Best Advantage Case Study_web

A Case Study in Financial Innovation

Best Advantage Credit Union

© 2009. Miron Construction Co., Inc.

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What is inside
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Revolutionary Thinking in the Financial Industry

12

Methodology for Change

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Realities of a Dream

43

120 Financial Innovations

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A Miron Case Study in Financial Innovation

miron-construction.com


The Inquiry
Before the plans are drawn, the vision begins to emerge. What will define the
credit union experience of tomorrow? What will cause people to think differently about your financial institution? More importantly, how will a member’s
experience be different from all others? What will cause people to stop, think
and think again about the memorable experience they just encountered? What
will challenge the future, stimulate innovation, yet preserve the past? Who
provides members with experiences of which all team members can be proud?
What is essential to ensure social profitability for your community while serving
as the financial services provider of choice? How can we capture the possibilities through collaboration and vision?

A “Passionless” Industry
In the 1960’s, tellers knew your name; every transaction was face-to-face and
an aura of care and compassion surrounded every interaction. Kids looked
forward to Saturday mornings with dad or grandpa to visit with Sally, the teller,
and receive acknowledgement and a piece of candy. In fact, Sally knew you so
well she even asked about the ball game you would be playing in that afternoon. There was no other way of conducting business.
Between 1975 and the early 1990’s, advances in technology converted many
‘inmembers’ to ‘outmembers’. Members who would always come ‘in’ for their
financial needs now went ‘out’ to a machine. Advances in technology pushed
members out of branches, first by ATM’s and voice response systems, then
by the Internet. Financial products became commodities that were easy to
replicate which drove the consumer to focus on price. The tragic truth is that a
once very personalized product has been lost. We now see a computer screen
instead of a smile.



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Today, approximately 64% of consumers are ‘outmembers’. How can a credit
union remain high tech yet be high touch? How could Best Advantage Credit
Union (BACU) provide a level of service that remains memorable and preserves
the core of member respect within each transaction, and still remain efficient?
We are convinced that most businesses mimic the competition. Why do all
banks have branches, credit cards, ATMs, car loans, checking accounts, etc.?
Who makes the rules? Who says there is only one way? Why do we continue
to create experiences like all the others, only to become forgettable? BACU
decided it was time to mix it up.

Apathy on the Rise
Uncertainty in financial institutions is forcing banks, credit unions and lenders
to reexamine traditional practices and provide greater concern and responsiveness to member preferences. Conventional service is no longer enough. In
fact, the notion of traditional member support has not only caused insecurity,
but apathy, boredom, anger and a sense of disrespect in the minds of the
American consumer.
In a recent study, over 22,000 people were asked to rate their experiences
through a closed-gap analysis of 21 questions. The questions were designed
to understand if the experiences these consumers recently encountered were
memorable. The results were stunning.

Of the individuals surveyed, 70% felt their experience was forgettable; in other words,
mediocre, boring, average, vanilla, like the rest, nothing special. Twenty percent of the
encounters were horrible: “I will never go there again!”, while only 10% of the experiences captivated the member, compelling them to use the brand again.
How does a credit union move from the 70% forgettable to the 10% amazing?
Best Advantage Credit Union chose to step out of traditional thinking and build
a new facility. They had a purpose: to make significant changes throughout
all elements of their culture and enrich their members’ and team members’
experiences.

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Envisioning the Future
What does the future look like for Best Advantage Credit Union? For what do
we want to be well-known? How can we be unique? BACU realized through
answering these three questions, that their legacy rested within the member
experience. ‘Creating truly memorable experiences’ was born. They further
concluded that by using the Miron Construction Co., Inc. Experience-Based
Design methodologies, the ideal member experience could actually be realized. Experience variability is often accepted as a way of business and it’s
been that way for years. But that had to change. How members feel after each
transaction can actually be tailor-made and eliminate the inconsistencies often
felt (some days are memorable, other days completely forgettable).
For any organization, consistent team member behavior is essential for success. A negative experience will cost more than just an opportunity of doing
business again with a member.

On average, statistics indicate that every unsatisfied member tells at least eight people
about his or her experience. Dissatisfied, detached members share their experiences not
only with friends and people they know, but also with the whole world through
Internet blogs, message boards, and other streams of social media.
BACU ensured member attachment by helping employees understand and
deliver on the brand, vision and promise.



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“The process for delivering construction projects is
changing. The methods and tools of the past that
helped to create the customer experience are no longer
enough. Every Miron project must be constructed in
a unique way, based on how our customers feel, with
outcomes that exceed industry standards.
”
David G. Voss, Jr., President
Miron Construction Co., Inc.


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Defining the

VISION
Four components served as ‘guard
rails’ for the project and the Best
Advantage Credit Union project
vision:

1

Design a facility to minimize
stress, support family involvement, and remove physical barriers
between BACU team members
and members. The needs of the
member always come first.

