Success Story: Lockheed Martin Corporation

AgilQuest Helps Lockheed Martin Move the Office to the Worker Where is it better to work, at home or at the office?Before you answer, consider that maybe there is a third choice that combines the best advantages of the two.

The third choice is called a Telework Center. It`s very near home, but it has all the benefits of an office. All that`s missing is the long commute.

"Technology now makes it possible to book your office on demand," says Darryl Dobberfuhl, Program Manager of Telework Services for Lockheed Martin, an organization that, with George Mason University, runs telework centers in the Washington DC area for the General Services Administration. Dobberfuhl says that on any given day hundreds of commuters choose to work at one of the GSA-sponsored centers, each one saving the time and expense involved with commuting to their normal “downtown” office.

A telework center is typically only five or ten minutes from a worker’s home, yet it offers all the amenities of a fully equipped and staffed office. These include computers, high speed Internet access, printer capability, lockable personal storage, fax machines, scanners, copiers, voicemail and, in some cases, conference rooms, videoconferencing and even fully equipped kitchens.

The Telework Centers give both private and public sector workers the flexibility to work whenever and wherever they need to work. They succeed in part by providing workers with an easy-to-use system for reserving desk space called the OnBoard Workplace Management Solution from AgilQuest Corporation.

"The OnBoard system," says Dobberfuhl, “allows us to manage our space in a manner similar to the systems an airline or hotel uses to insure that you have your reservation. That way, there is always a desk for someone who needs one. And with OnBoard, we can tie it into the phone system so that the user has his or her calls routed to whichever desk is assigned to them. Their phone follows them wherever they go."

Dobberfuhl says the OnBoard system is easy for workers to use and very intuitive. He adds: "It`s a web based system so people can access it from anywhere they have access to the Internet. They can cancel, check, or make reservations from their home, their office, or even when they are away on vacation. They can have the option of making their own reservations or we can make the reservations for them with our concierge service. From an administrative standpoint it`s great because those of us that are operating the center can check it from anywhere."

Dobberfuhl says the 15 telework centers are sprinkled around the greater Washington DC metropolitan area. Seven of those are in Virginia, six are in Maryland, one is in West Virginia and one in the District of Columbia itself. He says the telework centers help workers and employers alike.

Workers obviously enjoy decreased commuting time, lower commuting costs, more flexible work schedules and more time with their families. Studies among workers at telework centers show a greatly increased level of satisfaction. They not only enjoy their new flexibility, but they like having a support staff which is available at each center to help with any technical issues.

Employers like the increased efficiency of having employees at work sooner and spending less time on the road. Employers find they have reduced overhead and occupancy costs and that employee attendance actually improves. Additionally, employers can expand their recruiting base--bringing on workers from more far flung locations. Society benefits too from less highway traffic congestion and air pollution.

Dobberfuhl sees a bright future for the centers. He says the Washington region has the third longest commute in the country and the most costly commute in the nation. Regional forecasts for the year 2020 show a 70% increase in vehicle miles traveled while highway capacity is only projected to increase by twenty percent.

John Vivadelli, President of AgilQuest, concurs. He points out that people all over the world have two options for coping with their sluggish transportation systems. They can raise taxes to finance giant building projects, or they can find creative ways, like these telework centers, to reduce and distribute the demand for commuting.

Quality of life is finding its way into the workplace and the new watchword is agility.