Background

As part of CBP’s cost savings strategy, the agency is aggressively pursuing a comprehensive Workplace Solutions Initiative designed to foster productivity and collaboration for CBP's employees while promoting the efficient use of space and technology, and ultimately saving on rent costs.  The Workplace Solutions Program (WSP) was established in August 2013 to coordinate the development of agency policy for this initiative, and to implement targeted workplace transformation projects. 

Project Summary

Fentress began working with WSP in October 2014 as part of a team brought together under a prime contractor,URS-AECOM, to assist WSP in achieving its goals. Fentress’ experience in developing space reduction tools and strategies for the U.S. Courts and other federal agencies provides a wealth of experience that is helping WSP transition to increased workplace mobility. The team works together to provide the change management, technology, and space reduction expertise to help establish both a framework and the tools needed to develop and support this workplace initiative.

Results

Fentress has programmed an online survey that is released to the employees of each organization potentially undergoing a workplace transformation project.  The survey assesses existing workstyles, job requirements, and employee perceptions to generate a baseline on work patterns and change management issues.  Fentress has also developed a Survey Analysis Tool (SAT) to analyze and display survey results in a variety of ways, and to compile and display focus group and manager results – all of which are part of Stage I information-gathering activities.  These tools have proven to be invaluable not only in gathering, tabulating, and reporting results, but also in engaging employees and providing a forum for input to be shared.  The results of SAT are loaded into the Space Planning Optimization Tool (SPOT) - a web-based tool developed by Fentress and tailored specifically to CBP.  SPOT translates workstyle results generated during Stage I into space and technology requirements based on a detailed set of ratios and parameters.  The end result of SPOT is a cost-savings analysis, which estimates the break-even point for the return on investment of the workplace transformation project. These tools are used to help form the business case for the approval of rent-saving projects.  Fentress has also assisted with developing the overall WSP workflow and the tools and processes that support WSP’s initiatives.