2

Accentuate the personal
relationship between team
members and members connecting to member needs and personal
preferences. Collaboration is the
cornerstone of BACU.

3

Eliminate the misuse of members’ time. Increase quick,
flexible, responsive, personal service that communicates care and
respect. Be as efficient as possible
and make it easier for members to
do business with our team.

4

Move beyond the traditional
model of a credit union to encourage and enhance social profit
in the communities served. Show
care and respect, give back and
have fun.

The Vision
This case study presents the numerous lessons, barriers, innovations and tools
used to create the credit union of the future. This team venture illustrates how
integrating “high-tech” and “high-touch” service is possible in a credit union environment. You will discover the strategies put in place, the barriers faced, the
tools used to move past roadblocks, the keys to success and the outcomes
team members created. Leaders from this pioneering organization share how
they tackled various implementation and operational issues with experience
ecology and uncovered the physical elements of a new facility. They reveal the
informational essentials and more importantly, the often-overlooked behavioral
integration of each team member.

Breaking Tradition
If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got.
Those words began the adventure for Best Advantage Credit Union. Under the
direction of President Tammy Williams, a team was assembled unlike any other.
The challenge… to build the credit union of the future - physically, informationally, and behaviorally.
The team wanted to create a credit union that cannot be visited and replicated.
A credit union that has not been commoditized like others in the past, one that
does not exist. Envision a credit union focused on the needs of members, a
facility that conveys sincere emotion, with surroundings that keep members
coming back and team members never wanting to leave.
There were three questions Best Advantage Credit Union, Miron Construction
and Gries Architectural needed to answer first.
1. Is the current BACU member experience the best it can be?
2. Is BACU the primary financial service provider in the communities it
serves?
3. Are the current practices at BACU innovative and better than the rest?
In this emerging evolution of financial services, change within the credit union
industry was essential. BACU realized their community was ready. Traditional
practices in the member experience would have to be reexamined. Building a
facility that doesn’t exist was Miron Construction’s charge. Making lives better
for the communities BACU serves was our passion.

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Experience-Based Design (EBD)
Best Advantage Credit Union began the experience-based design process
through its relationship with Miron Construction on a number of different fronts:
First, multifunctional innovation teams were established throughout the organization. Each team had a designated leader who was responsible for facilitating
the team’s effectiveness and business outcomes (as measured by member
feelings and loyalty, problem solving, team collaboration, process effectiveness, queue times, metrics unique to the credit union such as closing percentage, access time, staff movements and member attachment). The key was to
design a facility around ideal member outcomes and team member behaviors,
not the traditional, stagnant model.
Organizational impression areas and attach points (the moment of intersection
between a member and the brand) were outlined. To win the buy-in of experts,
innovation team leaders reported their ongoing findings to the team at morning
huddles and company-wide forums. Over the course of the next 90 days, innovations were detailed through mind mapping. All current member transactions
were mapped, as well as ideal conditions, before the design process could
begin. The vision for this project continually served as a filter for its progression. Design-build partner, Gries Architectural, began drawing BACU’s dream
facility once all member and team member interactions were mapped, and all
innovations were developed.

“Together, as a unified team, we started with the desired outcomes – understanding
how a member feels every step of the way. We then used Building Information
Modeling (BIM) to visualize the design elements for the BACU staff. This eliminated
non-value activities and shortened the building process by 32 days.”
Paul Auer, Project Manager



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Once the team detailed innovations, they were brought to life through Building Information Modeling (BIM). This state of-the-art architectural design process visualizes a
complete representation of the building with which all users can interact. Rather than
attempting to make sense of a 2-D blueprint, members and BACU team members
were able to envision the new facility, foresee innovations and predict outcomes.
BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a workflow that allows all the stakeholders involved in the design and construction process the ability to interact, add,
and extract information as necessary to achieve the end goal which is the built
environment. We can achieve this end goal successfully through the use of
BIM by minimizing or eliminating errors and omissions through constructability
reviews, collision detection, time laps construction sequencing, and accurate
material take off. By having each of the stakeholders integrated into the project
from project conception through construction and building ownership, each
member has a vested interest in the success of the project.
Experience-based design tools were used to assist in the facilitation of the
innovation design process. Numerous tools assisted in focusing the innovation
teams on the evolution of BACU. The credit union kept the innovation process alive through a combination of clear goals and deadlines, as well as the
experience-based design methodology.

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“Best Advantage is an excellent example of an integrated team approach between
building owner, designer and builder where we each achieved our end goals
through the reliability of the information both placed and extracted from the
information model. By communicating and collaborating continuously as the
design evolved, together we were able to make well thought out decisions that
ultimately affected the size, shape and look of the new building.”
DAN BAYER, BIM Specialist


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“We are all from this area, it’s a family
experience. We wanted to out-think the big
financials, while preserving our small,
family environment.”
Tammy Williams, President/CEO

“Versatile, flexible spaces will allow for the evolution of change” commented
Tammy Williams, president of Best Advantage Credit Union. “The thoughts and
notions that brought us this far must be preserved. We wanted to stimulate innovation so it is relevant for our members.”
The challenge of choreographing the activities of every member transaction
can be a daunting task, but with careful pre-planning it doesn’t have to be. The
key for any credit union is to focus not only on the operational manifestations
of the problem (the processes and ineffective systems that create frustrations
among members) but also the organizational shortcomings that inhibit collaboration, accountability, and the sense of a common vision among team
members.

