Runzheimer International Recognizes USAA and The SCOOTER Store as Its 2010 Mobile Workforce Best Practice Winners

WATERFORD, Wis., March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The mobile workforce continues to be vitally important to U.S. businesses to drive growth and retain clients, according to this year's Total Employee Mobility Report, released last week (see related release dated March 15, 2011). Supporting employees that work outside the office requires change, and corporations that successfully navigate a new approach can enhance employee satisfaction, cost management and customer service. To recognize organizations who demonstrate excellence and measureable results with this transition, Runzheimer International, the leader in employee mobility programs, annually recognizes best practice leaders.

This year's winners – USAA and The SCOOTER Store – were highlighted as using best practices and formal measurement to manage costs and strengthen employee satisfaction and well-being. Best practice winner case studies and results from the report will be presented during webinars on March 15 and 22.

"Many organizations are in a position to take greater control over their employee mobility programs to increase return-on-investment, control costs and minimize liability and risk exposure," said Greg Harper, president of Runzheimer International. "This year's winners are taking proactive control and reaping the benefits."

USAA Reduces Costs by $1.5 Million and Achieves 94% Satisfaction

USAA, a company of 22,000 employees, relies on diverse transportation options, including commercial air transportation, private aircraft, and/or business vehicles. The company has established a truly best-in-class vehicle management program based on significant use of metrics and dashboards. The program consists of more than 950 fleet vehicles in 48 states, as well as four overseas locations.

In 2008, USAA began a transition from the Ford Taurus to the Ford I-4 Fusion. In addition, three all-electric vehicles were used in a pilot program within the Facility Maintenance, Campus Security and Campus delivery operations. Through their improvements and resulting decline in fuel consumption, operating costs were reduced by $1.5M. In addition, through a strong remarketing program of USAA's vehicles receiving top dollar, USAA is able to offset new vehicle acquisition expense by up to 40%.

In addition, through the use of a logistics tool, USAA can dynamically adjust the routes for each driver based on fuel consumption data and team positioning. And, for each employee assigned to a vehicle, USAA pays the tuition for an annual online safety awareness course. Drivers who complete the course and have no accidents for one year are eligible for the USAA Safe Driver Awards where USAA provides approximately $40,000 a year in safety award recognitions. As a result, the crash rate per million miles decreased from 4.40 crashes to 3.95 crashes per million miles driven.

USAA measures vehicle program effectiveness through satisfaction surveys, retention rates, and productivity. Quarterly surveys show a 94% satisfaction rating with voluntary turnover rates at 7.1% in 2009, well below industry standards.

The SCOOTER Store Achieves Savings through Fuel Efficient Vehicles and Lowers Accident Rate

The SCOOTER Store is America's leading supplier of scooters and power chairs for people with limited mobility. The company is dedicated to a combination of vehicle management programs that are strategic, flexible, and cost-effective. With over 2,600 employees, of which 697 are drivers, and a vehicle fleet of 500, The SCOOTER Store is constantly looking for ways to achieve cost savings, manage safety and maintain employee satisfaction. Over the past two years, the company has addressed instability in the energy markets by transitioning 229 of the 500 vehicle fleet to more fuel efficient ones. This has resulted in annual savings of $700,000.

In addition, The SCOOTER Store implemented a driver safety program that includes a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) points program, training programs and safety communications. As a result of these safety initiatives, The SCOOTER Store had a 13% accident rate in 2009, far below the industry average of 25%.

And, through the use of fleet vehicles and a Fixed and Variable Reimbursement (FAVR) program, in 2009, The SCOOTER Store added 340 vehicles and 80 drivers. They were able to maintain agility throughout the rapid growth while providing superior customer service. The organization's ability to react to the needs of the business kept its old and new company drivers on the road delivering 'freedom and independence to people with limited mobility' while continually improving customer service.

The Runzheimer benchmark report is available for purchase from Runzheimer International. Detailed data from the report and best practice winner case studies will also be shared on the Runzheimer Mobile Employee Management Webinar Series, beginning on March 15.

About Runzheimer International

Founded in 1933, Runzheimer International serves 60 percent of the Fortune 500 and numerous government agencies. The company is recognized for providing innovative solutions relating to Total Employee Mobility®. Runzheimer International is the global leader in workforce mobility programs including business vehicle, business travel, logistics, corporate aircraft, employee relocation and compensation, and virtual office.

SOURCE Runzheimer International