Lisa Howard1

If we build it, will they come?If we build it, will they come?

Evaluating the benefits of providing factory Evaluating the benefits of providing factory employees with access to their company’s Intranetemployees with access to their company’s Intranet

Lisa HowardLisa HowardHoneywell InternationalHoneywell International

May 19, 2003May 19, 2003

Lisa Howard2

•Issue

•Research

•Results

•Next Steps

Lisa Howard3

The Current SettingThe Current Setting

• “Better communication”

• “There needs to be more

communication”

•“Communication – whether good or

bad”

• “Need communication”

• “Greater sharing of information”

• “Better communication –

especially on status of our businesses”

Lisa Howard4

The Current SettingThe Current Setting

• Minneapolis manufacturing operation -- producing guidance and navigation avionics.

• 800 “unplugged” union workers have little to no electronic access to company information:

– No web access– No e-mail– No personal computer

• Main communication vehicle: Posted notices on bulletin boards.

• Non-union counterparts have Intranet, Internet, and e-mail access.

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Continuing Debate Over Electronic AccessContinuing Debate Over Electronic Access

• No significant employee demand for electronic access.

• Some factory supervisors say employees are “getting the message.”

• Communication process is not broken – why try to fix it?

• Company wants more and more information and services on line.

• Some factory supervisors say employees feel uninformed – “You never told me!”

• Communication process needs help -- satisfaction ratings from quarterly surveys of this group are lowest within organization.

Fact: Communications manager feels messages are being sent into “outer space.”

But…

Lisa Howard6

Literature Findings Show…Literature Findings Show…

Literature review offered some insights on communication satisfaction levels among factory employees.

Findings:

• Blue collar workers feel uninformed

• Employees have long preferred receiving messages face to face

• They want all information tailored to them–How does what you are telling me affect me?

• Electronic access can deliver many benefits

to both organizations and employees

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Potential Solution to Communications Potential Solution to Communications DilemmaDilemma

• Pilot test three electronic kiosks to provide web access.

• “Information Stations” strategically placed throughout factory.

• Kiosks consist of computer, monitor and printer housed in semi-private setting.

Lisa Howard8

•Issue

•Research

•Results

•Next Steps

Lisa Howard9

My ResearchMy Research

• Surveys conducted prior to, and following, introduction of kiosks to determine if this population places any value on electronic delivery of business information.

• Results would help dictate future of kiosks/electronic access for this audience.

• Findings could be generalized beyond Honeywell -- for any company struggling with a research question like mine...

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My Research QuestionMy Research Question

Will electronic delivery of company

information to Honeywell’s union

employees increase their communication

satisfaction ratings from 2002 to 2003?

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Two Surveys DeliveredTwo Surveys Delivered

• Company-sponsored pre- and post-kiosk surveys sent to all 800 factory employees:

– Surveys distributed: March 2002 and February 2003

• Both studies addressed:

– Effectiveness and usefulness of communication vehicles

– Preferred methods for receiving messages

• Second study added “kiosks” as vehicle choice.

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Structure of SurveysStructure of Surveys

• Survey snapshot:

– 24 Likert-like questions on paper survey

– Anonymous/administered through inter-office mail

– Drawings used to increase response rates

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Sample QuestionsSample Questions

Survey asked…

• “Select your top three preferred communication methods for keeping you informed day to day.”

• “Please match the topic below with your choice of method for receiving such news.”

• “How do you access the Intranet or Internet at work?”

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Overcoming Roadblocks Before SurveyingOvercoming Roadblocks Before Surveying

• Employees “surveyed out” from other initiatives.

• They don’t want what they don’t know.

Kiosk awareness would be critical success factor.

Three kiosks might not be enough to allow easy access.

• Without web site tailored to their informational needs, factory employees may not respond to the Intranet’s offerings.

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•Issue

•Research

•Results

•Next Steps

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Responses to My ResearchResponses to My Research

• Pre-kiosk survey:

– Administered to all 800 employees

– 230 employees responded

– Margin of error: +/-5% with 95% accuracy

• Post-kiosk survey:

– Administered to all 800 employees

– 116 employees responded

– Margin of error: +/-8% with 95% accuracy

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What I LearnedWhat I Learned

Comparing 2002 to 2003 results:

• Satisfied or somewhat satisfied with company’s effort to keep them informed

– Increased from 63% to 70%

• Think current delivery methods are timely

– Increased from 64% to 67%

• Ratings may have improved, but 8% margin of error on second survey makes this impossible to prove

• Face to face remained method considered most useful, followed by print or bulletin board postings

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What I LearnedWhat I Learned

• Availability of electronic access

– From 2002 to 2003, more employees (from 63% to 74%) said they were accessing Intranet on the job.

– From 2002 to 2003, more employees (from 45% to 65%) agreed Intranet makes them more productive:

– Half said they were proficient in surfing the web; half considered themselves beginners or without skills.

– Preferred method for accessing Intranet/Internet was departmental computer.

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What I LearnedWhat I Learned

• Face-to-face communication remains this group’s preferred method for receiving information.

– Comparison of data from two surveys shows little change in employee opinion regarding usefulness of Intranet/Internet

– Both ranked near, or just below, middle of “usefulness list”

– Results shown on following slides…

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What I LearnedWhat I Learned

Usefulness of Communication Vehicles2002 Survey

69%64%

57%53% 53%

50% 48% 47%43% 42%

31% 28%

74%73%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Face

to F

ace

Bullet

in Boa

rd

Print/W

ork

Print/H

ome

Mon

itor

Intra

net

Poste

rs

Inte

rnet

Public

Add

ress

Town

Mee

tings

EE New

s

Video

E-mail

Voicem

ail

Communication Vehicle

Useful

Useless

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What I LearnedWhat I Learned

Usefulness of Communication Vehicles2003 Survey

85%78%

69%64%64%

59%57%56%48%47%44%40%36%

26%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

Bulle

tin B

oard

Face

to F

ace

Print/W

ork

Print/H

ome

Poste

rs

Town

Mee

ting

Mon

itor

EE New

s

Inte

rnet

from

Kio

sk

Intra

net fr

om K

iosk

Video

Public

Add

ress

E-mai

l

Voice

mai

l

Communication Vehicle

Useful

Useless

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What I LearnedWhat I Learned

• There is desire for Intranet/Internet access:

– Kiosks may not be ideal mode of access

– Only 4% of surveyed population visited/utilized kiosk; 76% used departmental computer to log on

How do you Access Intranet/Internet at Work?

Source: March 2003 Survey

76%

4%

20%DepartmentComputer

Kiosk

PersonalComputer

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•Issue

•Research

•Results

•Next Steps

Lisa Howard24

Potential Next StepsPotential Next Steps

• Conduct factory focus groups to uncover root cause for low usage of kiosks.

• Issue with…

– Location?

– Training?

– Supervisor attitudes?

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• Kiosks will continue – at least for near term. No new kiosks will be added.

• Continue to press for factory-specific web site.

• May provide weekly electronic newsletter in print format -- post near entrances/exits.

Potential Next StepsPotential Next Steps

Lisa Howard26

Questions?