Over 170 unique financial innovations were created through the Miron Construction
Experience-Based Design process. While some examples are captured within the
context of this case study, a complete listing can be viewed on our website
miron-construction.com within our Experience-Based Design section.

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Experience Ecology
Defined
physical
Physical elements include all aspects of spatial integration. These
include furnishings with an understanding of fabric, pattern, color,
illumination, texture, scent, temperature, flora, sound, taste and
apparel worn by participants.
behavioral

The Experience Ecology
To design and build a credit union for the future, an unprecedented planning
process was vital. Three critical elements of the experience were examined and
incorporated to help transform the member experience: physical, behavioral
and informational.
Each area communicates independently, yet join strongly together to understand and create the ideal member experience. These main elements are often
forgotten or executed erroneously. At best, their uniqueness remains unappreciated and segregated.
Experience Element Ecology requires that all aspects be designed together
based on the desired outcomes of team members and member. This forms
greater balance consistent with the financial activities taking place. More
importantly, this balance must enhance, not fragment, members, families,
employees, and communities’ varying self-identities. Ideal member experiences
must trigger, not restrain, creative innovations and identify the highest form of
member
feelings.


Behavioral elements include all
movement sequence interactions
between team members and
members. This determines how
individuals advance through the
space and the time required to do
so. Are the behavioral elements
aligned to the outcomes desired?
Is there transparency throughout
the setting, between departments,
and from one day to the next?

informational

Informational elements include all
forms, documents, communication
collateral, spoken word gestures,
postures, impressions, signage,
technology, or other forms of media exchange. Is there integration
between the informational elements and the behavioral? Are the
informational elements based on
BACU team members or member
needs?


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Eliminating Barriers
Many large corporate institutions routinely apply the management principles
of lean manufacturing to create consistency within business procedures. The
advantages of standardization include speedier operations, lower costs, and
improved products. However, an organization’s most valuable member activities involve dozens of steps that require sophisticated customization and expert judgment from numerous stakeholders. All of these steps involve people
and are therefore resistant to change.
The silo mentality of credit union functional areas represents a barrier that few
institutions try to overcome. Inadvertently, the high degree of independent
decision-making required to ensure decisions are sound makes the challenge
even more difficult. While specialists provide important inputs at various stages
of the process, none have a direct stake in the outcome, much less the enthusiasm to examine the effectiveness of the overall process.

E3 is Born
Although credit unions are part of the same segment of the financial services
industry, their individual core beliefs, how they began, what is important, how
they operate and how they grew are completely different. At the core, however,
is a desire to present an authentic, compelling, and differentiating story about
the organization, its products and people. Internal story-telling or branding
is not a logo, a program, or a tag line. It is about applying the organization’s
external brand to internal vehicles allowing for the consistent delivery of the
promise. It is the merger of informational elements (what we say about the
brand), the physical facilities (do they represent who we are?) and human
resources (what employees do, their behaviors). An internal story is the glue
that binds culture and organization so the company can make good on the
promises they are attempting to deliver. The perception of the organization is
then created.
BACU understood this and at the intersection of all three elements of the ecology, E3 was formulated. Created to harness the energy of every Best Advantage Credit Union team member, E3 is a simple philosophy.

Everyone, Everything, and Every time matters. It is the BACU purpose and promise.
The most captivating experience is created at the moment it occurs. BACU
team members understand the importance of this promise and work hard to
live this belief. E3 standards and operating philosophies are discussed in daily
huddles, team meetings, and through internal communications to facilitate
internal coalition of all 29 team members.

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Shaping the BACU Design Process thru…
Object Simulation
To challenge the status quo one of the first activities was an object simulation
event. It was designed to ask the question ‘what if?’ Member Service Representatives (teller), and Financial Services Representatives (lenders) were shown
a spinning toy and then asked to describe it. Tactile adjectives like bright, dizzy,
round, smooth, colorful, cheap, crazy, small, simple and others described the
toy. Based on those adjectives, BACU situations and workplace spaces were
connected back to the toy. Innovation team members then described the positive and negative aspects of their individual workspaces with those words.
Examples:

Steve Gries, President
Gries Architectural Group, Inc.

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Colorful - Do we have enough color? Is it the right color?

“From the beginning of the
BACU project, this facility was
designed in a completely unique
way - from the inside out.
Early project integration with
all stakeholders was absolutely
critical for success. Every
project should be designed and
constructed with this process.”

Dizzy – What is dizzying about BACU?
Simple - What is simple about BACU? What is difficult?

