summer, Atlas decided to take advantage of an opportunity to engage an expert, Total Military Management (TMM), in the management of moves with the DP-3 system. The reasons are pretty simple, according to Bob Ewing, Senior Director of Government Business, who is leading the transition.
“Long term, we’ll see better customer satisfaction ratings for the Atlas-owned or managed companies, which will equate to higher volume for the Atlas network,” says Bob. “Short term, we’ll realize an immediate increase in volume from TMM’s currently managed companies, particularly in non-peak periods.”
For its part, TMM will manage move dates, select Agents for moves, and provide customer service. TMM’s systems are optimized for compliance with the DP-3 requirements and will help Atlas improve its scores and keep them well into the 90s—thus assuring a preferred status and continual stream of move volume.
“We will also provide hauling services on Atlas authority to other military carriers who may have their own origin and destination Agents,” says Bob. “We anticipate thousands of additional shipment opportunities from TMM as a result of this new arrangement.”
