Sample Key Themes For DQA

KEY THEMES WORKSHEET
What are the most important strengths or outstanding

practices (of potential value to other organizations)
identified?
A.
A.1.
The applicant has expanded its leadership approach to include the

formation of an= Executive Management Committee (EMC). Through
expectations set by the Trust Model and Values, this group has organized the
customer-focused culture around the Vision of providing legendary service and
designs its leadership system, strategic directions, and human resource efforts
based on achieving this Vision. The EMC has also led the conversion to a sales
culture, and early stages of implementation are yielding improved outcomes for
the organization, its associates, and its customers.
A.2.
A focus on the future is illustrated by the applicants Strategic Planning

Process (Figure 2.1-1). The EMC leads the three-month process that includes
an environmental scan and results in annual strategic and operating plans,
business action plans, and Individual Performance Plans (IPPs). This helps to
align the organization along its four key success factors of financial, customer,
associate, and operations (Figure 2.1-4).
A.3.
The applicant demonstrates a customer-driven focus through listening and

learning approaches such as the recently implemented Voice Of the Customer
(VOC) Process, Customer Outreach Program, and use of the Customer Service
Standards. The recently developed Continuous Improvement Process (CIP)
focuses on customer-defined expectations and helps ensure that the applicants
product and service design and work processes stay current with changing
business needs and directions. While the applicants use of management by fact
is in early stages of deployment, information gained from these approaches is
systematically input into the Strategic Planning Process and the Dashboard of
key performance measures.
A.4.
The applicant demonstrates the valuing of employees through its focus on

attracting, hiring, and retaining associates; the empowering of Trust Teams;
using the Performance Management and Development Process (PMDP) and
ensuing IPPs; encouraging flextime and community volunteerism; and
recognizing and training associates. Mature approaches such as the Hiring the
Best Program and Job Competency Determination Process, combined with
aligning the applicants mission, vision, and values to the PMDP and IPPs,
demonstrate its belief that if it takes care of its associates, the associates will
take care of customers.
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B.
b. What are the most significant opportunities, concerns,

or vulnerabilities identified?
B.1.
The applicant operates in a highly competitive environment, yet appears to

lack systematic approaches for many of its processes. For example, it is not
clear how the applicant translates review findings into priorities, how it
addresses the needs of all stakeholders through strategic objectives, how new
technology is incorporated into product and service design and delivery, or how
business area processes enable the organization to achieve its strategies.
Without systematic approaches, it may be difficult for the applicant to adjust
effectively and swiftly to the changing competitive landscape.
B.2.
The applicant operates 35 branches across 14 communities that need to

deliver consistent products and service to three customer groups. However,
many processes for delivery are not well defined or deployed across all
branches. For example, the lack of systematic approaches includes how the
applicant determines areas of involvement and support for its key communities,
how it tracks and uses customer complaint information, and how it evaluates
education and training effectiveness against organizational performance. The
lack of systematic approaches across the organization indicates opportunities
for further organizational learning and the implementation of innovative
management practices.
B.3.
There is little evidence of a systematic approach for the measurement and

analysis of organizational performance. There is no systematic approach for
obtaining comparative and competitive information, and segmentation of
customer and employee data leading to actionable information also appears to
be lacking. Additionally, measures and targets important to the applicants
business are not identified (e.g., regulatory issues). The development of such
approaches would enable the applicant to enhance its management by fact
through understanding of issues surrounding strategic planning, customer and
market focus, human resource focus, process management, and public
responsibility.
B.4.
It is not clear how the applicant aligns its key approaches and processes to
achieve a systems perspective. Beginning deployment of approaches involving
the use of Dashboard measures, SMART I, the Continuous Improvement
Process (CIP), and the Excellence Criteria for Performance Excellence is
occurring to identify opportunities for improvement, and foundational pieces
such as the Strategic Planning Process, VOC Process, PMDP, and Service
Level Agreement Process are in place. Yet it is not clear how the applicant is
integrating these approaches so that they build on one another in support of
successful organizational performance.
B.5.
While the applicant relies heavily on outsourcing many of its key processes
through vendors, suppliers, and partners, there does not appear to be a
systematic approach to building relationships with these groups. Although these
groups have recently been included in the Strategic Planning Process,
communication with them regarding organizational performance, product and
service design, daily management of the key processes, and process
Page 2 of 4
improvement issues seems to be limited. Without clear and open systems of