Round - What shapes should be felt in the new facility?

Whitewater
As a real life representation of the evolution BACU was going through, a whitewater rafting event was created to assist team members in working through the
progression. Like the Survivor reality television program, participants banded
together with colored bandanas and team names. The event helped find focus.
When the waters get really rough, what should happen? How do we get life
jackets from a fellow team member to pull us out of trouble? Team members
were asked to describe challenges and changes they experienced throughout
the event. They were then asked how they could use this transformation to sustain and positively impact BACU for the future. Change is never easy, however,
the whitewater rafting activity assisted the team during the transition.
Don’t Drop the Ball Exercise
What happens when the ball is dropped between the employee and a member? BACU wanted to illustrate this with their team members. To create the
feeling of ‘being dropped’, all member transactions were mapped and roleplayed. Right versus wrong ‘hand-offs’ were illustrated so all stakeholders
involved could feel the difference. How would you feel if you were sitting for 5
minutes? If you were left wondering what would happen to you next? If a team
member left the office ‘processing’ information and abandoned you for 10 minutes? If you were left on hold for 90 seconds? What does it feel like if the ball
gets dropped? Every time we leave the member, we drop the ball, the key is to
never drop the ball.



Innovation T Ideation
eam

Defined
Walk

Identify Customer Attach Points
List desired outcomes for each
CAP
Prioritize desired outcomes for
each CAP

Talk
Discuss what is needed to create
desired outcomes
Analyze experience opportunities
and ask “Why do they exist?”
Identify ‘the flow’ and ask “Why do
I do this?”
Napkin Exercise – “Spoken or Written”
This application was intended to illustrate the difference between telling a
story with words versus showing it with a picture. Team members were asked
to sketch instructions for carving a pumpkin. Written instructions for carving
a pumpkin proved to be significantly more difficult than conveying it through
pictures. The interesting pumpkins, to put it nicely, did not come out how they
were intended through words. They were carved exactly as intended through
drawn visualization. However, whether your communication is spoken or written, the information must be clear and concise.

Create
Prioritize options for CAP solutions
Create action plans
Plan the action to gain support

Act
Review quarterly progress & revise

EBD Tools Utilized…
Innovation Team Ideation
At Best Advantage Credit Union, innovation is everyone’s responsibility. It is at
the heart of all they do. Who knows better about system inefficiencies than the
people in the middle of it everyday? This crucial step allows team members
to assist in designing their own spaces and procedures. This input generates
excitement and commitment throughout the entire workforce – team members
are vested in the project and transfer enthusiasm to their members. Input is a
crucial tenant for project success.

Implement Customer Attach Point
(CAP) action item
Apply the solutions

Innovation team members included stakeholders from member services,
consumer lending, administration, financial services, concierge services, IT,
marketing and accounting. Once the team was formed, the Miron ExperienceBased Design methodologies were used to facilitate the process. At the core of
the process is the walk, talk, create and act cycle (see illustration).



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Mind Mapping
Relationships are built on trust, truth and feelings, not transactions. These
interactions lead to member loyalty. Member commitment leads to repeat business, and repeat business pays the bills. Like any great machine, the integral
pieces must always be fine-tuned and well-oiled to attain and maintain peak
performance. Understanding outcomes will illustrate the vision to team members and assist in holding them accountable for the attachment levels within
an organization. This demonstration avoids a breakdown of the established
processes.
Best Advantage Credit Union began with the end in mind. The team outlined
the expected outcomes of each impression area creating the ‘ideal experience’ state. As an example, the outcomes for a parking area included: happy,
“I’m here”, comfortable, safe, welcome, relaxed, clean, secure, and easy to
navigate. Without understanding the ideal outcome desired for the impression
area, innovation team members find it difficult to understand the vision for the
impression area. After the impression area has been identified, attach points
outlined and ideal outcomes understood, the innovation process begins to
unfold quickly.

Mind maps then help to visualize this process for the innovation teams, team members
and senior leaders. Through this visual representation, every process is understood before design actually occurs. Altogether over 160 visual images were brought to life and
illustrated to evaluate efficiencies and effectiveness (see illustration).
Reverse Outcome Modeling
Business processes must be designed around the experience to sustain
themselves. The new metric for success in today’s global economy is attachment. Attachment leads to deeper, more meaningful connections between

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companies, members, and stakeholders, which results in lasting, profitable
relationships. Financial institutions are finding that the winning differentiator is
no longer product or price, but the level of attachment. The degree to which a
company succeeds in developing attached stakeholders is a valuable asset for
any credit union.
Reverse Outcome Modeling begins by designing outcomes first – how people
will feel, that personal connection with your brand. Those outcomes are then
compared back to the current state to determine if the outcomes are being
created. By understanding outcomes first, the member interaction vision can
be designed.
Process Maps
Significant opportunities exist within each identified attach point. Miron set in
motion the BACU interchange necessary to withdraw this information. Miron
believes that every current member process must be understood and mapped
before the actual design process can begin. High level components are categorized (see illustration for registration), queue times understood, and value
stream maps created to display the alternatives for expanded and continuous
improvement.
Digital Connection
All member transactions are videotaped in the current and ideal state. The
videos are then played back to understand attach points and the desired outcomes to be created. Visual representation of every process is essential to the
success of any project.


