How Suddath’s expertise helped define a new program and exceed goals set in first year

BACKGROUND

A $3 billion international law firm headquartered in New York City, with global offices in 17 countries, had over 100 associate and partner moves per year. The firm used movers selected by the facilities department. Unfortunately, defaulting to office movers for partners and associates who needed specialized care of their household goods yielded suboptimal results.

A major service failure with a partner move was the catalyst that led the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) to reevaluate and initiate improvements to their overall mobility program. Changes included partnering with supplier who had a proven history and concentrated focus on employee household goods moving services. Suddath was selected to provide the right blend of personalized services for the firm’s eight U.S. offices as well as their other international locations.

PROGRAM CHALLENGES

• Sizeable gaps between move estimates and actual costs
• No defined service agreements and no real accountability from providers
• Dissatisfied employees who were vocal about lackluster experiences
• Too many providers and points of contact with inconsistent results
• Lack of consistent, accurate and meaningful reporting
• Limited access to additional services, such as destination services, home search assistance, etc.
• Seeking a more personalized service from providers and the consistency of a single point of contact
• HR and talent management had no bandwidth to become experts on moving and the evolution of services now available

SOLUTION

Suddath engaged with HR, Talent Mobility and Procurement to fully understand the firm’s culture, areas of concern and what the new service model and potential provider should look like

Together they crafted a Request For Proposal (RFP) that addressed the firm’s current and future needs. A full-service relocation management provider was not the answer. The situation called for a mover with broad offerings to address the diverse move types the firm required.

Service-Level Agreements (SLAs), accountability, the provider’s Environment, Social, and Governance practices (ESG), compliance, technology, innovation, global footprint, financial stability and cost effectiveness were key metrics they would evaluate. As a trusted mover for over 100 years, Suddath emerged as the right choice.

Suddath focused their solutions on three internal customers:

• Assignee – associate and partner experience, support information, communication
• HR and Talent Mobility – reporting, program enhancement and recommendations
• Procurement – ESG, compliance, SLA accountability, and cost savings

RESULTS

• Savings: Annualized savings of $291,000 through negotiated rates, lower insurance premiums and free storage with Suddath’s exclusive container program
• Increased Move Options: Suddath addressed all moving needs by introducing: baggage, containerized small shipments, international and domestic van lines transport modes.
• Improved client satisfaction to 95% in the first year
• Cost Containment: Narrowed the gap from estimate to actual within 10%
• Vastly Improved Reporting: Easy access to data through secure client portal
• Better Experience: Lower claims experience due to higher quality labor sources and use of containers
• Talent Recruitment: Relocation became a tool for talent mobility
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: Employee and CHRO satisfaction
• NO noise!

From international partner moves with a higher level of service requirements to smaller moves from Ivy League schools to big city apartments, Suddath delivered personalized services that exceeded expectations. The dedicated account management team’s decades of experience working with and supporting global law firms helped to facilitate a smooth onboarding process.