communication, the ability of these groups to proactively engage in the
organization and help it achieve its vision of legendary service may be hindered.
B.6.
C.
While the CIP is newly developed and deployed to some areas of the
organization, little evidence is provided to indicate systematic cycles of
improvement are used across the organization. For example, opportunities exist
for refined improvement cycles in processes associated with leadership,
customer and market focus, information and analysis, human resource focus,
and process management. Further, both the process for communicating
improvements and the ways in which the organization uses assessments
involving the Excellence Criteria for Performance Excellence are unclear.
Considering the applicants key business/organization

factors, what are the most significant strengths,
opportunities, vulnerabilities, and/or gaps (related to data,
comparisons, linkages) found in its response to Results
Items?
C.1.
The applicant demonstrates improvements in financial results compared to

peers (Efficiency Ratio, Figure 7.2-2; Nonperforming Asset Ratio, Figure 7.2-3;
and net interest margin). Further, in experiencing Branch Growth (Figure 7.2-5)
from two to 35 since 1995, the applicant has grown its Dashboard measure of
Average Assets (Figure 7.2-4) from $84 million in 1995 to $1.1 billion year-todate. These results indicate that the applicant is on track to achieve its Strategic
Objective of $3 billion in assets by 2009.
C.2.
During a period of significant growth, Associate Satisfaction (Figure 7.3-1)

has improved from 32 percent in 2001 to 52 percent in 2006. Additionally,
several human resource results compare favorably to The Pilgrim Group ratings
(Customer Focus, Figure 7.3-2; Have Enough Information to Do Job Well,
Figure 7.3-5; Level of Teamwork, Figure 7.3-7; the Dashboard measure of
Percentage of Associate Turnover, Figure 7.3-9; and Absenteeism Rate of
Associates, Figure 7.3-10). These results indicate the applicants focus on
valuing employees.
C.3.
While the applicant is transitioning to a culture of management by fact, an

overall focus on customer trends appears to be in early stages of development.
This is best evidenced by analyzing customer focused results, a key area of
focus given the applicants competitive environment, mission, vision, brand
strategy, challenges, and key competitive advantages. Although the number of
retail products per household has increased and is now at a level of larger
banks, customer-focused results are either flat or indicate early stages of
improvement (including the key Dashboard measure of Customer Satisfaction,
Figure 7.1-1). This indicates an opportunity for the organization to realize fully
the potential of the changed culture and approaches to building the brand.
Page 3 of 4
C.4.
Important results are not reported for many Items. These include Item 7.1
(customer satisfaction with convenience, accuracy, timeliness, and
knowledgeable associates; Dashboard results for customer complaint calls,
customer complaint visits, and customer turnover), Item 7.2 (the strategic
objective related to revenue, business area financial results, and marketplace
performance), Item 7.3 (the strategic objectives related to work system
performance as assessed through the Excellence Criteria, as well as bench
strength, diversity goals, and financial incentives tied to customer satisfaction),
and Item 7.4 (product and service performance; key business and support
processes; supplier, partner, and vendor results; the strategic objective related
to operational excellence as assessed through the Excellence Criteria; the
Dashboard results for fraud attempts; regulations, risk management, and
compliance; and citizenship). Since many of these missing results are linked to
strategic objectives and to Dashboard measures, the lack of results suggests
that the applicant is in the early stages of management by fact and of focusing
on results to create value for all stakeholders.
C.5.
There are no comparative measures for customer-focused results and

organizational effectiveness results such as key processes and services. While
some comparisons of financial and market as well as human resource results
are provided, these are to peer organizations or industry averages rather than to
best-in-class performers. Given the wide array of competitors and the
opportunity to gather comparative data outside the industry, this lack of
competitive/comparative information may limit the applicants understanding of
its strategic advantages and vulnerabilities.
C.6.
There is little evidence of segmentation of key results by customer group,

delivery option, branch location, or market segment. Further, there are no
segmented results provided for associates by group. This makes it difficult for
the applicant to understand key trends across a variety of categories and to use
information that is actionable to achieve strategic goals.
Page 4 of 4

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KEY THEMES WORKSHEET

What are the most important strengths or outstanding

The applicant has expanded its leadership approach to include the

A focus on the future is illustrated by the applicants Strategic Planning

The applicant demonstrates a customer-driven focus through listening and

The applicant demonstrates the valuing of employees through its focus on

b. What are the most significant opportunities, concerns,

The applicant operates in a highly competitive environment, yet appears to

The applicant operates 35 branches across 14 communities that need to

There is little evidence of a systematic approach for the measurement and

improvement issues seems to be limited. Without clear and open systems of

Considering the applicants key business/organization

The applicant demonstrates improvements in financial results compared to

During a period of significant growth, Associate Satisfaction (Figure 7.3-1)

While the applicant is transitioning to a culture of management by fact, an

There are no comparative measures for customer-focused results and

There is little evidence of segmentation of key results by customer group,

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