“We were given a difficult
challenge: design and build
the credit union of the future.
Members, staff and design
partners worked collaboratively
to reimagine and design the
ideal member experience
based on the Best Advantage
culture, not ours. Together,
we understood their values
and beliefs to create over 120
financial innovations.”
Steve Tyink,
VP, Business Innovation


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Miron
ROAD Trip
BACU innovation teams toured
various facilities both inside and
outside of the financial industry to
understand best practices. A few
of these facilities included:

Authors of Change Activity
Photos are taken of workspaces to redefine what they are and what they
should be. By involving team members in understanding their current space,
ownership of the new processes can take place. This guided effort dissects,
evaluates and embraces the complexity of physical workspace as it relates to
the design of a new facility. Discrepancies as well as strong, tangible practices
are revealed within the organization.
Travel Tool
Benchmark companies and organizations accurately bring their vision to life.
Touring these facilities reveals the elements, dimensions and fundamental characteristics that surpass the status quo and cause member attachment. BACU
innovation teams toured various facilities both inside and outside of the financial
industry to understand best practices and answer the question…What is “IT”?

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25

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Spatially Shaping the BACU Process thru…

Living Rooms

Are typical offices effective in making people feel comfortable? Research
confirms what most of us assume: no.
The living room concept evolved from emotions that happened in those
rooms, emotions we wanted to elicit, outcomes we wanted to create. Internal
innovation teams and discussions with members brought forth words such
as “caring, comfort, respect, ease, fun, personal, and flexible” to describe
the future space. Once the outcomes were understood, member interactions and ideal flows could be detailed. “Service Blueprints” were designed to
understand that a couch was more comfortable than a chair. An easy chair
was selected over a desk and an end table created a sense of ease over a
filing cabinet. When members are more comfortable, sharing information is
less complicated because the pressure is eliminated. Members tend to go to
areas that are more comfortable, ones that resemble home.



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Pods

An environment has the ability to strengthen or impair member and team
member attachment to an organization. This occurs by reducing or encouraging existing conditions and feelings. Since 1910, one environment that has
existed within the financial service industry has been the ‘teller line’.

Typically, when designing a facility, very little thought or experience design energy is
focused on issues related to the integration of the teller line as it relates to the experience. The “ line” has been designed into 98% of the financial facilities in America
and has served the industry for over 100 years.
However, it is clear that many barriers exist within this setting when creating ideal outcomes for the member. By understanding the flow and barriers
within the current system, 5 experience barriers were uncovered. The Miron
Barrier Observation Tool is used to uncover possibilities. Five questions are
asked and modeled to begin the process of breaking down the ideal member interaction:
What are the physical barriers to the ideal outcomes?
What are the communication barriers to the ideal outcomes?
What are the sight barriers to the ideal outcomes?
What are the spatial considerations for the ideal outcomes?
What is the movement sequence that is created?
After reviewing the existing barriers, BACU knew it was time for a change.
Leading thought processes indicated that pods should be used to eliminate
the barriers between team members and members. But not just any pod
would do. A unique pod design based on the BACU culture and operating
philosophy would need to be constructed. Enter Rapid Access Prototyping.
This is a unique Miron Experience-Based Design Tool that replicates the
existing design into a life-size foam model. This enabled users to understand
the integration of human elements into the design and determine if ideal
outcomes were being created.

After modeling and interacting, 54 design changes were made to the original design.
Without this tool, BACU may have designed a pod with little understanding
of expected outcomes, thus creating forgettable experience.

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Dream Rooms /Interview Rooms

These rooms are designed to elicit different emotions than those of the
traditional office environment. Miron’s Experience-Based Design methodologies break down the barriers that stand in the way of communication. New
member dream rooms help bring ideas to life and allow for a free exchange
of information.

Kids’ Pods

Small children want to feel grown up. Therefore, smaller representations of
the large pods were designed for our smaller members. Why should child
transactions take place at a larger, intimidating pod they can’t see over? This
enables children to begin the process of financial ownership and accountability at a space designed specifically for them. Kids are then able to feel
comfortable when starting to understand the financial experience. Imagine
how a mother will feel watching her child learn this new and important lesson.

Student Area

Students will now come to the BACU facility for their financial lessons instead
of BACU team members going into the schools. Dedication to youth and the
importance of early education is a core value for the credit union. Space has
been set aside for student class activities. BACU recognizes that youth, at
any age, are the future and that their needs must be recognized early.

