SUCCESS STORY

For 20 years, Under Armour has prided itself on being a provider of cutting edge athletic gear. Since its founding in 1996, the company’s mission—“make all athletes better through passion, design and the relentless pursuit of innovation”—has been a driving force behind both major and minor decisions throughout the organization.

For Brendan Robinson, Under Armour’s Director of Facilities and Operations and Corporate Real Estate, supporting this mission means always looking for ways to make the Under Armour workplace better and identifying opportunities to reflect the values of the company across the organization.

To achieve his goals, Robinson needed to help his facilities team understand how to connect their daily tasks to Under Armour’s overall mission.

Robinson started by bringing the Under Armour leaders together to discuss the services the facilities and operations team provides. The objective of this meeting was twofold:

• First, establish the value these services provide to Under Armour
• Then, determine how to not only deliver consistently high-quality service but also continuously improve each aspect of service delivery

When the discussions concluded, the findings were organized into a single document called a logic model—a tool used to evaluate the effectiveness of individual aspects of a business. The facilities and operations logic model is now used to orient new team members and demonstrate how their day-to-day work contributes to the company’s mission.

Developing the logic model was just the first step. Robinson recognized in order to ensure the effective maintenance of world-class facilities and the consistent delivery of high-quality services, he required something beyond his current resources. Under Armour needed an end-to-end solution that could seamlessly connect its team and its customers.

Enter iOFFICE and its integrated workplace management system (IWMS).

IMPLEMENTATION

• For Under Armour, investing in iOFFICE was about utilizing the existing space and acquiring real-time facilities data. The Space Management module allows Under Armour employees to identify open work areas and reserve available spaces. The Move Management module helps the facilities team more easily accommodate the growing company.
• The previous process for service tickets was inefficient and cumbersome: First, the team would receive a ticket in the service management software; then a team member would have to open a new ticket in a separate property management software; finally, the team member would have to call the correct operator to let them know there was an open ticket. Now, with the Service Request module, the ticket automatically routes to the correct operator’s mobile device, keeping the facilities team updated on issues and letting them address work orders in real-time.
• Under Armour receives a tremendous amount of mail, and in the past the company had a problem with packages not being delivered. Using the Mail module, the organization was able to create an aging report that tracks undelivered packages, isolate the location of the issue and resolve it. Now the flow of mail in and out of Under Armour is running smoothly.

RESULTS

After implementing iOFFICE, Robinson saw his primary goal realized: the establishment of a comprehensive facilities and operations program that helped his team understand how the work they do helps Under Armour meet its mission. In addition, iOFFICE allowed Robinson’s team to prioritize their workload and automate many of their tasks as well as collect data and see the impact of their work.

On a broader scale, iOFFICE helped Under Armour achieve the following:

• A more enjoyable workplace. In 2014, the No. 4 complaint was lack of proximity to amenities. In 2016, the scores for “access to amenities” were off the charts.
• Increased collaboration. In 2014, teammates reported that they spent 10 to 40 percent of their time collaborating. However, two years later, 60 percent of teammates said they spend more than half their time consulting and teaming up with their colleagues.
• Comfortable workspaces. In 2014, “lack of daylight and views” was the No. 2 complaint behind temperature. In 2016, this was a non-issue.

Under Armour has worked hard to improve the look and feel of its offices, including better indoor environmental quality (cleanliness, humidity and temperature), additional collaborative workspaces and a more active workplace to reflect Under Armour values. The company has also created an upgraded onboarding process for new employees. iOFFICE enabled Robinson’s team to improve how they respond to the changing needs of his workforce now and into the future.

FUTURE

During the implementation of iOFFICE, Robinson discovered that onboarding a new software takes more time than he anticipated. While Robinson’s team originally had tried to tackle everything at once, they quickly learned the better practice is to roll things out in phases. Robinson also realized there needed to be a standard procedure for implementing new technology. Based on what he learned, Robinson developed a “Facility Activation” process that is used to help new Under Armour facilities smoothly integrate iOFFICE and other softwares and make the transition more painless.

Looking ahead, Under Armour is exploring the use of iBeacons, robotics and predictive maintenance technologies in their workplace and are working with iOFFICE to see how the IWMS provider can support these new ventures. With the help of the iOFFICE Marketplace, Under Armour is considering other technology partners that can help bring their mission to life.