Quality Applications

SurveyConnect Inc.'s Survey Select Benefits Allows custom survey questions, topics and scales Creates surveys for the Internet, intranet, e-mail or hard copy Sort and view statistical information in graphical form www.surveyconnect.com

Forest Products Manufacturer Benefits From SurveyConnect Software
SurveyConnect Inc.'s Survey Select

Weyerhaeuser, one of the nation's leading forest product manufacturers, recently underwent a total system change at all of its 46 box manufacturing plants, with the goal of improving efficiency, cutting costs and increasing profitability.

 "With such an enormous and costly system changeover, it was important to help employees manage the change," explains John Merle, the Weyerhaeuser business process change leader who managed the system change from initial configuration to implementation. Merle was concerned that if employees didn't use the system effectively, the changeover would prove a wasted investment. So he set out to assess how the box plants' employees were adjusting to the new system.

 Working with a consultant and using SurveyConnect Inc.'s Survey Select, Weyerhaeuser developed a survey to ask users at each box plant about their interactions with the new system. Instead of surveying every user, Weyerhaeuser decided to survey a representative sample at each plant. The survey was geared toward seven different job functions, including general management and machine operations, to measure their successes and pitfalls—their likes and dislikes of using the new program. Merle hoped to use the collected data to determine how proper utilization affects bottom-line results at each plant. "We wanted to find out what each job in each plant needed in order to use the system effectively," Merle adds.

 In order to gain an overall understanding of its success, Weyerhaeuser conducted surveys as each plant rolled out the changeover. The company surveyed 30 to 35 people at each plant. Once collected, the raw data needed to be compiled and analyzed.

 Weyerhaeuser decided to use SurveyConnect's Survey Select software to analyze its findings. The software comprises three integrated modules: Designer, Administrator and Analyzer. Survey Select Designer allows a company to customize its own questions (e.q., yes/no, multiple choice, open-ended, ranking, numeric) or choose from more than 1,200 questions categorized by topic. It can also build surveys that skip certain questions or branch from question to question.

 The Administrator module allows organizations to conduct its surveys in a variety of ways, including the Internet, e-mail, intranet, LAN, a Windows-based PC, floppy disks or simple pen and paper. The Analyzer feature allows the user to view collected data by demographic cuts, topics, individual questions or by scale type. Organizations can also perform gap analyses when using dual scales and post their reports on the Internet.

 Weyerhaeuser administered and hosted the survey on its intranet. Whenever a plant went live, the data went directly to SurveyConnect over the Internet. SurveyConnect compiled the data into executive summary reports, which qualitatively measured the data and delivered the information in a usable format.

 "In plants where effective utilization was at 30 percent, the surveys helped us find out what the problems were so we could increase utilization," says Merle. Most often, users required follow-up training on the system fundamentals (e.q., navigation, day-to-day management functions and best practices). He adds that follow-up training raised system utilization by 80 percent, which increased plant profitability significantly, verifying that the new system would expand Weyerhaeuser's overall efficiency and profitability.

 According to Merle, SurveyConnect's logistical assistance was essential to the survey process. "SurveyConnect made everything easy. Using the company intranet and transferring data over the Internet was no big deal."