Welcome to Our Neighborhood

Research has shown that the more connected people feel to an environment, the happier they are. Happier team members create happier members. Traditional offices create barriers to interaction. They stifle creativity,
lock people out of conversation, eliminate brainstorming opportunities and
block creative thinking. Great communication and growth happens in neighborhoods. Small, interactive spaces that allow for true collaboration based
on understanding the people within. A flexible environment can change over
time. Rigid walls illicit rigid thinking and confined ideas.

“You take care of you and your family first. Then you go to your neighborhood, and
then you spread it on out within the community.” ~ Al Gore

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Café

A coffee shop setting allows for a relaxing and comfortable connection area.
Members can enjoy BACU’s serene surroundings while enjoying their favorite
beverage.

Lending Library

Educational materials are available in an environmentally-friendly location.
Instead of providing everyone with a copy of an informational brochure,
members are able to read or check-out current credit union information while
they’re relaxing. Sustainability and reuse is key.

Work Kiosks

Members can come in and browse the web, work on personal projects or
connect with family and friends. WiFi access is available if members bring in
their own computer. Kiosks are private and relaxed.

The “Bored”room

Why are we put to sleep in a boardroom? Imagine a room built around the
functions it serves rather than vice versa. A typical “bored”room is inflexible
and static. The BACU boardroom now allows for creative freedom.

Express Lane

Like the express line at your local grocery store, checks can be cashed in
less than 3 minutes allowing for greater ease and flexibility. This fun area is for
members with a specific transaction request. On average, transaction time
was lowered by 3 minutes.



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Think Tank

A Think Tank environment offers the latest evolution of physical space aimed
at drawing out ideas and innovations that don’t currently exist. This unique
area is the basis for progress through a structured process of collaboration
that supports continuous growth within the organization. The Think Tank can
be used for brainstorming, organizing, prioritizing, evaluating, identifying and
documenting the innovation process. This space allows for the creation of
a clear, custom output of the content created during the innovation process
and is used for alignment of actions and future reference. This room elevates
BACU’s group intelligence and is the latest collaborative group setting based
on the credit unions culture of fun and desire for dynamic growth.

New Titles

Innovation demands new positions and titles. Recognition of talent and effort
in the credit union industry is paramount for success. If people feel respected
and appreciated, it will be reflected in their performance. Below are examples
of title changes:
Behavorial Matra’s: describe what people do and who they are.
Financial Architect Designing your loan solutions.
Vice President of First Impressions Creating a captivating experience.
Member Service Representatives Member specialist making a difference
Spatial Matras follow through to other items and bring ideas to life.
Possibility Room - Imagine the possibilities.
Skybox - The sky is the limit (members only).

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Everyone • Everything • Every Time - Matters

7

Owner’s Manual

When a new member joins a credit union, they usually get a standard packet
of communication detailing what they can expect. Most of the information is
forgotten, discarded and never thought about again.

BACU is not just any ordinary financial institution. You are an owner and
a member of our family. For this reason, BACU elected to provide ‘The
Owner’s Manual’ to all members. The manual guides new owners through
all BACU processes. New and existing members alike will know exactly how
to navigate the facility, through descriptive photos, and with contact lists ,
ATM locations, frequently asked questions, staff member contacts and other
relevant information.

Napkin Sketch Book - Team Member Training Manual

Napkin sketching is a new, inventive way of looking at business. It solves
problems and communicates ideas with pictures. People understand concepts better through pictures than written words. With the explosion of YouTube, Hulu, and Fancast, among others, communication has become more
visual. All people, adults and kids alike, learn easier and more quickly through
pictures (see illustration).

Rooftop Patio Garden (aka The Escape)

“E3 is what we believe at
BACU. Every moment counts,
every moment is important, our
members needs always come
first.”
Jill Greve,
Member Experience Leader

An often-overlooked area sits immediately above the drive-thru service area.
By integrating sustainability in all elements of the facility, a unique space was
created for member and team member interaction. Now nature, in the form
of an old English garden, fills an existing, and unused, area without additional
cost implications.



35

The Credit Union of Tomorrow - Through The Eyes of Our Youth

To assist in the development of the next generation of credit unions, BACU
has embraced leading-edge thinking, including younger members in strategy
sessions. CU Tomorrow is a program that publishes research and opensource business plans to help attract younger members, promising young
professionals, and younger board members. The initiative will help guide the
organization to meet the needs of younger members while becoming more
youth-focused.
To begin, we asked pointed questions to a number of younger representatives. Examples include: What is your favorite place to hang out? Who has
the coolest place to hang out? Why is it cool? What are you looking for when
you come to a Credit Union? How does it make you feel? What do you think
when? How do different colors make you feel? How does our website and
other CU’s websites make you feel? When you think of BACU, is it a man
or woman? What kind of music do they listen to? What kind of car do they
drive? Responses were captured and served as fundamental elements of our
design process.

“By altering traditional
processes and utilizing lean
building systems on the project,
Education Everywhere
19% of waste was eliminated.
There’s the Little ATM, lending games and even play magnetic money for
This created additional
children to become familiar with financial terminology. Lessons are taught
right in the lobby by the BACU café and can be observed by anyone and evopportunities for Best Advantage
eryone. Continuous financial education is a fundamental key to the success
as funds were freed up to add
of BACU.
innovations to the building not
commonly found. A rooftop
Yes Ideas
Say ‘yes’, not ‘no’. Say ‘yes’, not ‘maybe’. This concept is about going that
patio garden for members and
extra step to answer questions and make sure members are supremely satisthe staff to enjoy is one example
fied. It is essential to always be able to say ‘yes’ to members. Do whatever it
of what non-traditional
takes to make members happy. Never say ‘no’, or ‘I can’t help you with that’.
Rather ask, did I do everything I could for you and do you feel taken care of?
thinking can generate. In the
If you can answer “yes’ to these questions, you will secure a happy and atpast BACU could have only
tached member.
dreamed of such an addition to
their facility.”
Retreat Room vs. Break Room
Craig Uhlenbrauck,
VP, Marketing

36


Where do team members re-charge, take a breath and restore energy? To
alleviate challenges, stress and anxiety, a customized space was created for
their relaxation. Unique to the credit union industry, this spa-inspired, revitalization area provides a get-away, even if only for a few brief moments.



37

38



Kite

Remember your anticipation as a child while opening the kit that would allow
you to release your kite high in the air? You didn’t have a worry or a care in
the world. Kites serve as a foundational element of the BACU culture. As you
enter the lobby area you will notice kites flying overhead. Those kites symbolize the dreams and imagination of childhood. Flying high among blue skies
– it feels as though anything is possible.

Eliminate Notices

Why are notices that members could care less about sent to them on a continual basis? Throughout the design and construction process, BACU innovation teams worked to understand, lean, improve and increase the efficiency
of their processes. By modeling and detailing value stream maps of member
transactions, non-value added activities were eliminated. At BACU, members
are partners, and their comfort and satisfaction are vital. By cutting out extra
steps for members, the process becomes more convenient for them.

Concierge Efforts

This BACU initiative focuses solely on the member and not the transaction.
Walking into a facility as a potential member can be an uncomfortable and
intimidating situation. This innovative idea takes newcomers through the
process with ease. From the moment they enter the facility, new and existing
members feel taken care of and respected. Conversation and the process
itself are made easy. This is vision in action.



39

Best Advantage
Fortune
Fortune Cookies

This is a fun and exciting experience when new members enter in
the facility for the first time. Before
opening an account, they get to
open a BACU fortune cookie.
Some of the fortunes include:
It’s your lucky day!
Your pot of gold will overflow!

Break Down The Wall

Current workspaces are cubicles with little chance for interaction. This promotes a lack of communication and maintenance of the status quo. Spaces
become compartmentalized and separate and so does the thought process
(i. e. this is my space, not yours. Your problem is not my problem). At BACU
the walls have come tumbling down. Collaboration, partnership, open communication and building relationships are now central to BACU process.

Your future is so bright you have to
wear shades!
Chances to win the lottery are?
Chance for a bright future with
BACU? 100%
For some, financial security means
yelling Bingo! For you it means yelling BACU!

Technology Integration

How do you connect with your community and add value without creating
more noise? At BACU, plasma televisions provide information at the touch of
a button. Information is being transmitted in an alternative way. Via plasmas
in front of pods, members can view fun BACU events, as well as receive an
overview of available products and services, but in a “not in your face” way.
Visually interesting pieces transmit information in a completely new way.

Your decisions today help your
money tree bloom tomorrow!

Whether it’s watching Brillion’s Friday night football game, or using the touch
screen info center in the café area to learn more about financing, this technology can be used at the members’ leisure to locate information that is
important to them.
BACU’s mission is to give back to the community in which they are located.
Transmitting information in a new way further cements BACU as a fun part of
the community.

Drive-Thru Experience

Throughout the course of a year, over 25,000 drive-thru envelopes are used
for member transactions. When members were asked, they indicated that
they could care less about the envelopes, in fact, why not save a few trees?
The elimination of 25,000 envelopes saves 300 trees per year. These rescued
trees are now being donated to the city of Brillion. Rather than envelopes,
reuseable fabric pouches are now used for the convenience of the members
and to protect the environment.

40




41

New Ideas for an Old Industry
It is a radical notion that new ideas for an old industry can be summed up at
will, with a process not unlike a scientific method. “We had, as the designers,
the tools and systems that allowed us to come up with solutions when given
the challenge of re-thinking the credit union of the future,” commented Steve
Tyink, VP of Business Innovation for Miron Construction.
Every member of the BACU team was involved in the creation of the new
facility.

“We shaped the facility from the inside out. We didn’t follow the lead of other financials and attempt to replicate what they were doing. We asked ourselves, Why do we
exist? Why we do what we do? Most importantly, how would our members feel if we
didn’t exist. Once we began to find our cause, our belief, our truth, the entire process
began to unfold.”

Tammy Williams, President/CEO

With the basis of reverse outcome modeling, a methodology created by the
Miron Experience-Based Design team, member and staff outcomes were
understood before informational, physical or behavioral integration was produced. “It is critical to understand how people feel as they enter a space, at
every attach point. Without this true perception, ideal experiences will never be
met,” added Jill Greve. “We want our members to feel they are home, ever time
they connect with BACU.”
With hundreds of hours spent in ideation, four months of planning before a line
was drawn by the architect and over 120 financial innovations never before
uncovered, Best Advantage Credit Union is a special place. Special in the
sense that the moment you enter the building, you know that the experience
is different, unique. You have a difficult time placing your finger on the ‘IT’, but
you realize how you feel… a feeling unlike any other encountered at a financial
institution.

42




43


15 BACU Experience Zones

Don’t Drop the Ball

206 Member Attach Points

Dream Rooms

Advantage Club

Dream Wall

At Home Greeting

Drive Thru Money Pouch

Attach Points

E3 Service

Authors of Change

Education Everywhere

Barrier Observation

Eight Tough Question Cascade

‘Bored’ Room

Eliminate Notices

Caffeine for your Thoughts

Eliminate the Wait Campaign

‘Call Girl’ Director

ETQ Cascade

Child Center

Everyone, Everything, Everytime
Matters

Cluster Spaces
Collaboration Spaces
Communication Connection Points

Evolution to Revolution Activity
Exit Expectations

Community Social Profit
Concierge Service

Experience Tour

Connected Pod Display

Express Lane

Connection Diagraming

Financial Architects

Contoured Member Pods

Financial Life Simplification Process

Credit Union Café

Financial Outcome Expressions

Credit Union Experience Standards

Financial Pathway

Credit Union of 2020

First Impressions Reception

Credit Union Soundscapes

Fortune Cookies

CU Mind Maps

Gold Coin Receipt

Digital Connection

44

Expect the Unexpected Services
Area

Green Checking



Happy Member Connection

Mortgage Closing Experience

High School Sports Station

Mortgage Dream Room

High Touch & High Tech Integration

Napkin Sketch Book

Homeowners Gift Basket

Neighborhood Collaboration Spaces

Hospitality Services

New Account Welcome Center

Imagine The Possibilities Plasma

New Heights Drive-thru

Impression Areas

No-Wait Express Service

Innovation Events

Node-Based Pod Design

Innovation Team Ideation

Object Simulation

Inside/Out Planning Process

On Us Checking

Instant Savings Bonds

Outcome-Based Team Training

Kids’ Pods

Owners Manual

Kids Comfort Area

Personal Development Planning

Kids Financial Education Center

Personalize Display Screen
Connection

Learning Library Services
Lending Library
Living Rooms
Member Message Verification
Member Mind Mapping of All
Transactions

Picture Frame Personalization
Pod Plasmas
Possibilities Room
Rapid Access Prototyping
Recycled Wall Art

Member Outcomes

Recycled Walls

Member Services Station

Retreat Center

Member Specialist

Retreat From It All

Member Vital Pulse

Reverse Outcome Modeling

Moneyopolis

Rooftop Garden



45


Save a Tree by Driving Thru
Service Blueprinting
Sky Kites
Student Areas
Studio Seating
Switch & Find Board
Team Daily Huddle Process
Team Neighborhoods
Think Tank Environment
Think Tank Flexible Seating
Think Tank Writing Walls
Through The Eyes of Our Youth
Event
Thought of the Day
Touch Screen Personalization
Travel Tour Exercise
Virtual Space Modeling
VP of First Impressions
VP of Member Experiences
Welcome Center Atrium
What ‘IF’ Role Playing
Work Kisoks
Yes Ideas
Youth Advisory Group
Youth Connection Blogs

46



Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the following people and firms who shared their passion and
dedicated their expertise to the successful creation of Best Advantage Credit Union.
Project Manager

Paul Auer, LEED® AP

Project Superintendent

Kris O’ Connor

Project Coordinator

Leann Erbrecht

Estimator

Mark Johnson

Building Information Modeling (BIM) Specialist

Dan Bayer

Business Innovation & Experience-Based Design

Steve Tyink

Business Development

Craig Uhlenbrauck

Gries Architectural Group, Inc.
Project Architect

Steve Gries, A.I.A.

Project Manager

Sam Tijan

Systems Furniture Inc.
Project Interior Designer

Stacey Prodoeht

Project Interior Designer

Stacy Eastman

Romes Design, Inc. | HVAC & Plumbing, Electrical
McMahon Associates, Inc. | Civil Engineering
Larson Engineering of Wisconsin | Structural Engineering

All Content © 2009 Miron Construction Co., Inc.

Professional Photography
Weston Imaging Group, LLC

Phil Weston

Graphic Design
Sarah Parker

1471 McMahon Drive
Neenah, WI 54956

920.969.7000

US $14.99

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